05x01 - Hindenburg Mystery

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: on this episode
of "mythbusters"...

Adam and jamie
shed some light...

Adam: wow!

Narrator:
...and heat...

Whoa!

...on
the hindenburg disaster.

Was the inferno caused by
chemicals painted onto its skin?

That was totally amazing.

And from zeppelins
to zig-zags...

No! The crocodile!

Is a crooked run
the best way

To confound
a ravenous reptile?

Aah! Aah!

Who are the mythbusters?

Adam savage...

Is everybody ready
for diving?

...and jamie hyneman.

Gets me all worked up
just looking at it.

That was beautiful.

Between them, more than 30 years
special-effects experience.

That was heavy.

Joining them --
grant imahara...

Are you feeling lucky,
punk?

...tory belleci...

Somebody order
some exploding pants?

...and kari byron.

Picasso!

They don't just tell
the myths.

Aah!

Narrator:
they put them to the test.

So, what's the myth?

The myth today

Has to do with the cause
of the hindenburg disaster.

May 6, 1937.

One of the darkest days
in aviation history.

The giant german zeppelin
hindenburg,

With 97 people onboard,
hovers over new york city.

That evening,
as it comes in to land

At lakehurst naval air station,

The airship suddenly
bursts into flames.

Morrison:
oh, the humanity,

And all the passengers
screaming around here!

Narrator:


History's largest airship
is reduced to ashes

In just 34 seconds,

And an unforgettable image
is burned into the memory.

Doesn't everybody know that
that was caused by the hydrogen,

Which is the reason
they don't fill blimps

With hydrogen anymore?

Not according to our myth.

Our myth states that the cause
of the hindenburg disaster

Was its skin,

Specifically the dope in paint
on its skin.

This myth is not just
wild internet speculation.

The incendiary paint theory
was actually put forward

By a retired nasa scientist,
dr. Addison bain.

After studying fragments
of the hindenburg's hull,

Bain cleared hydrogen
as the cause of the blaze,

Blaming instead the airship's
metal-based paint.

It's a myth adam and jamie
were born to bust.

They're going to
turn up the heat...

Deuteronomy!

...and put the paint theory
to the ultimate test.

In a world first, they'll build
scale model hindenburgs,

Cover them with a paint

Identical to that
used on the giant blimp,

And find an answer
to aviation's burning question

Once and for all.

This is my favorite scale
experiment we've ever done.

Full stop.

Okay. Well,
where do we start?

Well, since the myth
is about the skin,

I think that's where
we should start.

We should find out exactly
the type of fabric that was used

And exactly what that fabric
was coated with

And replicate the skin in
the shop and see how it burns.

Okay.

The hindenburg's skin
was 100% cotton,

Treated with a kind of paint --

Or dope,
as it's known in the trade --

Which made the fabric taut
and waterproof.

The dope's ingredients included
aluminum powder and iron oxide.

Put them together,
and they produce

An extraordinarily expl*sive
substance called thermite.

Adam's keen to demonstrate.

He's gonna whip up
a batch of thermite.

For this cooking lesson,
adam will need the fire suit,

And it's safety masks
all around.

So, just like gumbo night
at adam's.

Take a cast-iron skillet.

Add the aluminum powder
and iron oxide.

Combine well.

Thing is,
they won't ignite by themselves.

To get a thermite reaction,

You need to add one or two
secret ingredients.

This ingredient is made of blur.
[ Chuckles ]

And this has some blur
in it, too.

Blur is very dangerous.

You don't want to mix
blur with blur.

Narrator: add the mysterious
mixture to the pan

And retire immediately.

It takes a few seconds
for the ingredients to react,

Then suddenly you're cooking
on a very high heat.



Adam: wow!

Narrator: so, we've seen
thermite in action,

And we know that
the hindenburg's skin

Was coated with the compounds
that create thermite.

So, that's a check mark
for the myth.

The question now is, will they
do that in a dope solution?

So, I think it's time
to test the fabric samples.

Narrator:
now, the hindenburg

Didn't have the same
dope solution all over.

The lower half
had three coats of dope

Containing aluminum powder.

The upper half
had the thermite mix --

A base coat of butyrate
and iron oxide,

Then three coats of butyrate
and aluminum.

Here's
what I'm wondering.

If aluminum powder
and iron oxide are so dangerous,

Why use
those two components

To coat
the hindenburg's skin?

Well, they figured
that was the best combination

To reflect
both heat and light

From the delicate inner bladders
that held the hydrogen.

Good enough for me.

Jamie prepares panels
using cotton and aluminum frames

That match the material
used on the hindenburg.

On one panel,
the fabric's left raw.

The second is painted to match
the bottom of the hindenburg,

And the third has the same
dope mix as the top half.

This is basically
just to find out

If the dope has any influence
on the speed of burn.

So, we'll start out
with a raw piece of fabric,

See how fast that burns,

And then compare that to the
other concentrations we have.

Narrator: adam sets fire
to the untreated cotton.

