Turning the Robin Reliant into a SPACE SHUTTLE?! | Top Gear

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  • Опубликовано: 17 дек 2008
  • Hammond and May discover if the Robin Reliant would make for a viable space shuttle. Getting it off the ground won't be a problem, but can they get it to safely land again?
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Комментарии • 5 тыс.

  • @RealCheesyBread
    @RealCheesyBread 4 года назад +13767

    The fact that it actually lifted off and only failed to detach the car is beyond amazing for this show.

    • @sven518-7
      @sven518-7 4 года назад +439

      They should have tried it again. Would be great to see

    • @Cooltrain
      @Cooltrain 4 года назад +644

      @@sven518-7 Pretty sure they only had the budget for one try...

    • @00BillyTorontoBill
      @00BillyTorontoBill 4 года назад +505

      Pretty sure detachment wasnt what the producers wanted.
      They wanted a dead robin..... and if you can use a rocket to do it.

    • @mrguest3749
      @mrguest3749 4 года назад +439

      this the greatest achievement by a bunch of people without government funding and insufficient money.

    • @djpemb
      @djpemb 4 года назад +81

      The amazing thing is James and Richard wanted it to work imagine if it did though

  • @LOKSTED
    @LOKSTED 4 года назад +12828

    "Can we own firearms?"
    Britain: "no"
    "Can we build a cruise missile?"
    Britain:

    • @Geolaminar
      @Geolaminar 4 года назад +425

      well, I mean, it has a range of thirty feet, so...

    • @nerfshooter4216
      @nerfshooter4216 4 года назад +270

      You can actually own a firearm in Britain ven an Uzi! Only if you have a license and have gone through tests to prove you won't commit any crimes with it

    • @K9_Mate
      @K9_Mate 4 года назад +37

      Not even worth all the hassle.

    • @tjfSIM
      @tjfSIM 4 года назад +240

      @@nerfshooter4216 Yes exactly. You have to demonstrate that you need it for a genuine reason, and that you're not a crazed lunatic. That's why gun crime isn't really a thing in the UK.

    • @thomasball5432
      @thomasball5432 4 года назад +73

      @@tjfSIM shotguns are really easy to get legally, it's on them to prove why you shouldn't have one, and if they can't find a reason then your certificate gets approved. Rifles are the other way around, it's on you to prove to them why you should be allowed to have one. (At least that's the way my dad explained it to me when I was younger)

  • @versamax6307
    @versamax6307 3 года назад +1132

    "So your show is about cars? And only cars?"
    "Yup"
    "So what's that behind you?"
    "Oh, that? It's a cruise missile we made, that we've taped a car to"

    • @jonathanchan7896
      @jonathanchan7896 Год назад +5

      Cars and cars ++

    • @dragonsword7370
      @dragonsword7370 Год назад +4

      You sure that wasn't supposed to be a Chevy Nova instead of a reliant? JK. Oh hell, I'd still be playing the Belter version of "Highway Star" while on the launch.

  • @MadnessIncVP
    @MadnessIncVP 3 года назад +1732

    _”Have you got a spare Billion dollars?”_
    “No. That’s why we’ve come to you.”
    *B O I*

  • @fanjerry8100
    @fanjerry8100 7 лет назад +6501

    The Reliant Robin is actually the fastest car ever on Top Gear, thanks to the rocket.

    • @patherrmann3009
      @patherrmann3009 7 лет назад +406

      And gravity.

    • @MsAelim
      @MsAelim 7 лет назад +7

      +Pat Herrmann ha! yup

    • @theranter
      @theranter 7 лет назад +127

      I suspect that rocket was going much faster than 300 mph on the way up.

    • @theranter
      @theranter 7 лет назад +15

      FlappableBean I know that there's software out there somewhere that I might be able to use to determine its speed... maybe I'll try to find it later and find out for sure.

    • @ENCHANTMEN_
      @ENCHANTMEN_ 7 лет назад +32

      FlappableBean You're looking for a delta-v calculation; for that you need the initial and final mass of the rockets, as well as the exhaust velocity of the engines (basically how much impulse you get per bit of fuel expended).
      Of course, this equation basically gives you a rough measure of how much "oomph" it gets once it's in orbit. When it's in the atmosphere, how fast it goes (or, more importantly, how far it goes) is dependent on its maximum thrust, drag, flight path, etc.
      IMO, it would probably be easier to just estimate it from the video, but you never know.

  • @thaddeusmccaustland8023
    @thaddeusmccaustland8023 4 года назад +6788

    Topgear has now had:
    -Their own police force
    -Their own tank division
    -Their own military convoy
    -Their own Hookah
    -Their own Train
    -Their own caravan gypsy style village
    +-Their own space program

    • @donald_doe
      @donald_doe 4 года назад +255

      Don't forget about their own 747 plane

    • @filmandfirearms
      @filmandfirearms 4 года назад +356

      Top Gear is basically its own small nation at this point

    • @friedrick5088
      @friedrick5088 4 года назад +170

      And yet their production office is a wooden shack

    • @GRIFAbyte101
      @GRIFAbyte101 4 года назад +59

      @@friedrick5088 Gotta make sacrifices somewhere I suppose!

    • @DLBBALL
      @DLBBALL 4 года назад +6

      Jerome Henwood Oh yeah, I remember that gag.

  • @drbm23
    @drbm23 3 года назад +5163

    When you realise that Top Gear's Space Program is more advanced then North Korea's Missile Program...

    • @RainingFlow19
      @RainingFlow19 3 года назад +111

      Its a joke but those north korean dudes have launched missiles that went as far as almost 500km....

    • @yunkshione-1016
      @yunkshione-1016 3 года назад +62

      Up until they nuke your house

    • @ES_Spotter
      @ES_Spotter 3 года назад +59

      @@yunkshione-1016 Hello mr Kim

    • @xsailor85
      @xsailor85 3 года назад +39

      And North Korea’s rocket expert is Wile E Coyote.

