07x10 - Curving b*ll*ts

[bunniefuu]

Do not try
any of the experiments

you are about to see at home.

You heard him.
Don't do it.

NARRATOR: On this episode
of "Mythbusters"...

WALBORN:
Ready, hit it.

NARRATOR:
...gear up your ears...

That kind of wakes you up
in the morning.

NARRATOR: And button up
your bulletproof vest...

Protecting for two, you see.

NARRATOR:
...because there's g*ns galore

and big audio dynamite.

First, Adam and Jamie ask,
"Can a sonic boom break glass?"

I call that a bull's-eye.

NARRATOR: Then, Kari, Grant,
and Tory fire up a film fable

to find out
if you can bend b*ll*ts.

So duck and cover,

because this is going to be
fast, loud, and lethal.

WALBORN: Come on.
Stick with me, Adam. You got it.

You got it.
Come on. Stay with us.

NARRATOR:
Who are the Mythbusters?

Adam Savage...

I'm ready to go, man!

NARRATOR:
...and Jamie Hyneman.

It's like a wet T-shirt contest.

NARRATOR:
Between them, more than 30 years

of special-effects experience.

Wow!

NARRATOR:
Joining them... Kari Byron...

Pbht!

- NARRATOR: Grant lmahara...
- [Sobbing] Why?!

...and Tory Belleci.

Let's go!

NARRATOR:
They don't just tell the myths.

They put them to the test.

All right, I hear
this one's a loud one.

- What's the story?
- Sonic boom.

- What's that?
- Sonic boom!

What about a sonic boom?!

Sonic boom breaks glass!

Well, sure, a sonic boom
can break glass.

The fans are saying that any
sonic boom breaks any glass...

windows, glasses, you name it.

[Laughs]
That sounds like fun.

Well, the best part is
that we get to ride in a jet.

You want to lay down a bet?

Where are you going?
Dude!

When something this noisy goes
faster than the speed of sound,

the sonic boom created

is a powerful
and visceral experience.

The question is,

can any old sonic boom
really break glass,

and for answers,
the guys are going to fly

with the world-famous
Blue Angels.

Dude, come on back.
I was just kidding.

I want to hear
all about these jets.

It's not just about the jets.

The myth is that any sonic boom
can break glass,

and you and I both know
that b*ll*ts

go supersonic sometimes.

You're suggesting we start
with g*ns and glass.

Exactly.

I love it!
And then we go for the jets.

Please, can I be the one
that flies in the jet?

Why should you get to fly
in the jet?

'Cause I'm gonna be funnier
on camera in the jet.

Well, okay, but you need to log
some training hours first,

because we need to know
that you can handle it

before you go supersonic.

Oh, this is so cool!

NARRATOR:
But before the guys

bring out the big g*ns
to test the b*ll*ts,

it's off
to the Naval Air Facility

at El Centro, California,

the winter home
of the Blue Angels.

They've kindly allowed Adam

to join one of their
subsonic training sessions,

so that he can qualify
for the supersonic test flights

later on.

Adam is gonna be going up
in a Boeing F/A-18 Hornet.

The "F/A" stands
for "Fighter Attack."

And their twin engines

put out a total
of 32,000 pounds of thrust...

...which propels them at up
to about 1,400 miles per hour...

...or just under
twice the speed of sound.

NARRATOR: But first,
Adam is getting a brief briefing

and a crash course
in combating G-forces.

SWANSON: A negative "G"
is like a roller coaster.

Lightheadedness. The stomach
feels like it's coming up.

[Laughing] Holy crap!

SWANSON: To combat that,
all we're gonna do

is take long, deep breaths,
and that helps with the nausea.

[Gagging]

Positive G's are the ones
that make it feel

like there's an elephant
sitting on your chest.

Hick! Hick!

When he's in the maneuver,

it's gonna force all the blood
from your upper body

down into your toes,
and you want to combat that.

The way that we do that
is the anti-G strain maneuver,

and it's gonna look
something like this.

Hick-ahh!

Hick-ahh!

Hick-ahh!

SWANSON: If you start
seeing yourself go into G-lock,

you'll start to see
this gray tunnel.

And it's gonna look like
it'll start closing in on you,

closing in on you.

