Top Gear : Robin Reliant Space Shuttle Challenge - Top Gear - BBC

yes it's been around for 30 years 29 of those years it's been a complete jerk ever we're going to see if the Reliant Robin has the makings of a spaceship it's light it's cheap and it tapers to a point like a rocket so we're already heading in the right direction we're not just going to strap rockets to it set it off and wave me goodbye because we're going to see if we can turn it into the most difficult of all spacecraft the one that has to take off and be used again a space shuttle right gentlemen what we want from you is the most difficult type of space rocket a space shuttle this has to work properly it has to have the big fuel tank it has to have the booster rockets they all have to separate most importantly we have to be able to bring it back then under control to a landing and it's worth saying as well that nobody's gonna go in this yeah but it has to be landed yeah the idea of this is that we will send it up to a few thousand feet what we're doing is testing the principle if you can make all this work and we can bring it into this controlled landing we will probably get funding from the EU for a proper space mission so you want to launch it jettison the SRB jettison the SRB yes it's in the orbiter and fly it down what's the orbiter the Reliant right have you got a spare billion dollars no you see that's why we've come to you because you're from Manchester and you'll be able to do it for ten and six there's much tea as you can drink Wow yeah dude chips and lard everything anything you want it is difficult in every single way right you've got a Reliant Robin it's a car so it's really really heavy yeah so rough numbers what we're gonna need about 12 times the amount of power that the mini had rarely it's the largest non-commercial rocket launched in Europe it's the most powerful non-commercial rocket launched in Europe right as a rocket it's the most awful shape it could ever be but I thought the Robin was a good place to start because it's pointy at one end that's as far as I've got with that it's pointy shut yeah hello is that model aeroplane monthly great and I need some help this I think is the answer we've put a more powerful version whatever this is to our space shuttle then we can take control of it from the ground after its jettisoned its rockets and fly it in by remote it's a good plan just gotta get good at flying it's enormous that's a solid rocket booster there are two of those that hasn't even got its nose cone on yet it's actually a bit bigger than that but it's I was thinking firework on a stick this is so as I but that isn't the biggest thing no the external fuel tank was the biggest bit complete with extra rockets in the bottom then there were more rockets in the Reliant and explosive bolts to separate everything the whole construction was mind-bogglingly complicated what occurs to me now is the list of things to go wrong is enormous yeah and if any one of them goes wrong see I've been worried about the landing the chances of getting as far as the landing on the day are now how did he get on with you flying by the way good one groveling phone call to the University of the West of England and we secured permission to use their wind tunnel and because it was free we assumed it was self-service go well what do you mean I don't know what no matter how hard he tried James couldn't make himself into the shape of a Reliant Robin even with help thankfully two eggheads arrived with the scale model of our shuttle you see a beard like that and you know you're in safe hands yep basically we're looking for anything aerodynamic demeaning lastly is reliant is a problem aerodynamically well they didn't really design it with this in mind did there is only wash out or wash in on the wing it's basically simple I don't know what you two are saying well the error for sex are going so the big question will it fly I took it from his silence that he had his dad's and he wasn't alone like the real thing our shuttle would glide back to earth without prayer and Steve our pilot had also built a model to show how well it did this what's it actually gonna feel like to fly well it's gonna come down like a lift with the cable cuts you're not filling me with hope Steve well most normal aeroplanes they sort of glide for about you know they fly 20 feet forward they lose about a foot in height yeah afraid the Robin it's the other way around three two one and when the model was released from its tow plane it's just plummeting to the earth I'd rather you than me Teli the launch site was a military base whose whereabouts are at top secret bang on time for its date with destiny the Reliant Robin had arrived all right there all right keep it coming all right on that line all right yep you're all right back nice and stop that is the business end of a reusable reliant orbiter Wow Hammond Wow what do you think the chances are of actually working it'll work it's just that you know when we do these big things they use the end in some sort of massive disaster I can't like this one to work the tension now was almost unbearable you could almost hear Jeremy preparing some intergalactic smugness so would it stay on course during the ascent would the rockets and fuel tank detach and would Steve who by the way had refused our kind offer bunker be able to pilot the Robin down safely in just a few seconds we'd know Oh right right separate right that's why how are you gonna use it again you you

Channel: Top Gear

Views: 3,881,351

Rating: 4.9401913 out of 5

Keywords: BBC, BBC Worldwide, Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson, Stig, Richard Hammond, Robin Reliant, Challenges, Rockets, Space Shuttle, Speed, Incredible, Amazing, James May

Id: pJdrlWR-yFM

Length: 9min 44sec (584 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 18 2008

Reddit Comments

[u/skyepilotgurl]

That thing is still the most powerful privately operated rocked launched from a European country and the most powerful rocket launched from the UK mainland (the UK's Blue Streak/Black Knight projects were all launched from Oz)

[u/Shahar603]

Here is the launch continuous and unedited from a different angle.

[u/mickeybuilds]

I like the opposite reactions here before impact.

[u/JayMoFrackinTee]

God damn it. The original Top Gear is so much better than the American version. I miss this show.

[u/[deleted]]

Fun fact. It was known that the Reliant wasn't going to detach before the launch, but the BBC filming schedule meant there was no time to fix the exploding bolts and they had to launch anyway.

Must have been annoying for the rocketeers.

Also, the explosion is fake. Although that's a bit more obvious.

[u/DukeofFools]

I’m amazed at the difference 10 Years makes. They look so young

[u/HeadsOfLeviathan]

There’s no way this cost less than a £million, glad to see my license fee is being spent wisely.

Only joking, I don’t even pay it.

[u/wmhannon]

But Reliant Robins make the best space shuttles!

[u/NITSUA_TTAM]

I was there for this!

In the unedited version they use a JCB to dig themselves a bunker, and the digger they used was my dad’s. He spent the day prior to the launch teaching Richard how to dig the hole, or was supposed to, instead he just hung out with them and they stole all of his cigarettes. I got to go down and meet Richard and James the day of the launch and watch it take off. I think I have a photo somewhere of me with them.