    • @angelzuniga3739
      @angelzuniga3739 3 года назад +32

      This reply was deleted by the North Korean government

  • @j-dog7767
    @j-dog7767 3 года назад +5578

    Soviets: Send humanity to space
    Americans: Send humanity to the moon
    The British:

    • @UnBronySonikero
      @UnBronySonikero 3 года назад +33

      Elon Musk try this first

    • @duncantalksalot
      @duncantalksalot 3 года назад +179

      Sends a Reliant Robin into the ground

    • @FatGouf
      @FatGouf 3 года назад +16

      Bullshit, moon is a hoax

    • @zombiekiller225
      @zombiekiller225 3 года назад +13

      Then the colonies copied us anyway

    • @mrcaboosevg6089
      @mrcaboosevg6089 3 года назад +67

      @@FatGouf Well it isn't, it's really not hard to get into space given you've got the right people and most importantly the money. Russia never claimed it was fake, the Soviets would have snapped at the chance to prove the Americans lied but Russia instead congratulated them even though they certainly weren't happy about it

  • @glennkolsteeg
    @glennkolsteeg 8 лет назад +17152

    when the BBC accidentally adds another 0 to the budget

    • @Mar1s3z
      @Mar1s3z 7 лет назад +750

      I think if they accidentally add another "0" into the budget. It'll actually work. lmao

    • @ParasocialCatgirl
      @ParasocialCatgirl 7 лет назад +631

      when the BBC thought they were allocating the budget in pennies, but it was actually being allocated in pounds.

    • @Honeystain
      @Honeystain 6 лет назад +47

      3[L] so two 0's.

    • @mrmaniac3
      @mrmaniac3 6 лет назад +237

      Oh crap, the 0 key is stuc00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

    • @aquamelon0087
      @aquamelon0087 5 лет назад +159

      When the BBC accidentally hands an empty check to a bunch of insane people

  • @noooreally
    @noooreally 8 лет назад +4607

    I bet that old toyota pickup would have driven away from this

  • @TheModelBoatGuy
    @TheModelBoatGuy 2 года назад +161

    To be fair to the rocket folk, this was incredibly impressive. To keep it going straight up is incredibly hard. The SRB ejection too is darn complicated. As James said though I wish it had actually worked, would have been such a brilliant thing to see. Must have been a cracking project to work on

    • @largol33t1
      @largol33t1 Год назад +18

      Several actual aerospace engineers commented that it was mind boggling that they got the boosters to separate during flight. That scene where they freaked out about how complex it was is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to getting into space. There's just tooooo many things that can go wrong and ruin your day.

  • @josephastier7421
    @josephastier7421 2 года назад +228

    That was the fastest quarter mile ever for the Reliant Robin.

    • @largol33t1
      @largol33t1 Год назад +4

      Probably the fastest quarter mile for any car or truck in history...

    • @olafdoppenberg4874
      @olafdoppenberg4874 8 месяцев назад +1

      @@largol33t1that Tesla car was probably faster

  • @WarhammerWings
    @WarhammerWings 4 года назад +3280

    The fact that it flew is worthy of a chapter in space and aviation history!

    • @FzHnn
      @FzHnn 4 года назад +142

      I'm so jealous of people who watch it there that day. I mean you're just casually cruising down the street and then you saw an effing Reliant Robin on a rocket booster lol. What a sight to behold!

    • @aidanpysher2764
      @aidanpysher2764 3 года назад +18

      Ustio, eh? This must have been the prototype of the V2.

    • @andresahay1546
      @andresahay1546 3 года назад +9

      @@aidanpysher2764 nah, that would be the property of Belka + AWWNB

    • @Kimoto504
      @Kimoto504 3 года назад

      You mean general British rocketry history. That wasn't ever meant to get to space, if even Cessna 150 service ceiling altitude.

    • @underworldguardian704
      @underworldguardian704 3 года назад

      Can’t argue there.

  • @asdfghyter
    @asdfghyter 6 лет назад +4732

    And now, 10 years later, they finally managed to send The Stig to space in his Tesla Roadster.

    • @redcar1379
      @redcar1379 5 лет назад +56

      Wow, really so it is !

    • @xsailor85
      @xsailor85 5 лет назад +25

      Happy trails Stig

    • @MPHammer
      @MPHammer 5 лет назад +37

      Not just to space... But to *MARS*

    • @stoybenxi7395
      @stoybenxi7395 4 года назад +16

      Technically our boy stig is in geo synchronous orbit and on a return trajectory that will see him safe and on dry land in a few hundred years

    • @t.c.thompson2359
      @t.c.thompson2359 4 года назад +6

      @@stoybenxi7395 There will be tourists visiting the Tesla in it's orbit in space before that happens.

  • @Mmouse_
    @Mmouse_ 9 месяцев назад +158

    This was the most powerful non governmental rocket launch in Europe at the time. Which is pretty nuts.

    • @punisher299
      @punisher299 2 месяца назад +6

      It was the most powerful rocket to ever launch from the UK's soil, that was a 250 kg car it took off with more than black arrow's max payload.

    • @juha9703
      @juha9703 13 дней назад

      Payload to the orbit is different thing than launching something a bit off ground. Still one of the best gear challenges ever 😂

  • @vtn05001
    @vtn05001 3 года назад +109

    As an engineer, you can feel their pain when May presented the idea to them.

  • @Max_Jordan
    @Max_Jordan 8 лет назад +1745

    meanwhile, jeremy is watching at home with the fuel tank eject button in his hand...

    • @bogdansofroniciu387
      @bogdansofroniciu387 8 лет назад +19

      lol

    • @piguy222
      @piguy222 5 лет назад +78

      It was clearly sabotage by Jeremy who is parshal to Space X. When Space X saw them making a car-rocket , something they needed 10 more years to finish, they recruited Jeremy to prevent the success of the launch thus eliminating any compatition in the space-car market. We cant let Space X win! You must try again!
      If you couldnt tell already this was just an excuse for them to do round two.

    • @thefearhawk8805
      @thefearhawk8805 4 года назад +10

      And his Cock in the other...

  • @charliewhiskey8440
    @charliewhiskey8440 4 года назад +1631

    That ascent until SRB separation was pretty damn well done from the engineering perspective. It's not trivial to keep it going straight up.

    • @AugmentedGravity
      @AugmentedGravity 4 года назад +76

      It would have been perfect had it just not been for the ex.bolts not blowing and separating the Reliant.