Hick!

If you don't fight it,
it'll go from gray to black,

and you'll pass out.

NARRATOR: Undeterred
by that possibility...

Let's go fly.

NARRATOR: Our excited
little jet-fighter rookie...

Right here, these are
the yellow and black handle.

That's the ejection handle.
Hands off at all times.

NARRATOR:
...gets all set and seated,

ready for his training ride.

WALBORN: Let me just call up
Tower here

and see if we can go take off.

Okay.

NARRATOR:
Adam, in Blue Angel Number 7,

is ready for the experience
of a lifetime.

WALBORN:
Here comes middle power.

It's about 20 knots.

There they go.

NARRATOR:
And they call this a job.

- WALBORN: There's 80 knots. 100.
- [Chuckles]

There we go.
It's 240.




Ready to fly?

- I am.
- Ready, hit it.

Oh-h*!

WALBORN:
And we're flying.

[Laughing] Holy crap!

At one point, they were going
along the runway,

and then all of a sudden,
they were going straight up.

WALBORN:
Going up through 2,000 feet.

Wow.

ADAM: We've had 6 years
of doing incredible,

life-changing kind of crazy crap
on this show,

and that takes the cake.

That's the best thing
I've ever done.

WALBORN: Just a way
to see the world upside down

as we cruise on out.

Wow.
Oh, that's intense.

It is absolutely like

every special-effects film
you've ever seen.

It's that cool.

Wow, this is beautiful.

[Laughs]

[Making whooshing sounds]

Okay, so, what's with
the hardware?

We have a new movie myth

that has "Mythbusters"
written all over it.

And since this movie
has come out,

we have been inundated
with requests to do it.

In fact, it is the most
requested myth of the year.

You're talking about
the movie "Wanted," right?

Exactly.

And in that movie,
a secret society of assassins

shares the ability
to curve a b*llet.

Just with a little bit
of a flick of the g*n,

you can curve the b*llet around
an obstacle and hit your target.

[Lmitates b*llet ricocheting]

This should be fun.

Or really dangerous.
[Makes whooshing sound]

Do I get a play g*n, too?

When we're done.
[Makes whooshing sound]

NARRATOR: When your target
is hidden behind a side of pork

and Angelina Jolie,
what's a secret assassin to do?

sh**t the target.

NARRATOR: Well, supposedly,
with a swing of the arm

and a flick of the wrist,

in obligatory
action-movie slow motion,

the b*llet curves around
the obstacle, saving your bacon.

Okay, so, how do you
want to test this?

I say we just go for it.
Pshh!

GRANT: Exactly.

In the movie, James McAvoy
was able to curve a b*llet

after only a few tries
with minimal training,

which makes us
perfectly qualified.

Okay, but let's say
on the off chance

that none of us
are fifth-generation

secret superhuman assassins,
maybe we could break it down,

look at the rifling,
aerodynamics,

and, I don't know, throw in
a robot for good measure.

Okay, you got a point there.

What's wrong? You guys feeling
ballistically challenged?

I say we just let our
cold-blooded assassin instincts

take over!

Okay. How about
you hand me the g*n

and then we'll go
with that plan?

How about you get your own g*n?

- Just give me the g*n.
- Nope.

All right.

NARRATOR: And the location
for our g*n-toting trio

to potentially bend
their b*ll*ts

is deep in the heart of...
wine country?

[Pig squeals]

Napa Valley,
Northern California.

GRANT: So, to start out
testing our curving-b*llet myth,

we're actually
gonna try it ourselves.

But because this involves
swinging a live g*n around...

[Cow moos]

...we need a lot of open space.

KARI: Okay. So, for our first
test, we just need a control...

well, target practice to make
sure we can all hit the target.

Yeah, 'cause there's no point
curving a b*llet

- if we can't hit our target.
- Yeah. Sounds good.

KARI: And it looks like I'm
the first target.

[Growls]

NARRATOR: So our trio
of would-be assassins

select their weapons,
line up, and let loose.

Let her have it, Kari.

[g*nsh*t]

Look at that.
Four in the black!

[g*nshots]

Love that smell.

TORY: It looks like
we're all hitting the target.

You guys ready
to start curving b*ll*ts?

