Cut It In Half: Airplane and Fire Truck (DVD)

Airplane Commercial airplanes are commonly used by travelers across the world, but how do these fantastically complicated machines work? Eric Stromer does the unthinkable, cutting into a Boeing 727 passenger jet for a never-before-seen look at airplanes, from the inside out. He dissects various parts of the plane to learn more about how the systems work together to make air travel safe and reliable. Stromer splits open everything including a tire, a cockpit door, a black box, a passenger window, and seats. To examine some of the more unusual aspects of air travel, such as the effects of "bird strikes" into the cockpit, National Geographic uses CGI and a variety of field tests to provide a new look at an airplane--cut in half. Fire Truck We see fire trucks every day, but how do they work and what's inside? Host Eric Stromer and his team create a giant band saw using a motorcycle and 100 feet of diamond-studded cable in an attempt to cut a retired fire truck in half, lengthwise. The systems on the 1987 Ford Grumman truck include a 50-ft hydraulic ladder, a 600-gallon water tank, and a powerful water pump. Using CGI and practical field tests, witness these systems in action and get an education on how they work in a unique look at the fire truck--from the inside out.

• documentary
• nonfiction