    • @milkyway370
      @milkyway370 4 года назад +98

      ya I play ksp and even in that game building shuttles is really hard, I can't even imagine the math that went into not only building one on a low budget, but having the orbiter be a fricken car. very very impressive and in genuinely surprised it went straight up instead of immediately tipping over. with a little extra budget and a working decoupler system, this thing could've actually worked

    • @spaceguy9025
      @spaceguy9025 4 года назад +17

      @@milkyway370 I mean with some practice it's pretty simple in ksp but I still can't imagine what the process in real life would be, amazing how far technology has come

    • @EpicFishFingers
      @EpicFishFingers 3 года назад +45

      @@milkyway370 Agreed, this really shouldn't be understated. Asymmetrical rockets are a complete bastard in the game and in real life: someone would have had to code a gimballing and throttling program that would change the rockets' thrust as it ascended to keep it upright.
      Not to mention these rockets very likely didn't gimbal so they just had to adjust the thrust on the liquid booster to compensate, and also allow for the burned fuel changing the centre of gravity towards the reliant. Also: the reliant was n aerodynamic brick, as they showed.
      I'm amazed it didn't flip onto its back.

    • @fobbitoperator3620
      @fobbitoperator3620 3 года назад +5

      I concur. For a moment, (or 2) I thought this footage was of a miniature model rocket thingy. But then...oohhh COCK!

  • @Martin.Wilson
    @Martin.Wilson 2 года назад +45

    This is a huge leap forward in British space travel. There previous attempt to reach the moon ended when they ran out of scaffolding.

  • @alexjjgreen
    @alexjjgreen 3 года назад +434

    People complaining about taxpayers money wasted. Relax, they later sold this tech to North Korea.

    • @johnmorris8409
      @johnmorris8409 3 года назад +46

      As an American, I have always appreciated the British taxpayers for providing the rest of world with entertainment.

    • @bodkinofnurk8898
      @bodkinofnurk8898 3 года назад +30

      At it's peak TG made £50 million a year, mostly financing the £34 million that F1 cost the BBC to show live. Hence when TG was no more, we lost the F1 as well.

    • @reececameron5070
      @reececameron5070 3 года назад +5

      They certainly did! 😁

    • @Cpt_Boony_Hat
      @Cpt_Boony_Hat 2 года назад

      They think your kidding but considering the UK basically gave the UK jet engines I wouldn’t be that surprised

  • @justintimbersaw3934
    @justintimbersaw3934 3 года назад +3037

    James: "The launch site was a military base whose whereabouts are a top-secret"
    Top Gear: *"Clauburne Military Training Ground, 53 miles N.W of Newcastle just off the A68"*
    oh man, I miss the old Top Gear

    • @gregblackburn4280
      @gregblackburn4280 3 года назад +38

      Justin...yeah it was a fun show.

    • @Muck006
      @Muck006 3 года назад +15

      Too bad James has become a communist now ... hating everything traditional and old and only wanting "modern" stuff. My guess is it was the girlfriend ...

    • @Martin-wx8gd
      @Martin-wx8gd 3 года назад +191

      @@Muck006 What you are describing isn't even remotly similar to communism.

    • @kfg452
      @kfg452 3 года назад +51

      @@Muck006 Shut up please mate

    • @happyreeper1
      @happyreeper1 2 года назад +63

      @@Muck006 wtf are you on about lmfao

  • @siremerrionepie9796
    @siremerrionepie9796 5 лет назад +2467

    No wonder United Kingdom left the EU, they didn't fund the reliant robin space shuttle project

    • @itsallaboutme9779
      @itsallaboutme9779 4 года назад +12

      Lol 🤣🤣

    • @dpm2937
      @dpm2937 3 года назад +5

      Call Elon he's in

    • @theprogram863
      @theprogram863 3 года назад +7

      Now that Britain's out, the time has come for them to have their own space program.

    • @kwlkid85
      @kwlkid85 3 года назад +9

      @@theprogram863 We already did. Britain has the distinction of being the only country to develop an orbital launch capability only to then give it up.

    • @itz_cornchip
      @itz_cornchip 3 года назад +2

      Lol

  • @kristjanreisman3439
    @kristjanreisman3439 3 года назад +44

    I always become very emotional when I see how happy engineers are when Robin sucessfully takes off.

  • @ew7607
    @ew7607 3 года назад +25

    Perfect opportunity lost for Jeremys favorite catchphrase. "And on that bombshell..."

  • @MrJumpyJ
    @MrJumpyJ 6 лет назад +3446

    Everyone's all proud of SpaceX shooting a car into space...
    Top Gear has already done that ten years ago. Sort of.

    • @onceuponaban
      @onceuponaban 4 года назад +87

      For an extended definition of "car", at least.

    • @callumcbg8922
      @callumcbg8922 4 года назад +13

      it didn't even get close never mind the fact that the external fuel tank didn't decouple and then proceeded to make the "shuttle" hit the ground and explode

    • @13game3
      @13game3 4 года назад +68

      @@callumcbg8922 That's the joke

    • @callumcbg8922
      @callumcbg8922 4 года назад +7

      yep and i just realized that

    • @carlost856
      @carlost856 4 года назад +19

      @@onceuponaban and also an extended definition of space.

  • @newem1nem
    @newem1nem 9 лет назад +825

    The first 10 hrs on Kerbal space program.

    • @Maravone
      @Maravone 5 лет назад +1

      and thrust vectoring

  • @brickhead48
    @brickhead48 2 года назад +41

    That shot at 8:13 is almost biblical. What an achievement this was

  • @ToJoAudio
    @ToJoAudio 2 года назад +57

    can we just take a minute to appreciate that a couple of guys in a shed in manchester were able to get a damn reliant robin off the ground like that lol you can tell elon musk watched this and thought, ooo tesla in space :D lol

    • @davidrenton
      @davidrenton 7 месяцев назад +1

      cost them 10/ 6 and all the tea they wanted, they didn't have the budget to go to bacon butties

  • @THEM1GHTYPHUZ
    @THEM1GHTYPHUZ 4 года назад +4371

    This is un-ironically the largest rocket Britain has ever made...

    • @tisFrancesfault
      @tisFrancesfault 3 года назад +633

      The UK actually built an orbital rocket, the whole program cost £100,000 in today's money, and built by men in sheds.
      It was cancelled by the government.