It doesn't so much burn
as smolder.

We don't need high-speed
on this. We need a time-lapse.

Anything you say, adam.


And 25 seconds.

That's not very fast.

That took
almost 10 times longer

Than the hindenburg took
to burn the entire hindenburg.

Okay, we've got
our control.

Time for the first dope test.

Bottom
of the hindenburg,

Plain dope with three coats
of aluminum, yeah?

You ready?

I'm ready.

Go.

[ Stopwatch beeps ]

That's not a ka-hwump.

The hindenburg
was 800 feet long,

And the whole thing burned
in less than a minute.

Remember, there's no chance
of a thermite reaction here,

Because there's no iron oxide
in the dope.

What was the time
on that one?



The bottom sample burned
twice as fast as the raw fabric,

Which makes it pretty clear

That there is a factor
in the coating

That has to do with
how fast this thing burns.

Next, the dope that was on
the hindenburg's upper half.

This is the potential
thermite mix.

Will there be a reaction?

All right, you guys.
Get ready for this one.

Crocodile myth.

Is it that they live
in the sewers?

No.

Is it that crocodiles
have tears?

Aw, no.

This one is if you're
getting chased by a crocodile,

You can easily escape it
by running in a zig-zag pattern,

'Cause they cannot
turn corners.

Narrator:
in the water,

The crocodile is a
lightning-quick ambush predator.

In that expl*sive
split second when they strike,

Crocodile lunges
have been clocked

At around 30 miles an hour.

Lunging is one thing.
Running is another.

According to the myth, if you're
being chased by a crocodile,

All you have to do
is run in a zig-zag,

Because their long bodies
and short legs

Cannot make sharp turns.

All right, you guys. This one
seems a little dangerous.

How do you think
we should test it?

Let's use buster first.

We'll build a rig that
pulls him in a straight line

And then one that pulls him
in a zig-zag.

Well, let's try to make this
a little interesting

Instead of just sticking a steak
to buster's butt.

Maybe we can make
a pair of meat legs.

How do you make
meat legs?

Don't ask me.

Guess that'll be your job.
We'll build the rig.

Narrator:
the plan is to dangle a dummy

From a remote-controlled
trolley,

Which moves from side to side.

The trolley, in turn, will
be suspended from a steel track.

As the trolley
is pulled along the track,

Those juicy meat legs
will zig-zag.

Then they'll take the rig
to a croc farm

And see if they can make
some reptiles run.

Aah!

But this time, believe it
or not, buster's off the hook.

The rig that we're gonna
have to put up

Is going to be suspended.

Therefore, my buster needs to
be really, really lightweight.

I'm gonna make him entirely
out of foam for a torso,

And then I might have
a little surprise for his legs.

Narrator:
soon, a new foam buster is
rising like a cake in an oven.

As you can see, he's very light,

And it's not gonna put a whole
lot of strain on the rig.

Narrator:
this new, lightweight buster

Hasn't got a leg to stand on,

But kari has a pair of meat legs
all mapped out.

What are these?

They're fishnet stockings.

He'll be wearing fishnet
stockings.

Give me all your cash!

And they'll be stuffed
with quail.

But these are not like
any frozen bird you might find

In your supermarket.

[ Laughing ]
oh, my god!

I can't do this.

They've got feathers on them,
still.

I can't do this.

They're not even gutted.

It's a quail-sicle.

Put it down.
Put it down.

No, seriously.

I've never juggled
dead quails before.

Kari:
you are so messed up.

Put these down.

Go back to working
whatever you're working on

Because I have a really busy day

Of putting dead birds
in sexy lingerie.

Narrator:
now, there's a sentence
you don't hear every day.

And here's another.

Kari has to choose

The lingerie least likely to
come apart while being chewed.

You got nylon, you got spandex,
you got cotton.

And I need to test and
see which one of these
are gonna be the best

For the crocodiles
to be able to hold onto.

Narrator: with
the different stockings stuffed,

Kari takes a scalpel and
makes like a crocodile tooth.

Think I'm going with the 100%
cotton fishnet stockings.

Narrator: adam and jamie
are trying to get a handle

On the hindenburg blaze.

Adam: wow!

Narrator: was the airship's
metallic paint to blame?

The paint on this panel matches
the one on the doomed airship.

It contains
aluminum and iron oxide,

Two compounds that combine
to create expl*sive thermite.

Will they get a reaction?

Adam puts flame to the frame.

Go.

[ Stopwatch beeps ]

No thermite reaction.
No intense heat.

In fact, it takes 5 1/2 minutes
for the panel to be consumed.

That's almost twice as long
as the aluminum-coated cotton.

It's almost identical
to the cloth by itself.

Hmm. Wow.

Hang on, guys.
Don't write off this myth, yet.

That was one little panel.

The hindenburg was covered

In thousands of square feet
of material.

Could there be a better boom
on a bigger scale?

I mean, maybe
there's some crazy amount

That could yield
an energetic reaction,

But it's not this amount.

