Flight of the Century - Scrapheap Challenge

Full double length episode celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Wright Bros first flight.
I can only apologise for
a: the less than excellent video quality
b: the hard coded Swedish subtitles
c: slightly dubious editing
I wasn't responsible for any of it but this is the only copy I have been able to find and I believe it's an improvement on the six minute clips that are available.
I do not claim ownership or copyright of this work.

[@kalamazootw]

far superior version of this video has been uploaded. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5jWkoCFgMaKhtk&ab_channel=JetdocJ

[@LJinx3]

It’s got ads - don’t bother

[@ZondaFRoadster]

The British team had no choice but to go with a biplane design. It was the only way to generate enough lift to compensate for the weight of the pilot's balls.

[@davidpayne4315]

This show should've never been cancelled it's much better than most of the crap that's playing today

[@leechowning2712]

If they had continued it would have replaced the hosts like they did mythbusters. I just wish they had more ways to watch these old shows.

[@leet2089]

Totally agree!!!! So wish they would release the full series of Junkyard and scrapheap on a mega boxset!!

[@borntoclimb7116]

True

[@TacklingIgnorance]

I've genuinely been looking off and on for this episode for ages

[@kalamazootw]

Took a long time to find it but worth the wait.

[@readhistory2023]

@@kalamazootw If you find the mega challenge where it's US vs Russia vs Brits and they make rock crawlers, that are amphibious that would be great. Season 4 I think.

[@maxmackinlay618]

Me too, well done Terry.

[@Neckcron]

same

[@smoothgreen1036]

@@readhistory2023 I just found it in my VHS collection: www.dailymotion.com/video/x7w0sx2

[@coolhand67]

Wonderful! I don’t mind admitting I thought the French would win but the Brits not only did a great job on their own plane, they also fixed the Americans engine and the French propeller. The French exchanged their propeller with the British and the Americans welded the French frame. All in all a spirit of comradeship and cooperation that was a joy to watch.

[@davehoward22]

British french and Americans do make some good stuff together, (top of my head,ac cobra,gt 40,concorde)

[@DangerousDac]

I found this like 4 days ago and I keep coming back to it. The British plane is gorgeous and seeing it fly as well as it does is fantastic.

[@ragerancher]

I think the name of this program either side of the Atlantic really highlights the difference in mentality between Brits and Americans Brits - Challenge USA - War

[@hoilst265]

Also: Americans: The Eagles - the proudest, strongest bird in the sky. French: The Falcons - the fastest, sleekest bird. British: "We're the buzzards."

[@ragerancher]

@@hoilst265 Buzzard has a different meaning in the USA to everywhere else (as usual). In the USA a buzzard is basically a vulture but in the rest of the English speaking world it is a medium-large bird of prey.

[@flybobbie1449]

@@ragerancher Well the Brits picked off the competition, just like a Vulture.

[@ragerancher]

@@flybobbie1449 a buzzard is not a vulture anywhere except in the USA

[@skepticalbadger]

@@hoilst265 The European Buzzard is a hawk. Still an apt comparison since the Buzzard isn't as fast or showy as the other two birds but gets the job done.

[@sgal4374]

I've been searching for this Scrapheap Challenge episode for years! It's an absolute classic, not seen it since it was first aired on tv. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@appa609]

Exactly one of these planes made it out of ground effect.

[@Stuff8522]

Well, we can all agree. More wings = more flight. I'm an American, but I knew that once the British decided on a Biplane design, I knew that they would crush it. (Sad American noises).

[@SvalPlays]

The other teams trying to figure out to fly while the British team practically builds a VTOL craft

[@raptokvortex]

The brit was absolutely nutty to fly that thing so high. Guess he trusted it was built well I guess XD

[@alanbarker6890]

i watched this years ago and its one of the best scrapheap challenges they is. pity you can't buy it in the UK on DVD.

[@ARRRsonist]

Damn that Brit plane was impressive. Thanks for uploading this! This show is hard to find anymore.