    • @THEM1GHTYPHUZ
      @THEM1GHTYPHUZ 3 года назад +170

      @@tisFrancesfault Ah typical.

    • @wilfridsetterfield-milln4910
      @wilfridsetterfield-milln4910 3 года назад +111

      @@tisFrancesfault Are you talking about Black Arrow?

    • @Dogsushi42
      @Dogsushi42 3 года назад +82

      tisFrancesfault so this is the biggest rocket that they’ve launched

    • @panda4247
      @panda4247 3 года назад +33

      there was the lipstick thing...

  • @slypask9185
    @slypask9185 4 года назад +1275

    9:12 : *TACTICAL RELIANT INCOMING*

    • @british-sama7007
      @british-sama7007 4 года назад +58

      Enemy reliant incoming!!!! It's over

    • @Jame5man
      @Jame5man 4 года назад +68

      Who needs nukes when you have a Tactical Reliant

    • @fury4539
      @fury4539 4 года назад +20

      V1 rocket required in these coordinates...

    • @VascoCC95
      @VascoCC95 4 года назад +13

      Meanwhile, at FBI headquarters...
      TOP LEVEL WARNING: ICB-RR Launched !!!

    • @windaubessss
      @windaubessss 3 года назад +10

      @@VascoCC95 Pretty sure it has appeared on some early warning radar

  • @colinheppell5020
    @colinheppell5020 3 года назад +14

    Engineer: “It’s the largest rocket launched in Europe”
    Richard: * gulps. *

  • @iielysiumx5811
    @iielysiumx5811 2 года назад +7

    Honestly one of the most amazing moments in TV history, the fact that some car show in the UK managed to do this is simply staggering

  • @samborlon
    @samborlon 4 года назад +2942

    Had they used a Toyota, they could have used it again.

    • @mikester1290
      @mikester1290 4 года назад +79

      Yes, because it would have never left the ground.

    • @samborlon
      @samborlon 4 года назад +10

      @@mikester1290What makes you think so?

    • @mikester1290
      @mikester1290 4 года назад +119

      @@samborlon Well, how much does that Toyota weigh compared to the fibreglass shitbox with 3 wheels?

    • @scoutwith124hp9
      @scoutwith124hp9 4 года назад +79

      A toyota hilux would have survived

    • @thesabre8458
      @thesabre8458 3 года назад +52

      Mike Creed you realise its a joke and a reference to their indestructible toyota?

  • @portalowy5346
    @portalowy5346 8 лет назад +805

    "The launch site is a military base, whose whereabouts are top secret"
    Clanburne Military Training Ground
    53 miles N.W. of Newcastle
    Just off the A68

    • @DJBoysToys
      @DJBoysToys 8 лет назад +7

      +Portalowy or in other words RAF spadeadam just north east of Carlisle

    • @blairwanhg356
      @blairwanhg356 7 лет назад +5

      Declan Morland near Brampton

    • @rhodesianwojak2095
      @rhodesianwojak2095 5 лет назад +3

      lol

    • @aupwhatsthat
      @aupwhatsthat 5 лет назад +5

      Otterburn training area.

    • @minitrundle
      @minitrundle 5 лет назад +7

      If you get to Darlington, turn round, you've gone too far.

  • @soarinskies1105
    @soarinskies1105 2 года назад +12

    The fact that it actually took off and the rocket boosters actually separated is nothing short of incredible.

  • @BennyH11
    @BennyH11 Год назад +21

    For this me this series, and particularly this episode was the peak of old Top Gear. I was absolutely blown away by this when I watched it first broadcast. I would definitely consider it a 'successful failure' so to speak.

  • @Kirk00077
    @Kirk00077 8 лет назад +2525

    *Revert to Vehicle Assembly Building*

    • @Hunne2303
      @Hunne2303 8 лет назад +70

      +Kirk0007 got the staging wrong again, ey? nevermind...just add "moar boosters"...works everytime...until it somehow explodes...not my fault though...mechjeb does that! honestly!

    • @hatman4818
      @hatman4818 8 лет назад +23

      +Kirk0007 Something's wrong. Spam spacebar. Hmm... Add moar boosters.

    • @metropod
      @metropod 8 лет назад +32

      +Kirk0007 if anyone reading this section does not get the joke, you are REALLY missing out on something.heck, I'm doing right now. off to minmus.

    • @Minotaur1975
      @Minotaur1975 8 лет назад +21

      +Hat Man and moar struts

    • @hatman4818
      @hatman4818 8 лет назад +21

      Minotaur1975 Yes Komrade, moar stuts Wehrner Von Kerman, moar struts indeed.

  • @crackgrid1395
    @crackgrid1395 3 года назад +657

    I'm convinced theres a alternative universe where the reliant robin lifted and landed successfully and was adopted by ESA

  • @apmm4209
    @apmm4209 3 года назад +14

    The launch itself , was was the most spectacular sight I've ever seen ! Such a shame the release bolts failed at the end .

  • @bjornlillpers498
    @bjornlillpers498 Год назад +8

    Good to see SpaceX is finally starting to catch up with the Top Gear space program

  • @tony_5156
    @tony_5156 4 года назад +290

    It genuinely made me sad to see it fail, hearing those engineers cheer truely puts a smile on my face.

    • @timothykock6799
      @timothykock6799 10 месяцев назад +7

      I know right, the genuine glee in their voices is amazing to hear

  • @carkua6512
    @carkua6512 4 года назад +394

    Never seen May so happy. Put a smile on my face. Same with all the engineers when it took off initially

    • @chrisst8922
      @chrisst8922 4 года назад +10

      @@basil3970 No I think it was the real deal. There's too many cues that authentic it as true.

    • @chrisst8922
      @chrisst8922 4 года назад +5

      @@basil3970 The quality of framing from at least 9:06 onwards is of concern because it appears inconsistant with what I feel might have been achieved in the heat of the moment arising from the failure of the tank to separate from the Robin orbiter.
      However the logistics involved in re-shooting that sequence also seem inconsistent with the objectives of the piece.
      We learned from the BBC's willingness to procure an injunction against Collins that under Willman's production details will remain confidential but here's an interesting resource:
      www.pyrosociety.org.uk/forum/topic/2619-top-gear-rocket-launch-uk/
      Carkua comments on the reaction of the engineers at the launch. Do any of them look like the engineers throughout the rest of the film?