Narrator: obviously,
the hindenburg's designers

Didn't set out to coat
their creation in rocket fuel.

Those who pan the paint theory

Say the aluminum and iron oxide
couldn't have formed thermite,

Because the compounds
weren't mixed that way.

The recipe
was completely different.

So, that's got
the mythbusters curious.

What would happen if you did
paint pure thermite on the skin?

It's more like a paste
than a paint,

But I think
we can smear it on.

Next up...

Whoa -- megadope.

This is just total
worst-case scenario.

Can you actually make thermite
in a dope formulation?

Be careful
when you light it.

Narrator:
adam ignites the panel.

Time it.

[ Stopwatch beeps ]

Narrator: not exactly
the pyrotechnic display

We might have expected.

They start discussing plan b
when suddenly...

Oh!

Deuteronomy!

Okay, wait.

Well...
That's thermite.

You got that right.

Wow!

Narrator:
once the megadope ignited,

The panel was consumed
in just 20 seconds.

That was dramatically
different.

That was totally amazing.

Well, I'll tell you.

That's the first evidence
I've seen yet

That there might actually
be something to this myth,

'Cause that's
the kind of burn I think of

When I think about
the hindenburg going up.

This was not
what was on the hindenburg.

We have to make that clear,

Because this was
just, like, over-the-top crazy.

The concentration
of thermite in there --

Thermite to dope --
was maybe, like, 75% thermite.

[ Laughs ]

And they wouldn't have, in
any stretch of the imagination,

Coated the hindenburg
with something like that.

So, we burned
the skin samples,

But you know,
the hindenburg was filled

With 200,000 cubic meters
of hydrogen.

Well, let's burn some skin
in the presence of hydrogen

And see what it does.

The newsreel shows
the hindenburg engulfed by fire.

Yet, high-school science
tells us hydrogen burns

With a near-invisible flame.

So, what are we seeing
in the disaster footage?

Is it the skin burning
and not the gas?

Adam will burn some hydrogen to
see what the flame looks like.

He takes a cylinder
of 100% pure hydrogen

And makes
an enormous bunsen burner.

Adam:
that's an orange burn, baby.

The hydrogen
definitely burns orange,

But it is extremely
low visibility,

In contrast
to the newsreel footage,

In which the flame
is clearly visible.

Eyewitnesses said
it burned orange,

But it's a lot more visible
than this was.

Narrator:
one thing's for sure --

Hydrogen burns
like nobody's business.

So, it does sort of
beg the question --

You know, I don't understand
why, if it's so flammable,

They filled
the hindenburg with hydrogen

In the first place.

Well, the hindenburg
was originally intended

To be filled with helium,

But a united states military
embargo against the germans

And selling them helium

Caused the germans
to re-engineer the hindenburg

To use hydrogen instead.

And in any case,
it gave more lift.

Okay, so what do we do now?

The hindenburg was filled with


Which burns like this.

Adam:
that's an orange burn, baby.

Narrator: and its skin
was covered in chemicals

Which, in the correct
concentrations, burn like this.

Adam:
deuteronomy! Wow!

So, what happens when gas
and skin burn together?

To find out, adam builds a box

And stretches some fabric
over the top.

Adam:
the dope-covered fabric

That I've got covering this box
for this test

Represents the top half
of the hindenburg.

It is a layer of butyrate dope
and iron oxide

Covered with three layers
of butyrate dope

And aluminum powder.

Ladies and germs,
here we go.

Narrator:
hydrogen is pumped into the box,

And adam introduces
a naked flame.

Whoa!

[ Laughs ]

Okay.
Is everybody okay?

Uh, fresh underwear
for mr. Savage, please.

Because the volume of gas
inside the box was only small,

The reaction
was quick and violent.

To have skin and gas actually
burn rather than go bang,

The hydrogen will have to be
diffused over a larger area.

We want a slow burn.

We want to see the fabric
burning with the hydrogen.

We don't just want
an expl*si*n here.

Narrator:
time for adam and jamie

To start thinking
outside the box

And take their hindenburg
high jinks large-scale.

According to the myth,

Outrunning a crocodile
is not straightforward.

It's a zig-zag.

Kari's foam-and-fishnet
buster bait is ready.

Meanwhile, tory's got
the croc rig on track.

So, I have
my two-inch steel tube.

This is gonna be our track

That's gonna go over
the crocodiles.

So, now what I'm gonna do
is build the trolley

And the trolley will carry
the dummy along that run

And the crocodile
will have something to chase.

Narrator: getting the dummy
to move in a straight line

Will be relatively simple.

But making it zig-zag --
not so easy.

Grant's working
on the remote-control trolley.

Foam guy is actually
gonna be mounted on this.

And this will be hanging,
actually, upside down.

So he'll move across like that.

Motor here. Sprocket.

As the sprocket turns,
moves the chain back and forth.

Whoa!

Narrator:
next, the zig-zag rig

Has to be calibrated
for human speed.