- KARI: Sure!
- Let's do it.

NARRATOR:
And first up is Grant...

[Grunts]

NARRATOR: Who volunteered
to put in a few extra hours

studying
Angelina Jolie's technique.

I think you must have been
practicing in the mirror.

You've got some moves.

It's kind of like
an aerobics workout.

[Heart beating]

[Breathing deeply]

[g*nsh*t]

Ahh! Ha ha!

[g*nshots]

James McAvoy didn't get it
on his first one.

NARRATOR:
But neither Grant lmahara...

Ahh!

...nor Tory Belleci...

[g*nshots]

...got it at all.

GRANT: It's really interesting.
It happens very fast.

The characters in the movie

have this ability
to speed up their heartbeat,

and that makes
everything else slow down.

Apparently,
I don't have that ability.

It just goes, "Pa-poom!"
And then it's gone.

NARRATOR:
Next up is Kari and co.

As I am six months pregnant,

I will be wearing
a bulletproof vest.

Protecting for two, you see.

As I suspected, I don't have
superhuman strength,

abilities,
or sh**ting capabilities.

What are you gonna do?
I'm just a regular girl.

NARRATOR: With none
of our gung-h* gunslingers

coming close to the target,
never mind curving a b*llet,

it's quite clear
that imitating the movie

just isn't going to cut it.

- WALBORN: Ready to go flying?
- I am.

Ready, hit it.

NARRATOR: To find out
if the energy from a sonic boom

can break glass...

[Laughing] Holy crap!

NARRATOR: Adam and Jamie have
recruited the Blue Angels...

WALBORN: Take a deep breath.
Ready, hit it.

NARRATOR: The U.S. Navy's
flight demonstration squadron,

specifically
pilot Lieutenant Ben Walborn...

WALBORN: Going on up to 5 G's.
We got 5 G's. 51/2.

NARRATOR: Is taking Adam
for a training flight

in preparation
for supersonic testing.

ADAM: Wow, I saw a little
of the gray tunnel there.

WALBORN: Yeah.

Depending on
what the jet's doing,

Adam is either
gonna be weightless

or he's gonna be experiencing
about 71/2 G's...

Hick!

...which means that he'll feel
like he weighs 1,400 pounds.

Hick!

Kind of like having
an elephant on his chest.

Now, if he follows
his anti-blackout techniques

that he was taught about
in our safety briefing,

he shouldn't pass out.

Hick!

WALBORN: Come on.
Stick with me, Adam. You got it.

You got it. Come on.

Stay with us.
Stay with us.

We got it.
Come back.

- You with me?
- I'm with you.

I passed out there
for just a second.

But given his past history,
I think he's gonna spew.

ADAM: I'm starting to feel
a little nauseous.

I think I may throw up.

- WALBORN: You got the bags?
- I do. Hold on.

[Coughs]

NARRATOR: Incredibly,

despite blowing chunks
on several occasions,

the experience
still blew Adam's mind.

ADAM:
There were two

kind of mind-blowing things
about that experience.

One is that while I am using

every ounce of strength
and energy I have

just to keep from passing out,

Lieutenant Walborn
is going through

everything
that I'm going through,

except that he's piloting
a $50 million plane,

going through these motions,
and talking to me all the time.

The second one is that,
even though I passed out,

even though I threw up,
even though my dignity,

or lack thereof,
is on display for television,

it didn't detract
from the experience at all.

Two.

We have fired a whole crapload
of rockets on the show,

but we've never ridden in one.

[Chuckles]

WALBORN:
Ready, hit it.

Oh-h*!

WALBORN:
And we're flying.

[Laughing] Holy crap.

That thing is fast.

It is pretty fast.
We did that vertical takeoff.

We were going about 30,000 feet
per minute climb rate up there.

Did you break
the speed of sound?

- No, I did not.
- But you can, right?

You guys break the sound barrier
all the time.

Yes, but never at an air show.

The F.A.A. Prohibits flying
supersonic over populated areas.

In order to fly supersonic,
we'll go out

to restricted zones, or at least


JAMIE: Are you ready to barf
at the speed of sound?

All right.
Where do we stand?

Well, you blew chunks.
You passed out a bunch of times.

You're cleared to fly.