    • @chrisst8922
      @chrisst8922 4 года назад +1

      @@basil3970 But I hadn't seen that evidence when we started conversing and this is meant to be for fun.
      Besides they weren't acting at launch which was the OP's point.

    • @chrisst8922
      @chrisst8922 4 года назад +4

      @@basil3970 These were the top people. I've seen it somewhere, British Interplanetary Rocket Association or something. I know what you mean of course. I've seen the budget estimated at £4-600.000

    • @observationsfromthebunker9639
      @observationsfromthebunker9639 3 года назад

      It's probably the the happiest he's been on the show. Hammond though, looked like he was having a transformative religious experience for a minute! :D

  • @sahijsandhu2219
    @sahijsandhu2219 3 года назад +5

    6:00
    James May:"The launch site was a military base whose whereabouts are a top secret."
    *proceeds to disclose the location.
    🤣 Lmao

  • @acappuccino8410
    @acappuccino8410 2 года назад +6

    8:57 A German V1 Flying Bomb makes its final flight corrections for its approach on London. (1944, Colorized)

  • @MrSupercar55
    @MrSupercar55 4 года назад +467

    5:20 His description of the Reliant’s performance on glideslope was actually on par with the real Space Shuttle. The Shuttle’s aerodynamics weren’t great, thanks to the orbiter’s rounded nose and relatively narrow wingspan. This called for a brutal technique from the commander (the commander was the person flying the Shuttle and the co-pilot was actually called a pilot). Glideslope was flown very forcefully with a 10,000 feet per minute descent rate and an airspeed of 345 mph. But it wasn’t over once they got to the airstrip at Kennedy Space Centre, which was 15,000 feet long, just to put it out there. The pre-flare manoeuvre would commence at 2,000 feet and the landing gear was lowered in the last 300 feet of descent. The orbiter would finally touch down at an airspeed of 255 mph, slightly faster than a Bugatti Veyron, necessitating the use of a drag chute. To simulate such crazy conditions, Shuttle commanders were trained by flying a business jet with the landing gear down and the engines in reverse.

    • @HalNordmann
      @HalNordmann 3 года назад +21

      And some of the original Shuttle concepts even had smaller wings. Granted, they also had auxiliary jets, but still...

    • @WayneRandall
      @WayneRandall 2 года назад +12

      It's actually the Kennedy Space Center. In America. If I have to use tyre and aluminium when watching Top Gear, you can use center when talking about the KSC. ; )

    • @shawnjoseph4009
      @shawnjoseph4009 2 года назад +6

      @@HalNordmann fun fact: that actually would have worked better and the only reason it’s shaped the way it is is because the military wanted to be able to launch/recover from polar orbits and NASA changed the design for military funding

    • @HalNordmann
      @HalNordmann 2 года назад +8

      @@shawnjoseph4009 NASA also wanted the bigger wings - as I said, the small wings of the earlier concepts would've had an even steeper glideslope, and they also had bigger re-entry heating. The military offer was just the final push.

    • @bussesandtrains1218
      @bussesandtrains1218 Год назад +1

      'not interested'

  • @JoyHoffi
    @JoyHoffi 4 года назад +2638

    Men don't grow up, the toys are just getting more expensive 😂

    • @Creeperboy099
      @Creeperboy099 4 года назад +23

      Basically the real thing IS the toy

    • @fobbitoperator3620
      @fobbitoperator3620 3 года назад +3

      & dangerous!

    • @alexwright6038
      @alexwright6038 3 года назад +14

      Men grew old, Women mature.

    • @Xbrine-
      @Xbrine- 3 года назад +1

      True...

    • @combativeThinker
      @combativeThinker 3 года назад +2

      @@alexwright6038
      It’s the other way around in my experience. At least, since the 60s.

  • @mikea1157
    @mikea1157 3 года назад +2

    Their genuine excitement and shock is great. You can't help but share the feeling with them.

  • @ton6473
    @ton6473 2 года назад +11

    When you ask Top Gear to make you a space shuttle, you’re getting a ballistic missile.

  • @leroyjenkins140
    @leroyjenkins140 8 лет назад +1001

    I swear top gear has the funding of a small nation.

    • @SammehEatWorld
      @SammehEatWorld 8 лет назад +41

      +leroyjenkins140 Well, BBC... So, yeah.

    • @Kcwiro
      @Kcwiro 8 лет назад +16

      +leroyjenkins140 ....they get a kickback from all the speed-cameras they ....hate...

    • @ecutechltd
      @ecutechltd 8 лет назад +8

      +flip inheck £3.7 million a year? its significantly more than that...

    • @ecutechltd
      @ecutechltd 8 лет назад +19

      In 2015 the bbc's annual budget was £5.1 billion!

    • @ecutechltd
      @ecutechltd 8 лет назад +4

      +flip inheck well we pay through licence fee..then the government give the rest of the money...which is taken from us by tax tax and more tax

  • @zachg9065
    @zachg9065 4 года назад +819

    When I was young, I couldn’t believe the fact that this thing actually got off the ground, I still don’t.

    • @NOMORE-ss9qx
      @NOMORE-ss9qx 4 года назад +39

      that's why they had to explode it on impact rather than "just" crash land it. So you couldn't see it wasn't a reliant robin at all but a load of plywood etc. That's my theory anyway!

    • @fobbitoperator3620
      @fobbitoperator3620 3 года назад +9

      Not only did it get off the ground, but it's also deeply embedded INTO the ground, at that!

    • @samuelseidel6148
      @samuelseidel6148 3 года назад +14

      @@NOMORE-ss9qx I thought maybe there was a descent amount of unburnt fuel that stopped propelling the rocket when it started nosing over.

    • @panda4247
      @panda4247 3 года назад +19

      getting off the ground is the easy part the hard part is to land safely with astronauts in it.
      It's like with nuclear reactor. building a reactor is easy. Building a safe protected and sustainable reactor is hard. Check out the Nuclear Boy Scout story (a kid who literally built a reactor in the back yard)

    • @Brinta3
      @Brinta3 3 года назад +4

      panda4247
      “Getting off the ground is the easy part”
      Challenger proved the opposite.