So, what we're gonna do

Is lay out a grid
on the floor of our shop,

Take a shot from overhead,

And just run
a bunch of zig-zags

And see
what the best time is.

Narrator: the grid is made up
of 12-inch squares.

It's 12 feet long
and 9 feet wide.

No! The crocodile!

Question is,
what constitutes a zig-zag?

Well, I'm pretty sure

That the essence of this myth
comes from the fact

That they have
those long, rigid bodies.

So, it's not sort of, like,
a weird hopping thing

Like they're snapping
and you're just jumping.

But it's more of a...
[ Whooshing ]

So, you're gonna try
and hit the corners

As fast as you can,

Rather than,
like, hopscotch jumping.

Aah!

Tory: what the heck
was that?

[ Laughter ]

What was that?
Was a mouse chasing you?

I -- it's really hard
to do the turn.

[ Grunting ]

Narrator: one by one, the guys
run a series of zig-zags

Across the grid.

What I was trying to do

Is actually maximize
the side-to-side.

Mm-hmm.

It may have saved
your life

Due to the fact that
that crocodile right now

Is in a belly laugh.

He can't even move.
He's, like, cramping.

Narrator: then grant studies
the high-speed footage.

By counting
how many frames it takes

To move across one square
on the grid,

He can time each run and come up
with an average speed.

And it is very average.

The average speed...

In the x-direction,

Which is the long direction
that you're gonna be handling

Is 7.6 feet per second.

That works out
to be only 5 miles per hour.

Some crocs have been clocked

Running at more than
twice that speed.

So, will
our cross-dressing dummy

Be fast enough to escape?

Time to see
what this croc rig can do.

[ Laughter ]

That was some crazy
quail-swinging action.

He zigs. He zags.

Unfortunately,
he also sees and saws.

Tory has a plan
to straighten buster out.

I just want to get rid
of the seesaw effect

That this dummy is having.

So, what I'm gonna do

Is I'm welding up some bars
on either sides.

I'm gonna put some cables on the
ends of those and put the cables

Through pulleys that are
attached to the trolley.

And hopefully that will get rid
of that seesaw effect.

Narrator: with the guidewires
in place, they try again.

New, improved buster test
take one. Let's go.

[ Laughter ]

Hey! Yay!

That's great.

I'm happy with it.

Narrator: so is kari.

Yippee! Yahoo! Whee!

So, weird buster rig is actually
working really, really good.

Hey, nice meat legs,
by the way.

Well, where are we
gonna get some crocs?

'Cause clearly,
there aren't any around here.

The only place we're
gonna be able to get
crocodiles to chase us

Is gonna be in florida,
so pack your bags.

Field trip!

Narrator:
it's time to croc and roll.

Florida, here we come.

Here we go.

Why did the hindenburg burn?

Former nasa scientist
dr. Addison bain

Sparked controversy by claiming

That it was the metal paint
on the hindenburg's hull

That caught fire,
not hydrogen.

Adam: wow!

Narrator: adam and jamie
are on the case, but so far,

Their hindenburg investigations
have been hindered by scale.

Well, the small scale
just isn't doing it

For answering all these
questions that we've got.

We have to go bigger scale,

But we can't possibly
go full scale.

How big do you think
we can go?

I don't know --
like 10, 12 feet.

Well, if we go 16 feet,
that's 1/50th scale.

It's a nice round number.
Do you think we can do that?

This should solve the mystery
once and for all.

They'll build two 16-foot
hindenburg scale models

And coat them with
the aluminum-iron oxide paint.

One will be full of air,
the other, hydrogen.

And if the hydrogen hindenburg
burns faster,

Then this blimp myth is busted.

Okay.

Everyone happy?
Not quite.

I think we need to do
a third one, as well.

I mean, one that guarantees
a thermite reaction.

All right, so three blimps
it is. I think we can do it.

That third blimp burn
will show what would happen

If someone was crazy enough
to paint their airship

With pure thermite.

To help with the build,

Adam unearths some blueprints
of the real hindenburg.

To match the original airship,

The replicas
will need aluminum frames.

So jamie's off to get wired.

We've come to
a wire-stock place,

And they have just about every
kind of gauge of steel wire

That we need.

I'm gonna buy some.

The wire
will have to be thin

To keep the models
lightweight,

Yet strong enough
to prevent buckling.

The last thing they want
is a limp blimp.

I've picked a wire gauge

That is, I think, just
thick enough for us to weld.

And otherwise, the frame,
when we're done with it,

May only weigh
maybe 10 or 15 pounds.

Narrator:
back at hindenburg headquarters,

Adam and mythtern
jess nelson are hard at work.

Behind me here, this fish bone
is the guide backbone

For all the concentric rings

That make up the body
of the hindenburg

And then once we have that laid
out with all the rings on it,

We will go in
and weld all the long struts,

And then we'll do it again.

And then when we're done
with that, we'll do it again.

Narrator:
sure, it's a big task, adam.