[Laughs]
So I get to fly supersonic now?

Well, hold on a second,
there, cowboy.

Remember, we were gonna start

with sonic booms
from g*ns first.

Oh, right!

I've got a tableful
of glassware.

I've got a .50-caliber r*fle.

We're good to go.

That sounds like a perfect day.
Let's do it.

NARRATOR:
So, while Adam gets busy

with the corridor
of glassware...

[Chuckles]

NARRATOR: Hyneman
is handling the hardware.

JAMIE: If you're not aware,
the .50-caliber is the big g*n.

There's not really anything
that a civilian can get ahold of

that's any bigger
or more powerful than this.

It kind of puts
a smile on your face

if you're a g*n enthusiast.

NARRATOR: And the peaceful
pastoral location

that's about to be interrupted
by the sound of violence

is a familiar scene
to the Mythbusters team.

ADAM: This bucolic setting is,
in fact, the Chabot g*n Range

and we've shot many
b*llet-related myths here,

including "sn*per Scope"

and a couple of
"What is Bulletproof?" episodes.

Today we want to find out if one
of these can break one of these.

But not by hitting it,
merely by passing by.

Yes, today is all about
the sonic boom.

JAMIE:
Let's talk sonic booms.

The first thing you need to know

is that sound travels at


Now, this b*llet goes supersonic
when it's fired,

and it goes
about 1,984 miles per hour.

And what is happening is that
there's a shock wave created

by kind of a conical
wall of sound

trailing behind the b*llet
as it's going through the air,

and when that wall of sound
actually crosses a person,

the person experiences that
as a sonic boom.

You can think of this kind of
like a boat on the water,

and the boat
is leaving a wake behind it,

and you're like a dinghy
kind of floating nearby,

and when the wake passes across
you, you start to react to it.

[Vomits]

Now, what we're doing here
is seeing what glass will do

when that pressure wave
goes through the glass.

Will it break it?
We're gonna find out.

NARRATOR:
It's a filmic fable

that has the Mythbuster
message boards in a spin.

Can you really bend it
like Brangelina?

Well, so far, despite
the team's best efforts...

...there's been no sign
of a b*llet-bending shot.

TORY: That's looking
pretty straight to me.

It doesn't look like
it's curving at all.

Swing and a miss.

NARRATOR: Fact is,
most of their shots

went nowhere near the target.

A little early on the draw.

NARRATOR:
So to test this properly,

they need to match the movie
characters' superhuman speed,

strength, and accuracy.

So, needless to say,
we failed miserably

at trying
to curve the b*llet ourselves.

But you know what?
We're only human.

And the characters in "Wanted"
have superhuman abilities.

So that's why
we're resurrecting this.

It's a sword-swinging robot...

Oh!

GRANT: Became
a bat-swinging robot...

That's the hit!

GRANT: And became
a hat-swinging robot...

...and it's about to become
a b*llet-curving robot.

It can swing its arm
at superhuman speeds,

and what's more,
it can fire the g*n

at precisely the moment
we want it to.

Take off some of the rust,
change it around,

and we're good to go.

KARI:
Going down.

We need a completely
controlled environment

to test our crazy gunslinging
rig, so we've come down

to the South San Francisco
Police Department.

They have a firing range,
and they're gonna let us use it.

NARRATOR: And while Grant
gets ready for action,

Tory and Kari prepare to get
the results down on paper.

We need to find out whether or
not these b*ll*ts are curving,

but in order to do that,
we need to be able

to track the path
of our b*ll*ts.

So, we've set up
five frames of paper

down the g*n range,


That way, when the g*n goes off,
the b*llet will punch a hole

in each one
of those sheets of paper.

Science is a party.
Unh! Unh! Unh!

Now, if the b*ll*ts
are flying straight,

those holes should all line up,

and we should be able
to see that

by pointing a laser pointer
down the hole.

Hey, it works!

Now, if those holes
are not lining up,

then we're curving b*ll*ts.

GRANT: So, the first test up
is at regular human speed.

I know we've already
done this test ourselves,

which qualifies as human speed.

But the robot is capable
of perfect execution,

and that's what we need to do
is take out any differences

in our timing or our aim
and do it perfectly.