[@hoilst265]

The phrase "Chocks away!" can only be properly said in a British accent.

[@davehoward22]

Contact!

[@umxmarky]

i remember watching this first time around, heck i should see if have it on video

[@johnnycarrotheid]

"Don't make the winner the one that's up the longest, we'll be here all day watching the Brit doing loops" 😂😂😂

[@borntoclimb7116]

Very interesting. I miss that show.

[@davehoward22]

Wright flyer flew about 30 ft 1st time out.

[@kutlub1lgecelikdonu247]

i remember tv series old time watch tv very old time is good :)

[@R2k2]

I remember watching this episode together with my father. At the moment that the test flights were up, we were certain that the American and the French team would take off and fly. And we where a bit surprised when they 'didn't'. But when the British team were up, we were like: "Yeah, sure. If those two replica's can't fly, this British monstrosity certainly won't".... Imagine the look on our faces when it took off....

[@52Quantum]

I've been looking for this episode for years!

[@spacejihadist4246]

I really love this challenge. Everyone won. Everyone flew.

[@josephedwards8992]

I wish they would bring this show back in any form to us tv networks loved this show

[@libertyforamericanow]

I remember watching this episode

[@AnchorsAweighNarooma]

Fantastic all of them

[@Arcifer]

I had a streak now of watching scrapheap challenge videos and stumbled upon this one, and im swedish so hey, could have been worse with the subtitles even though I don't need it :D

[@skepticalbadger]

This is truly incredible.

[@Luminous_Beings_are_we]

Wow! What an amazing show!

[@peterperfik2126]

and my girlfriend just shouted the american finally got it up - thought she was watching porn but turns out was watching this vid looooool

[@RyqLight]

That was a damn good show.

[@robleary3353]

Love these shows!. Not a 'Health and Safety' Noddy in sight!. Nice one!.

[@jonathaneffemey4892]

Thanks for posting.

[@jayzo]

"In the interests of safety the judge is insisting that all teams take a second test flight" The Brits: "Okay time to show off again". Not gonna lie, everyone did an amazing job here. I sincerely hope these ended up in a museum because being built in 20 hours and being flyable using period tools and parts (engine excluded), that's something of historical note for the future.

[@skysayshi4039]

I must say the French had by far the most beautiful aircraft! But come on, the British team were simply fantastic :D

[@lucianolizana446]

Thanks a lot for this, the quality is bad, yeah, but the content is so amazing and is extrange that is so difficult to find, is a f*cking plane out of trash!

[@Felix-Sited]

Oh fuck off at the end though, shows us all drinking!

[@leechowning2712]

Does he get to keep that? The Brit plane is well worth it.

[@paulcoleman4976]

How the hell they allow insurance 😅

[@seabear3072]

“Pfff... A plane in 20 hours?” - “they’re jokin’”.... somehow so British

[@exeflownedgreen4572]

Been looking for years for this

[@utkarshtripathi1200]

British Efficiency + French Art + American Ingenuity = AWESOME

[@creativeamerican8811]

The French and American ones :| You wouldn’t want to land awkwardly in either of them. Haha. That American one is a death trap.

[@LordZontar]

That was an attempt to duplicate the 1911 Walden IX monoplane. They welded a frame together out of metal tubing. Made it way too heavy. Little wonder it never made it off the ground.

[@creativeamerican8811]

@@LordZontar the position of the pilot is just also completely off. I don’t know dick about it though .. literally basing it off my experience from Fantastic Contraption… :/ Was reading about this Polar Explorer Vehicle built by the Americans in the 30’s. That was also a death trap… big red thing… check it out. X

[@GroundHOG-2010]

@@creativeamerican8811 I mean, that was where the pilot was seated on the original Walden IX monoplane. That said, they weren't replicating it perfectly (and even if they did, probably not the best). I thought they should have gone with a Curtiss Model D style design instead. The french one is good though, that is a beautiful aircraft. If they actually had a non-broken propeller I think it could have flown a lot longer.