But spare a thought for the guys
who built the original.

Work on the hindenburg
started in 1931

And took five years to complete.

The result was a mind-boggling
feat of engineering.

The hindenburg was longer than
three 737s, 15 stories high,

And could store 7 million
cubic feet of lifting gas.

The hindenburg's designers

Also included a smoking room --
fireproofed, of course.

By following the original
hindenburg blueprints,

The mythbusters soon have

Their own mini hindenburg
taking shape.

Look at that.
That is very, very cool.

And it weighs maybe
about 10 pounds, if that.

I'm gonna get pissed
if you drop that.

[ Laughs ]

Adam balances the frame
on his chin.

Don't ask me why.
He's just adam.

It goes over like
a "lead" zeppelin with jamie.

Ain't a "whole lotta love"
in the room.

Okay, enough with the horseplay.

We need another two
hindenburgs pronto.

You want three zeppelins
in a day?

We give you three zeppelins
in a day.

The frames need
cotton skins.

Adam soon has that
all sewn up.

Everything's going smoothly

Until jamie opts for a spot
of last-minute welding.

Whoa!

And suddenly, the model

Is looking disturbingly
like the real hindenburg.

[ Chuckles ] these things
are always catching on fire.

[ Both laugh ]

That is the textbook definition
of irony, kids.

The last thing they have to do
is apply the dope,

And the models are complete.

Now the mythbusters
are ready to crack this case

Once and for all.

Next up on discovery,
the world's deadliest piñata.

Can you escape a crocodile
by running in a zig-zag?

To find out, kari, tory,
and grant

Have harnessed
all their know-how

And built a zig-zag rig.

Now they're off
on a reptile recce.

We are now here in florida
at st. Augustine alligator farm,

And they're crazy enough
to let us try our buster rig

On some of these alligators
and crocodiles.

What does it mean
when they hiss?

When they hiss,
they feel threatened

'Cause you're getting
a little bit too close to them.

They're kind of unhappy
with your presence right now.

They're unhappy?

[ Hissing ]

[ Growling ]

Aah!

Aah! Sorry.

You make
the prettiest noises.

[ Growling ]

Narrator: st. Augustine
is the only farm in the world

To have all 23 species
of crocodilian.

Director john brueggen has heard
the zig-zag myth many times.

If the crocodile
is going in a straight line

And you're going
in a zig-zag,

I think you're gonna meet
a couple times in there.

It doesn't sound so good to me,
but it's worth trying.

They choose a good, straight run
and assemble the rig.

Soon, buster ii

Has got his fetching,
quail-filled fishnets on.

Now it's croc time.

These are
very dangerous animals,

So it's important that
you're listening to the keepers.

Listen to david and kevin.
They'll tell you where to be.

If something goes wrong,
they're gonna be yelling at you.

They don't mean any disrespect,

But they're gonna tell you
to get somewhere quickly.

Narrator:
hope you were listening, tory.

You're gonna help wrangle
the first reptile.

I've been watching
professional wrestling

On television, so I've learned
some wrestling moves,

And I'm gonna try them out
on this crocodile.

Narrator: the cuban crocodile
is one of the quickest

And most aggressive
crocodiles on the planet --

A perfect candidate
for the zig-zag test.

If they can catch one, that is.

When you get the animal secured,
hold the mouth shut,

And then you'll actually
tape the jaw shut

So it's no longer able
to bite us.

What?

You're gonna tape
the mouth shut.

Narrator:
that's what he thought you said.

It's off. It's off.

Kledzik: give --
give kevin that mouth pole.

Tory: wow.

Okay.

He's gonna submit in 2 seconds.

Tap out.
Tap out, sucker.

So, is that better
than playing with robots?

Oh, my gosh.
This is my new favorite job.

How do I sign up?

Think you just did.

Narrator:
okay, here we go.

Can the cuban croc catch
those zig-zagging quail legs?

Tory's poised to pull
the dummy along the track.

Using the remote control,

Grant twitches
buster's delicious legs.

Our reptile
doesn't seem tempted,

Although its potential speed
is obvious

When it suddenly rounds
on its keeper.

Tory: whoa.

They keep trying to tease
the croc into a chase,

But the beast just won't budge.

Señor.

So, they wheel out
a second cuban.

Okay, so this is the new one --
the fresh crocodile.

Here we go --
jiggling.

Mmm, tasty. Come on.

Take a bite.

Narrator:
but no cigar.

The reptiles just won't run.

Tory: a big part of the problem
may very well be

That it knows
it's not a person.

How can it tell?

Yeah.

[ Laughter ]

Narrator:
conditions are perfect.

Crocs are the most active
at this time of the year.

And the humid steamy weather

Means
they shouldn't be sluggish.

Tory:
no interest whatsoever.

I'm starting to feel
extremely defeated.

There's a run
in my stockings,

And there's
no crocodile running.

You know what they say
about children and animals
in the film industry.

Narrator:
you said it, tory.