Normally here on "Mythbusters,"
we're pretty safety-conscious,

but on this experiment
in particular,

because we've got a g*n going
a full 360 degrees around,

we have an extra set
of precautions.

GRANT:
Exhaust valves...

- open, open, open.
- Check.

And because Tory and I are gonna
be in the danger zone here,

we're wearing full
bulletproof riot gear.

Turn elbow to home.
Pin is in.

Trigger cylinder is out.

Are we ready to load the g*n?

- Almost.
- Check.



Damn!

Secondly, I've got
a 25-point checklist

to make sure that we can load
and discharge the weapon safely.

- Okay.
- Your fly's down.

Check.

That ought to cover it.

Here we go.
We are loading the g*n.

All right,
we are loaded and hot.

Okay, pull the elbow pin.

- TORY: Pin pulled.
- Pressurizing the shoulder.

This reminds me of Nam.

- Ready?
- Ready!

Safety pin pulled.
Let's go.

GRANT:
Get out of here!

KARI: Okay, this is
going to be human speed.

GRANT:
Here we go.

- 3, 2, 1.
- [Click]

[g*nsh*t]

KARI:
I can see two and three.

NARRATOR: Remember,
if the b*llet did curve...

We got all five frames.
That was a good test.

NARRATOR: The holes
in the five sheets of paper,

the physical evidence
of the b*llet's trajectory,

- won't line up.
- KARI: Okay, here's the laser.

KARI: And... lined with the hole.
Can you see it all the way?

TORY: [Lisping]
Science is so unforgiving.

- GRANT: [Chuckles]
- The b*llet didn't curve.

We can see the laser
down at this end.

[g*nsh*t]

KARI: Now, for us,
this confirms that human speed

is not going to curve a b*llet.

We did it ourselves.
We tried it with the robot.

Now it's time to ramp it up

and see if superhuman strength
is gonna curve it.

NARRATOR: Can a sonic boom
from a b*llet break glass?

Adam and Jamie
are about to find out.

[British accent] Right, little
b*llet, here is your motivation,

here's how it's gonna work.

We're gonna put you
down the barrel of this

and then Jamie...
I know how you like Jamie...

is gonna pull the trigger.

[Normal voice]
Sonic boom from 71/2 inches!

[British accent]
At that point, I would really

appreciate it
if you used all your gases

expanding in that direction

to start traveling down this way
towards the glass.

Right,
about 1,984 miles per hour.

In 3...

I'd like you then to travel down
the middle part of the glass,

past the glass,
past the glassware,

the light bulbs,
the wine bottle.

...2...

And then if you feel like it,

if the physics are right
and you're in the mood

and you'd like to break
some glass with your sonic boom,

you go right ahead.

...1.

[g*nsh*t]

[Normal voice]
That is a hell of a thud.

NARRATOR: A thud Adam and Jamie
could feel through the air...

...but a thud for which
the glassware didn't care.

ADAM:
It all looks pristine.

JAMIE:
It does.

ADAM:
Dude, you can see the b*llet.

That's awesome.

The shock wave
would be following behind it.

If we were gonna see
anything,

it would probably
be starting to happen now.

JAMIE:
I don't see any movement.

I can't believe from the thud
I feel from firing the weapon

that I don't see a single...
anything.

I think we got to push way in.

- JAMIE: I do, too.
- Let's say 4 inches apart?



- JAMIE: Sounds good.
- All right.

Based on the fact that we didn't
see any reaction before,

I don't think it's gonna break.


In 3, 2, 1.

[g*nsh*t]

NARRATOR:
As the high speed illustrates,

there wasn't even
the slightest tremor.

I-I-I don't see anything.

I got to say if a b*llet passed
that close to me,

I'd be scared to death,

and those glasses...
it's like nothing is happening.

NARRATOR:
Which is enough evidence

to convince our hirsute Hoosier.

At this point, I don't think the
b*llet is gonna break the glass.

NARRATOR:
And with the glass lined up

just half an inch
from the center line,

contact with the banana-sized
.50-caliber b*llet

is a distinct possibility.

JAMIE: 3...





[g*nsh*t]

I don't think
that was a shock wave.

Me neither.

NARRATOR: Me too.