  • @B3ansGuy
    @B3ansGuy 4 месяца назад +3

    This is genuinely the most impressive thing TG has ever done, all these years later I still can't believe they got away with this

  • @truck6859
    @truck6859 2 года назад +7

    This level of greatness in TV has never been repeated.

  • @henriquedematos
    @henriquedematos 9 лет назад +1291

    They really need to do this one again. Maybe with even more power and/or NASA/ESA working on it for a more aerodynamic design. It would be ridiculously expensive, but history isn't made for free.

    • @alfie9876
      @alfie9876 9 лет назад +98

      Looks like they almost had it. The explosive bolts didn't work on the main tank, if they did I'm sure they would have pulled it off. It appears that he did have control of the craft before it crashed but it was way too heavy to fly with that big tank.

    • @brandonse167
      @brandonse167 9 лет назад +32

      Alfred Timins Something tells me the reason it didnt go further was because of legal issues. Maybe it was easier/less expensive/safer to have the rocket just glide back to the ground.

    • @VulpisFoxfire
      @VulpisFoxfire 9 лет назад +56

      One thing they must, *must* do if they retry it...put a crash dummy in the seat and name it 'Jebediah'. :-) If this isn't Kerbal iRL, I don't know what is.

    • @nesossin
      @nesossin 9 лет назад +32

      VulpisFoxfire Hammond even looks like a distressed kerbal just before the reliant blows up

    • @aldionsylkaj9654
      @aldionsylkaj9654 9 лет назад +4

      They needed X-Plane to determin the flight characteristics. and Rigs of Rods to determin the stresses.

  • @walterengler5709
    @walterengler5709 4 года назад +255

    Oh I still remember this whole thing. And I really, really, wanted the car to separate and watch it glide. SOOOO close … but the entire thing (building, the launch, initial booster separation, even the turn to get to release) was so beautiful up to that point. But you can't go wrong with a major explosion at the end lol

  • @Zarglog
    @Zarglog Год назад +1

    09:00 the way they scream "BREAK" makes this bit so much better

  • @raphaeldagamer
    @raphaeldagamer 5 месяцев назад +2

    Finally, the aerodynamic properties of James May. Exactly what I needed.

  • @ZoniesCoasters
    @ZoniesCoasters 6 лет назад +1270

    Lmao this ended up in my recommended again after watching a bunch of space x videos

    • @jimoflh5773
      @jimoflh5773 6 лет назад +4

      Zonies Coasters lol same here. Did you see the cut on impact?

    • @ZoniesCoasters
      @ZoniesCoasters 6 лет назад

      Jim Of LH yeah

    • @08566581846
      @08566581846 6 лет назад +2

      Suddenly we all become rocket science now.

    • @RICKYARENBURG
      @RICKYARENBURG 6 лет назад +10

      This could have gone into space and the tesla in space wouldnt be so big

    • @thecanadiankiwibirb4512
      @thecanadiankiwibirb4512 5 лет назад

      Rusty UFO yes

  • @Baamthe25th
    @Baamthe25th 4 года назад +266

    "I'm affraid for the robin it's the other way around "
    What a classic line

    • @hariharan224
      @hariharan224 4 года назад +4

      ITS JUST PLUMMETING TO THE GROUND 😂

    • @Hex-Trinity
      @Hex-Trinity 4 года назад +4

      @@hariharan224 Like a lift with the cable cut XD

  • @mpa1931
    @mpa1931 4 месяца назад +2

    Honestly just the launch itself is worth all the hard work they put into it. It really looks glorious when lifting off.

  • @henrythman
    @henrythman 2 года назад +9

    This is still the coolest thing they’ve ever done on the show

  • @globalko
    @globalko 7 лет назад +733

    Doesn't matter that it crashed that was a massive success

    • @xsailor85
      @xsailor85 5 лет назад +3

      Pepe's bodega a crash & explosion worthy of Wile E. Coyote.

    • @nathancardon233
      @nathancardon233 5 лет назад +1

      Yeah but if it didn't

    • @wetkneehouston6293
      @wetkneehouston6293 4 года назад +23

      Spectacular waste of money and %100 worth it

  • @PenumbralBehemoth
    @PenumbralBehemoth 10 лет назад +621

    KSP in a nutshell.

    • @whackyjinak4978
      @whackyjinak4978 10 лет назад +24

      It worked better than my rocket on Kerbal Space Program. Mine blew up before it even loaded.

    • @ikkeheltvanlig
      @ikkeheltvanlig 10 лет назад +2

      I'm about to try and make my own there now :P The hard part? Making the Robin

    • @whackyjinak4978
      @whackyjinak4978 10 лет назад +1

      yea i tried and it did the same thing theres did. :(

    • @whackyjinak4978
      @whackyjinak4978 10 лет назад +3

      space engineers is easier

    • @beanie3526
      @beanie3526 6 лет назад

      Haha yeah

  • @revtech2917
    @revtech2917 3 года назад +12

    They did extremely well making those boosters.. I'm absolutely amazed...

  • @chih-fang-hsu
    @chih-fang-hsu Год назад +3

    This is literally the best episode of any Tv program I've ever seen, hope there's still this kind of show these days.

  • @KoploperMau
    @KoploperMau 9 лет назад +507

    One of Richard's best quotes to date.
    "How are you gonna use it again?!?!"
    Brilliant, I was gone when he said that.

  • @wackyfunbun9811
    @wackyfunbun9811 8 лет назад +898

    Kerbal space program in real life

    • @niteshmurti
      @niteshmurti 8 лет назад +6

      +wacky funbun Hahahaha i was thinking the same thing..

    • @_yerf
      @_yerf 8 лет назад +12

      +wacky funbun Kerbal Car program : space edition

    • @Zoomer30
      @Zoomer30 8 лет назад

      ..... and Seb was still smiling.....

    • @_yerf
      @_yerf 8 лет назад +2

      Zoomer30 (Jeb*) I always do.

    • @Zoomer30
      @Zoomer30 8 лет назад +3

      +Jebediah Kerman yep, Jeb I mean.

  • @jasongoodacre
    @jasongoodacre Год назад +2

    "How ya gonna use it again". Probably the most profound statement ever!

  • @adamhartley8244
    @adamhartley8244 3 года назад +1

    The newer Top Gear will never ever come even close to having moments like this.