Animal myths are
notoriously difficult to bust.

Remember "skunk cleaning"?

Adam and jamie set out to test

A bunch
of skunk-smell home remedies.

Only problem was they couldn't
get a skunk to kick up a stink.

Well, it doesn't work.
Can we go now?

Back in crocodile alley,

The test subjects are refusing
to chase buster's meat legs

In a zig-zag
or any other configuration.

Luckily, the mythbusters
have a plan b.

We're actually
gonna take a quail

And put it on my robot here.

And this is
a battle-ready combat robot.

So, if unfortunately...

An animal gets ahold of it
in its jaws,

It is built for combat,
so it probably will stand up.

Narrator: with its cargo
of quail in place,

Grant's robot sets out
on its mission.

Looking like the mars rover,

It parks near the edge
of a pool,

Well within striking distance.

Grant's poised
to hit the accelerator

At the first
crocodilian quiver.

But apparently,

This croc doesn't feel like
meals on wheels.

We're having a hard time
getting this crocodile

To come to the surface
of the water,

So I'm gonna try to entice him
with some quail.

And I'm just gonna drop it
right in front of his nose

Or her nose.

Narrator: tory ventures close
and throws the bird.

Nothing. Not a ripple.

Kari: I don't think
he's coming out of the water.

Well,
the trainers here say

That they're naturally
secretive animals,

And what's more,
they're not stupid.

Yeah, he seems pretty spooked
by your robot.

Narrator:
no response to the rig.

No response to the robot.

You can't say
the mythbusters aren't trying.

You know, those crocodiles
seem like they're slow on land,

But sh**ting out of the water,
they're lightning.

Well, actually, I've done
a little bit more research,

And it turns out,

In almost every crocodile
or alligator attack

Since they've been
keeping records,

The victim has been in
or near the water.

Well, then, what are the rules
to avoid being chomped?

First, if there are
any warning signs,

Don't go in the water.

Second, if you fall
into the water,

Get out as quickly
as possible.

And third, never, ever
dangle your legs or arms

Over the side
of the boat.

I think we can handle
these rules.

Narrator: there's only
one thing left -- plan c.

That's "c" for "crazy."

Tory's going to put
his behind on the line

And get a croc
to chase him instead.

Tory, kari, and grant
have been wrestling

With the myth that crocodiles
can't run in a zig-zag.

So far, they haven't been
able to coax a croc

Into running at all.

You know what they say

About desperate times
and desperate measures.

We've tried everything

To get these crocodiles
to chase the food.

But apparently,
nothing's working.

So we're gonna try
a different approach.

We're gonna try to see
if we can get them to
chase us out of aggression.

So, what I'm gonna do is
I'm gonna actually suit up

With some protective gear,
get in there,

Try to agitate the crocodiles,
and see if they'll chase me.

Narrator:
tory's going out on a limb.

Let's just hope all his
are still there when it's over.

So, let's say one of them
does get ahold of my leg.

What will you do to...
Break that hold?

I will do
everything I can

To ease your pain
as quickly as possible.

He has a stick.

You're gonna knock me out
with the stick.

Yes. Exactly. The quicker
you lose consciousness,

The better off it is
for you. Yes.

Narrator: tory's legs
will be well-protected.

Unfortunately, the heavy padding
will also slow him down.

Great. The safety protection
caused me to fall down.

Protective gear
is hindering me

From running away
from the crocodile.

Nevertheless, he's ready for a
face-to-face croc confrontation.

The johnston's crocodile
is found in australian waters.

It's smaller than the cuban croc

But fast
and fiercely territorial.

Kari:
so, this is the first test --

Chasing tory,
the johnston crocodile.

What do you think's
gonna happen?

I think it can catch him.

Can tory snatch victory
from the jaws of defeat?

Was that an unfortunate
turn of phrase?

Once again,
provoking a croc attack

Proves to be a lot harder
than you'd think,

But if he succeeds,

Tory will have to remember
to run in a zig-zag.

Suddenly...

Aah!

[ Laughter ]

The crocodile lunges,

But doesn't continue the chase
beyond that initial strike.

The experiment ends
with tory intact.

When it came out of the water
and it was just standing there,

Looking at me, hissing,
and, like, lunging,

My heart was going


I was just, like, freaking out.

Narrator:
and he's starting to draw some
conclusions about this myth.

I don't think you're
gonna have to worry about it.

I think you're more worried
about getting away

From that
initial expl*sive attack.

If you can get away from that,

You're pretty much
gonna be okay.

Narrator:
actually, tory, you're spot-on.

In the wild, crocodiles
don't chase prey on land.

They're ambush predators,
attacking from the water.

Escape that initial lunge,

And you're pretty much
home free.

That's crocodiles.
But what about alligators?

Grant wants to try
one more experiment --

Swapping the crocs
for their cousins.

Okay, david.

So, up to this point,
we've been using crocodiles.

They haven't been going
for the food.

But I hear you have
some trained alligators.