That looked to be
a direct hit on the rig.

ADAM:
See that right there?

That's not a sonic boom.
That's a b*llet hit.

That's where the b*llet
contacted the frame,

started shattering glass,
and the glass itself,

traveling with the b*llet
all the way down the corridor,

tearing crap up as it went.

JAMIE: Yeah, the rest of this
is from the shrapnel,

- probably, huh?
- ADAM: Yeah.

- Where do we stand?
- All right, well,

at no distance where the b*llet
passed by the glass

did we get any movement
from the glass.

Check.

At this point,
we don't have any evidence

that a sonic boom, at least one
coming off a b*llet,

has any significant effect
on any thickness of glass.

Check.

King to pawn four.

[Scoffs]

Check.

NARRATOR:
So, this part of the myth,

a sonic boom
from a b*llet breaking glass,

is, like Adam's glass corridor,
well and truly busted.

Adam and Jamie now know

that the sonic shock wave
from a passing b*llet,

if they even create one,
doesn't break glass.

So, really,
their best bet is the jet.

And back at
the Naval Air Facility,

Adam is all set to break
the sound barrier for science.

Strap in.

It's time to go supersonic.

NARRATOR: Meanwhile, 55 miles
away in Yuma, Arizona...

[Chuckles]

Oh, there's a hissing sound.

[Chuckles] Uh-oh.

NARRATOR:
...Jamie is preparing

a glass menagerie
for Adam's supersonic flybys.

JAMIE: If you happen to have
a supersonic jet,

you can't just go flying around
anywhere you want

creating sonic boom.

You got to come
to a place like this...

the Marine Corps Air Station
in Yuma,

which is one of the few places
you can legally do that.

That's why we're here.

Mythbusters/Blue Angels
test site.

Plenty of space...

[Bird screeches]

...some nice shrubbery.

Probably quite a few rattlers,
but we can build a house here.

That ought to do it.

And there's a glass window
in it.

NARRATOR:
Yeah, it's all real glass.

And what we need now is
a rundown of the test protocol.

Okay, buddy, here's the deal.
Pay attention.

We're here to see

if we can break some glass
with a sonic boom,

so Adam is up in the sky
in an F/A-18 Hornet.

He's coming in
at supersonic speeds.

He's gonna get lower and lower
with each pass.

NARRATOR:
With Adam just moments away,

the final piece
of the prep puzzle

can be put into place
for the first test run.

JAMIE:
We need to make sure

we get a direct flyover
from the jets.

So, how do you do that?

Well, they're gonna put out
some smoke

so that we can see
where they're at.

WALBORN: We'll go ahead
and put our smoke on.

Smoke on.

Ah, there they are.

And then we're gonna signal them
with a mirror

so they know
right where to fly the jet.


Ready for 8,000-foot pass.

ADAM: We just got word
from Jamie's team

that they are ready
and waiting for us,

and we are just about
to bypass them

at faster than the speed
of sound at 8,000 feet.

Here we go.

NARRATOR: That's the cue
for Lieutenant Walborn

to do the jet-fighter equivalent
of putting his foot down.

WALBORN:
There goes the afterburners.

Mach .85.

Mach .9.

Mach 1.

Mach 1.03.

NARRATOR: And because Mach 1
is the speed of sound,

Adam Savage is now supersonic.

ADAM:
Wow, this feels cool.

Mach 1.06.

[Jet engine roars]

NARRATOR: So as they pass
directly overhead,

they've got the speed they need.

But with the test site
a speck in the distance,

the impact on the ground
is distinctly underwhelming.

- Was that supersonic?
- WOMAN: Yeah.

That was no boom.
That was nothing.

And we're slowing down.

Back down to Mach .98.

Oh, this is so cool.

I've heard them louder than that
going over my house.

NARRATOR: Kari, Grant, and Tory
have discovered

that if you simply mimic
the movie "Wanted"...

...you won't bend b*ll*ts.

They've even built a deadly
accurate gunslinging robot,

given it the exact same
sidearm action as the myth...

...and still failed to get
anything but a straight sh**ter.

The b*llet didn't curve.

NARRATOR: So, next up,
they're raising the bar

and ramping up the robot.