  • @jackd9928
    @jackd9928 5 лет назад +764

    This is the difference between the old Top Gear and the shocking version of today.

    • @TheParachaz
      @TheParachaz 4 года назад +36

      Too true, I don’t watch it as it’s just a different show regardless of the impressive hardware!

    • @Jabber-ig3iw
      @Jabber-ig3iw 3 года назад +5

      Jack D if it’s shocking why do you watch it? And if you don’t watch it, how do you know it’s shocking?

    • @DarkTheFailure
      @DarkTheFailure 3 года назад +19

      Modern top gear: actually about cars and shit like that
      Past top gear: whatever the fuck this is

    • @mrcaboosevg6089
      @mrcaboosevg6089 3 года назад +2

      I like the new top gear personally, now they've got some decent hosts

    • @johncenashi5117
      @johncenashi5117 3 года назад +10

      Im not into cars. Or well lets say, i dont need to know what car is the best. I have a generall interest since i watch F1 and so on. But old Top Gear and TGT is just amazing.

  • @nomadben
    @nomadben 4 года назад +184

    Every time I watch this, I get goosebumps when it launches. Easily one of the greatest moments in the history of television.

  • @TheGreatCalsby
    @TheGreatCalsby 3 года назад +8

    Can you imagine if, from that burning ball of smoke and fire, a majestic Reliant Robin shot out from the ashes in a remarkable recovery maneuver

  • @JCJW101
    @JCJW101 3 года назад +1

    I badly wanted this to work, I miss these grand moments on TV and it would be awesome to see them have another go.

  • @captainjacksparrow7482
    @captainjacksparrow7482 3 года назад +1094

    “The one that has to take off, and be used again!”
    Elon Musk: Write that down, write that down!

    • @alphonseforadori3768
      @alphonseforadori3768 3 года назад +16

      Me: Mom can I watch the space shuttle?
      Mom: we have space shuttle at home
      Space shuttle at home:

    • @leorodgers2715
      @leorodgers2715 3 года назад +1

      I mean it survived cus I’ve seen it

    • @PantherAusfD1944
      @PantherAusfD1944 Год назад

      @@alphonseforadori3768 this is a lot better.

  • @chaincyclist2736
    @chaincyclist2736 7 лет назад +702

    No biggie, just revert to launch and try it again.

  • @F5xToRefresh
    @F5xToRefresh 4 месяца назад +3

    Honestly probably the most impressive thing accomplished on top gear

  • @greateagle2076
    @greateagle2076 Год назад +2

    It is incredible that it was even able to take off and be very stable throughout the flight, everything went really smoothly. Aside from the crash it's really impressive that they managed to do this.

  • @christopherleetrf
    @christopherleetrf 4 года назад +194

    I would really want Top Gear/The Grand Tour or any other similar TV shows to reattempt this challenge today because with nowaday's reliable robotic parts and open source support I reckon it will be much easier to do. In this case, I'm not entirely sure if they have tested the reliability of the FM radio controller when encountering possibly huge interference from the rockets, and whether the range is sufficient. Nevertheless the fact that it did go vertically upwards is impressive enough.

    • @problem5697
      @problem5697 3 года назад +7

      And if they somehow they got help from copenhagen suboritals they would most likely do way better.

    • @Muck006
      @Muck006 3 года назад +6

      They should start with a MUCH easier (and sellable) project .. the ampbibious car!
      - take a pickup and rip out the engine
      - put the engine behind the cabin
      - use the engine to produce power for four electro motors at the wheels AND a water pump which powers the car on water like a jetski (and pumps out water leaking in)
      - add some retracteably hydrofoils / wings for stability

  • @user-mf3vq3yk8u
    @user-mf3vq3yk8u 4 года назад +685

    Me: Mom can I watch the space shuttle?
    Mom: we have space shuttle at home
    Space shuttle at home:

  • @BryonLape
    @BryonLape 3 года назад +15

    Top Gear: We launched a car
    Elon Musk: Hold my beer

  • @SakicFan
    @SakicFan 10 месяцев назад +1

    While I've heard about Top Gear over the years, I've never watched the show before. That being said, I can't deny that this is arguably one of the coolest things I've ever seen come through my RUclips feed.

    • @sb50cal9
      @sb50cal9 9 месяцев назад +2

      Right? I'm a huge top gear fan (Clarkson, Hammond and May era) and this is easily my favourite episode.

  • @mysterioussquirrel4456
    @mysterioussquirrel4456 8 лет назад +635

    I cant see Evans and LeBlanc doing anything like this.

    • @mysterioussquirrel4456
      @mysterioussquirrel4456 8 лет назад +19

      ***** I'm surprised Clarkson and Co scrabbling around on Amazon TV. Amazon are never going to give them the budgets they need to do stuff like this.

    • @suficer7827
      @suficer7827 8 лет назад +27

      +Mysterious Squirrel BBC gave them a nice amount of money to do all their things, Amazon has given nearly double, maybe more. Id think they'd have enough to build a real space rocket this time.

    • @mysterioussquirrel4456
      @mysterioussquirrel4456 8 лет назад +1

      Dontknow And who's going to pay to watch it? Don't believe everything you hear.

    • @katzen3314
      @katzen3314 8 лет назад +42

      I hope they do this exact same thing but with Evans inside.

    • @mysterioussquirrel4456
      @mysterioussquirrel4456 8 лет назад +3

      Katzen4u There's an idea.

  • @babalonkie
    @babalonkie 10 лет назад +104

    Bill Kerman is pleased with initial testing.

  • @jammer2isme
    @jammer2isme Год назад +1

    watching this yet again all these years later still brings a smile. i do wish they'd tried again... i really think they would have been able to pull it off. eventually.

  • @underneonloneliness2
    @underneonloneliness2 3 года назад +2

    This episode was from 2007 and if you type in that red reliant robin number plate into check vehicle tax on the gov.uk website then you’ll see that the last logbook was 2010 which means that they didn’t strap that red Robin which Hammond was driving to the space shuttle. They must’ve used a different one.

  • @padzilla8048
    @padzilla8048 7 лет назад +91

    I love the 'top secret' running joke on Top Gear

    • @linusdn2777
      @linusdn2777 4 года назад

      Wdym?