We have three good candidates
in here today.

We have fluffy, skipper,
and bob.

And with any luck,

One of those will come at you
at full speed.

Fluffy? Skipper? Bob?

Gee, with names like that,

It must be hard
not to smile at a crocodile.

You should lay the food

About maybe a foot
in front of his head.

Oh, okay. That close?

Yes -- that close.

Using his most commanding voice,
grant calls the animal.

[ Weakly ]
skipper. Skipper.

Uh, I said
"commanding voice."

[ Deep voice ]
skipper. Skipper.

Skipper follows the bait,

But he's not setting
any land-speed records.

So, then kari
plays gator baiter,

Trying to lure her
living dinosaur in a zig-zag.

Oh, yes, you're just freaking me
out now, smiley.

Hey -- aah!

This way!
All right.

You're the most popular girl
in the lagoon.

I don't know if she's more
afraid of the alligator

Or the bird.

The alligator slowly changes
direction to follow kari,

But is that a zig-zag
as defined by the myth?

Kari:
I did a zig. I did a zag.

He could follow me, but only
sort of in a curvy motion --

Not really sharp turns --

And it didn't make me
get away from him

Any better or any faster.

Narrator:
let's face it.

This myth is looking
more and more --

If you'll pardon
the expression -- like a crock.

Man, we threw everything at
this one, including ourselves.

I don't know what more
we could have done.

Yeah, you know,
I'm really frustrated.

We didn't even get to try
our croc zig-zag rig.

We were in the right place
at the right time of year

On a hot day
with cranky crocodiles

And their food of choice,
and they still wouldn't chase.

I mean, we even
strapped quails to your robot,

And we couldn't get those
crocodiles to chase it.

Well, doesn't that in itself
prove something?

Forget the zig-zag.

Crocodiles are just
not gonna chase you on land.

Yeah, they're ambush
predators.

If they miss you that first
time, they're just gonna wait

Until some easier prey
comes along.

So, this whole zig-zag theory
is just ridiculous.

I mean,
you're never gonna use it,

'Cause they're never
gonna chase you.

It's ridiculous,
and what's more, it's busted.

Busted.

Totally busted.

Narrator: for almost 70 years,
it's been assumed

That hydrogen was the cause
of the hindenburg disaster.

But the incendiary paint theory,

Developed
by a retired nasa scientist,

Lays the blame for the blaze

On the metal paint
that covered the airship's skin.

Adam and jamie
have built some blimps...

Ta-da!

Narrator: ...and are set
to give that theory

A serious thermal workout.

They're off to their home
away from home --

The abandoned naval base.

Last time we were here, we fired
an air cylinder through a wall.

Shearing the regulator
off the tank.

Attempt number 2.

[ Laughs ]
oh, god.

That wasn't bad.

But now we're gonna blow up
some zeppelins.

Narrator: as tarantino might
say, bring out the blimp.

At 16 feet long,

The zeppelin
is 1/50th scale.

It's not been designed
to get airborne,

So it'll have to hang suspended.

We got these figures
from a train set.

These are 1/50th scale.

Check these guys out.

That's how big...
An actual person would have been

With the hindenburg.

This thing was massive.

This fire must have been...

Just the most
unbelievable thing

That anyone that day
had ever seen.

The myth says that the
destruction of the hindenburg

Was because of the skin
and not because of the hydrogen.

Narrator:
the blimp's skin matches

The hindenburg's exactly,

Right down to the dope formula
painted on its surface.

The first test is just the blimp
without any gas --

No hydrogen --

And we're just gonna burn
the skin and see what that does.

Narrator:
the room will be a strict
no-go zone during the test.

Adam and jamie will watch a live
feed of the action outside.

To set fire
to the blimp remotely,

Jamie rigs a blowtorch
on a stand.

This is test number 1 --

Period-correct skin,
no gas.

Ignite when you're ready.

Time to put a blowtorch to the
belly of this 70-year-old myth.

That looks good.
You're right on target.

It's going.
That was quick.

A thermal-imaging camera
will show the path of the fire

As it rages through
the blimp.

The hindenburg burned
in 34 seconds.

For the myth to be plausible,

This hindenburg has to be
consumed in a similar time.

I'm seeing
little thermite sparkers.

Jamie: yeah.

But, yeah, we're already
at 1 minute, 10 seconds.

So, we could have burned
two hindenburgs by now,

And we're only not even 1/4
of the way through this.

Suddenly,
the fire accelerates.

Oh, wow!

Wow!

Oh, yeah.

That is so beautiful.

Sparks cascade

As the aluminum and iron oxide
on the skin create thermite.

The thermal camera
shows a mass of orange

As the fire spreads
through the blimp.

Bang.


It's a lot quicker than
I thought it was gonna go.

But still slow --

The real hindenburg could have
burned almost four times over

In the time it took
for the model to burn.

There's the unmistakable smell
of charred myth in the air,

But adam still sees
a spark of hope.