[@mike-ology22]

So the English flew the first time. Fixed the Americans engine and fixed the French propellor, making it possible for them to fly. Looks like the English won this one

[@michaellaxton9381]

Me too its great to see

[@Mikeinquestion]

awesome and fun!

[@Jethro.Maloku-le.Rey.Kalsitran]

the french plane is nice but the brit one could just been thrown by hand...

[@bnipmnaa]

Dommage aux francaises, votre Blériot ici était une pièce d'art (excusez ma francais svp, suis rosbif)

[@rcnitroflux2361]

uk rules lol

[@ibtgb2]

There just happened to be several thousands of dollars of lumber in perfect shape in the junk yard lol still amazing

[@thesmithersy]

The yanks were a bit obvious with their seeding the heap.

[@MrSychnant]

BRING BACK SCRAPHEAP!!!!!

[@davidpayne4315]

This kind of thing inspires me I've got to build something

[@utkarshtripathi221]

Can I get this in HD please? I've looked everywhere on the Internet.

[@kalamazootw]

Afraid not, I've looked everywhere I know and this is the only beat-up copy I could find.

[@jamesadkins1823]

When ih when will they bring this show back........

[@swizzler]

The people that produced this kind of content are long gone. If it was made today it'd be tiktok influencers and the planes would just be real planes covered in duct-tape flown by stunt doubles.

[@jakefortier3122]

how does that count for the French if they touched the ground half way????

[@braxbarrett4398]

Frech dq ed they only flew half way touch down is where they landed!

[@rjk69]

48:49 I think the centre of gravity should be at the centre of lift, nothing to do with where the pilot sits.

[@victoriaevelyn3953]

i seriously hate the american presenters the british won this hands down the best plane it flew properly

[@riazhassan6570]

Yes, their bias ruined things a bit. However, the proof of the pudding was in the eating. To one who is not British, French or American, that British plane cobbled together from junk was a marvel, and its pilot was both brave and capable. Bravo!

[@DUDEfreestyle]

lmao that's sketchy af

[@kalamazootw]

Yeah, but think of the adrenalin rush.

[@davehoward22]

The American plane looks too big,heavy and complicated for its own good.,French one is a try at a bleriot,,British planes simple and ugly but works (if it had the fuel,probably fly the channel)

[@appa609]

What a terrible judging criterion! Based on these rules a go cart could have won if it stopped on the red line.

[@flybobbie1449]

Just time in the air with a fixed amount of fuel should have been the test.

[@Felix-Sited]

Yeah, it's not exactly scientific.

[@ckohne]

United States is just one of 35 countries in America

[@skepticalbadger]

No shit. Everyone knows what's meant. When Mexico becomes the world's only superpower they can have the monopoly on the word "American".

[@d.jensen5153]

well, craig, just keep on tilting that that windmill

[@ghazalabibi9570]

Britian can still do great wonders if turns it's back on USA and Israel, like it did with European Union

[@flybobbie1449]

Britain's poor, everything is make do and mend. Banks only ever invested in property.

[@LordZontar]

Britain isn't doing shit right now except trying to scrounge up enough lorry drivers to deliver goods to empty shelves and having to create a whole new trade bureaucracy now they're no longer part of the Single Market. They dropped themselves right into the toilet. As for turning their backs on the USA, they wouldn't even get the kiddie table at the G7 if they were stupid enough to do that, and Britain's been America's bitch since 1945.

[@Felix-Sited]

@@LordZontar But nearly 20 years ago, we could build very small planes out of scrap that could beat similarly built planes from America and France! And don't you forget it!!!!

[@LordZontar]

@@Felix-Sited That's about the same thing as bragging about being the best hockey player in all of Ecuador.

[@Felix-Sited]

@@LordZontar Whoosh!!!

[@michaelcox5166]

Ugh these two just ruin it for me. Can not watch them.