    • @louishall9224
      @louishall9224 4 года назад +12

      @@linusdn2777 They will claim something is top secret, and then give the location down to a tee

    • @yammmit
      @yammmit 4 года назад

      Linus D N it was legitimately in this video

    • @captaino16
      @captaino16 4 года назад

      @@yammmit they still gave its location on screen though

    • @yammmit
      @yammmit 4 года назад +2

      captaino16 that’s the entire point of the joke... how daft are you?

  • @BunnyRaptor
    @BunnyRaptor 4 года назад +219

    9:13 clever TV magic. The rocket didn't actually explode, they cut to a different explosion (you can see a hill in the foreground). It wouldn't have exploded anyways because there was no liquid fuel on board, and the solid rocket motors that are mounted were already depleted.

    • @skye_nyet
      @skye_nyet 3 года назад +12

      So they did, nice pickup

    • @BunnyRaptor
      @BunnyRaptor 3 года назад +52

      @Ian Turner The shuttle is real and the explosion looks full scale (I think). But when the shuttle hit the ground, it probably just disintegrated and imbedded itself in the dirt. Then they went and filmed an explosion somewhere else and cut at that moment. Also if you play at 0.25 speed, you can see when they cut and the shot with the explosion in it is digitally tracked downwards at the same rate the shuttle was falling in the previous shot. You can tell it's digitally tracked and not optical because there is no motion blur on the ground in the few frames as the explosion starts.

    •  3 года назад +30

      According to the Top Gear Yearbook, the explosion was from a military Bomb test, which was filmed by the crew later that day.

    • @aupwhatsthat
      @aupwhatsthat 2 года назад +2

      Oh it exploded alright, live about a mile from where it was launched and watched it from my hill top. Used to explosions but it was a load one.

    • @dutchmansmine9053
      @dutchmansmine9053 2 года назад +3

      If you have a look at the original footage there is a considerable amount of smoke when it lands. Not nearly as much as shown here, but still.

  • @csmith8351
    @csmith8351 2 года назад +3

    6:15 no doubt that the Battle of Britain March is James May’s doing lol

  • @rzero21
    @rzero21 3 года назад +1

    I never get tired of this. I have watched this like 5 times, like once a year

  • @stevepalmer1847
    @stevepalmer1847 7 лет назад +173

    I tell you what they don't make TV like that anymore....

  • @christianwetzel2199
    @christianwetzel2199 8 лет назад +385

    a hilux would have been fine

    • @MsAelim
      @MsAelim 7 лет назад +26

      Completely. Just a bit of scuffed paint.

    • @MysticMisdreavus
      @MysticMisdreavus 7 лет назад +3

      Christian Wetzel It's too heavy! It won't attach well and hang on. However, that could be powerful enough to kill it!

    • @manictiger
      @manictiger 7 лет назад +12

      I just thought of the most genius idea...
      You know how space radiation is a problem for astronauts?
      Just armor everything in Hiluxes!
      It can also be used as a heat shield and a buffer against micrometeors and debris.

    • @ystermannexe
      @ystermannexe 5 лет назад

      I made ur comment to 200

    • @jackodees1765
      @jackodees1765 4 года назад +1

      But, now a serious question: What happens when you fire a Nokia 3310 at a Toyota Hilux?

  • @krakenpots5693
    @krakenpots5693 3 года назад

    Kudos to the guys who managed to get this in the air!!! They know their stuff!!!

  • @IlRovina
    @IlRovina 4 месяца назад +2

    At the time, thinking about this like another of the guys' shenanigans, I thought this was a sad failure for them.
    Now, knowing how difficult is to do these sort-of-garage-projects with rockets, everything about this is absolutely staggering.
    And not garage projects only, looking at the spaceX endevours and struggles.
    The fact that they had detachable boosters, a large tank, and a detachable flying RC real car (!) strapped onto that... and that they went half way to that process succesfully (!!!) is simply incredible.

  • @Fonzleberry
    @Fonzleberry 7 лет назад +119

    Easily the coolest thing they've ever done.

  • @Diapolo10
    @Diapolo10 10 лет назад +86

    Probably the most hilarious moment in the history of Top Gear. Seriously!

    • @jcanimus6700
      @jcanimus6700 10 лет назад +32

      Idk the episode where they knocked Jeremy's caravan off the cliff when he went to get ice cream was pretty hilarious.

    • @louisnotyourbissness3045
      @louisnotyourbissness3045 6 лет назад

      Well it's the most famous

  • @johnfrench9608
    @johnfrench9608 2 года назад +3

    I remember when I saw this on top gear I nearly fell off my chair when it launched. I was astounded and thought it was completely hilarious one of the best moments in TV ever!

  • @chasehicks7465
    @chasehicks7465 2 года назад +4

    The rocket guys did a hell of a job honestly

  • @mihalis1010
    @mihalis1010 10 лет назад +2285

    Still better than North Korea.

    • @MysticMisdreavus
      @MysticMisdreavus 9 лет назад +8

      Totally! Especially with 336 likes on your comment!!

    • @Redxgamer-jz4ys
      @Redxgamer-jz4ys 7 лет назад +3

      World Known yup

    • @JYMAHJAMES
      @JYMAHJAMES 7 лет назад +8

      World Known even truer now lmao

    • @giuseppefloris5067
      @giuseppefloris5067 7 лет назад +3

      World Known yes

    • @cypherusuh
      @cypherusuh 7 лет назад +4

      I dont think NK couldnt build it. the hardest part is to make it land, not launched it

  • @SVE155
    @SVE155 9 лет назад +35

    And this is the last time we have ever heard of a project but the Top Gear Aerospace program. A Peel P50 satellite anyone?

    • @sayhibobbi
      @sayhibobbi 6 лет назад +1

      How about Chris Evans in a Clarkson P45 satellite instead?

    • @Nathan93Baker
      @Nathan93Baker 5 лет назад

      Peel p50 sputnic.

  • @syntire9068
    @syntire9068 2 года назад +4

    "mum, can we have kimi raikkonen?"
    "no son, we have kimi raikkonen at home"
    kimi raikkonen at home: 1:45

  • @nxxynx5039
    @nxxynx5039 3 года назад +9

    Compared to legit space agencies, that was an absolute success of a first flight