Critics of the skin theory

Say that there couldn't
have possibly been

A thermite reaction
on the face of the hindenburg

Because not only are
the proportions of aluminum

To iron oxide wrong,

But they're suspended
in separate layers of butyrate.

The fact that we saw
a thermite reaction in this test

Tells me that, while that
doesn't prove the myth is true,

It tells me the critics
aren't entirely right.

Narrator:
on to hindenburg burn number 2.

This zeppelin
will be filled with hydrogen.

Now, just pumping the blimp
full of gas

And lighting it won't work.

Instead of a burn,
they'll get a bang,

Just like adam did
back at the shop.

Adam: whoa!

Is everybody okay?

So, the gas
will have to be diffused.

We're gonna feed it
from the hydrogen tanks,

Through this blue gas hose,
up the main strut,

And into
a trough of water.

And the trough of water
is going to diffuse the hydrogen

Across
the entire hindenburg.

This is where the rubber
meets the road, people.

If this hydrogen hindenburg

Burns faster
than the first blimp,

The paint theory enthusiasts
will be deflated.

It is make or break
for this myth on this test.

Let's go.

Jamie sets fire
to the blimp.

Call it.

You're lit.

Narrator:
as the flames take hold,

Jess starts feeding hydrogen
into the hindenburg.

The gas ignites...

Whoa!

More hydrogen!

More! More! More!

And the blimp is instantly
filled with flame.

Wow.

Look at that.

What's our time?

Boom. Wow.



That just feels exactly like
what we see in the newsreel.

God, it's great.

Compare adam and jamie's result
with the newsreel footage.

They're remarkably similar.

This is my favorite scale
experiment we've ever done.

Full stop.

The burn times
tell the story.

Adam: the period skin
plus the hydrogen

Burned twice as fast

As the period skin
without the hydrogen.

Doesn't get much more definitive
than that kind of result.

Narrator:
the metal compounds on the skin

Undoubtedly played a role
in the hindenburg tragedy,

But to say the hydrogen
had no effect --

Well, that's a lot of hot air.

If I was the narrator
of a different kind of show,

Rather than the host
of this one,

I might say something
like this.

[ Deep voice ] like any
catastrophe of this magnitude,

A number of elements contributed
to the totality of the failure

On that fateful day in 1937.

[ Normal voice ] [ chuckles ]
now, that's writing.

Narrator: no, adam.
That's gibberish.

Okay, well,
at the outset of this,

We said
for this myth to be true,

Both burn times
with and without hydrogen

Had to be the same --
and they weren't.

With hydrogen, this thing
burned up twice as fast.

It's busted.

Yeah, but you know,

The skin actually did have
a fair amount to do with this.

We saw that
it does burn aggressively,

And it was clearly a part
of what was going on here.

We even saw little,
bitty thermite reactions,

Which tells us that --
like any good myth --

There is a grain of truth
to the fact

That the skin had something
to do with thermite.

But in the end, it was
the hydrogen plus the skin.

Yeah.

We're calling this one
busted.

Busted.

But hang on.
What about that third blimp?

The skin of this hindenburg

Has been coated
with pure thermite --

Aluminum and iron oxide blended
in a secret, searing formula.

It's the same over-the-top,

Completely unrealistic
megadope mix

Jamie tested
back at the start.

Deuteronomy!

With the myth already busted,

This test
is simply mythbuster theatrics.

What you're about to see
is what would have happened

If the original hindenburg,
filled with hydrogen,

Was painted with rocket fuel.

There's 15 pounds of thermite
on this blimp right now.

It's a different sort of beast.

This thing is going to burn.

Thermite is,
like, heavy-duty stuff.

And there's
an awful lot of it here.

So...all bets are off.

Test number 3.

Thermite megadope plus hydrogen.

Narrator:
it's a safety red alert.

Adam: you're lit.

Whoa!

Dude!

Narrator:
unsurprisingly,

The flammable thermite
fires up in no time,

And after a dash of hydrogen,
we're cooking with gas.

Adam: whoa!

[ Laughing ]

Narrator:
hyneman's hindenburg is history.

We got to call that.
Boom.

Narrator:


Adam: that is
exactly the kind of burn

That the proponents of the skin
theory believe happened,

Except that the skin
of the hindenburg

Was not coated in hundreds
of pounds of thermite.

Yeah, that thing wouldn't
have gotten off the ground

With that much thermite
per square foot.

No.
There's no way.

Our work here
is definitively done.

I love the smell of thermite
in the afternoon.

You know, hindenburg
was more fun

Than I've had
in a long time,

But I'll just bet
it doesn't end there.

I'll bet this one is gonna be
super-controversial.

Well, one of the good things
about the show

Is that we do listen
to the fans,

And in fact, we've got
a whole episode coming up

That is devoted
to fan suggestions.

Right you are.

So, you, sitting there,

Yelling at us
for getting it wrong --

Log on to
discovery.com/mythbusters

And tell us exactly what
you'd like to see on the show.

Yeah.