GRANT: So, the great thing
about this test

is that the characters are
superhuman, not supernatural.

They're not vampires.
They don't use magic.

They don't have telekinetic
powers to curve the b*llet.

All it is is superhuman speed
and strength,

and that we can do in abundance.

We've calibrated the rig
to twice

what a normal human can do.

TORY: Loading the g*n
with a live round.

GRANT: Twice as fast.
We'll see how that goes.

Ready!

KARI: All right,
live round at superhuman speed.

- GRANT: You ready?
- Let's get it on.

Here we go, you guys.

In 3, 2, 1!

[g*nsh*t]

Ha ha!
Center shot.

NARRATOR: And the paper trail
once again neatly illustrates

the path of the projectile.

It's made it through
the second frame.

Yeah.

- Third.
- Yes!

Fourth.

And the fifth frame.
This is a good test.

Let's check the alignment.

KARI: Okay.

Do you see the laser?

Oh.
I see the laser.

NARRATOR: Despite flicking
the robotic arm around

at superhuman speeds,

when the b*llet
leaves the barrel,

it leaves in a straight line.

And that leaves this part
of the story done and busted.

GRANT:
I know what you're thinking.

You're sitting at home thinking,

"The Mythbusters
gave up too soon!

It was only one shot!"

But look, here's the reality.

This robot is capable
of swinging its arm

harder and faster
than a major league hitter.

Maybe if I saw 3/4 of an inch,


maybe even a 1/4 of an inch,
it would be worth continuing on.

But you know what?

We're not seeing
any deviation at all.

It's time to move on.

Mach 1.06.

NARRATOR:
So far, Supersonic Savage

has completed one


JAMIE:
Well, that was 8,000 feet,

and it was 1.06 mach.

That was nothing.

NARRATOR:
But they're not done yet.

This time, they're ramping it up
by bringing it down.

ADAM:
We are banking into position.

We're getting
to 2,000 feet elevation

in order to do
another supersonic pass.

JAMIE:
Sonic boom from 2,000 feet.

Well, that's a lot closer
than 8,000, so...

it might do it.

ADAM:
All right, we are accelerating.

Mach 1.

Mach 1.03.

We are headed straight for them.



NARRATOR:
It seems so peaceful...

Adam flying overhead
at the speed of sound,

- and then...
- [Boom]

Wow.

That was something.

I call that a bull's-eye.

[Laughing]

NARRATOR:
It's a classic sonic boom

and a classic illustration
of the difference

between the speed of light
and the speed of sound.

You see the supersonic jet
fly by in silence.

Then the sound,
moving at 761 miles per hour...

[Boom]

...catches up.

But the big question is,
did it do any actual damage?

Nothing.

It's all intact.

NARRATOR: So it's a question of,
"How low can you legally go?"

Like some kind of
supersonic limbo dance,

the guys bring it down
one more notch.

We're commencing
the 500-foot run.

We're accelerating now.

We got to see some broken glass!

Okay, he just came over
the horizon.



ADAM:
Mach 1.03.

Oh, we are headed
straight for them.

This doesn't feel like 500 feet.
It feels like 50 feet.

Mach 1.05.

Oh, I can totally see them
right there.

This one is for the money.

Oh, no!

[Chuckles]

[Boom]

Wow!

[Chuckles]

NARRATOR:
That was loud.

[Boom]

Really loud.

[Boom]

But despite the powerful
ground-level experience...

[Boom]

[Boom]

...the myth that a sonic boom
equals shattered glass

is looking busted.

Not one single item of glassware
was even splintered.

No broken glass.

Not looking good at this point.

NARRATOR:
Not at this geographical point.

But a few hundred feet away
at base camp,

the team make
an interesting discovery.

- Hey, Pete.
- CARNICELLI: Hi, Jamie.

What do you got?

Well, what happened was,
on the 500-foot pass,

the sonic boom
ripped through this trailer,

opened up all the cabinets,
and came out

right here on the skylight
and blew it completely off.

Yep, just like a pop top
on a soda can. [Chuckles]

NARRATOR:
Kari, Grant, and Tory

have ramped up their robot
to superhuman speeds,

but the sidearm action used
to bend b*ll*ts in the movie

just doesn't work in real life.

Nothing!
This is more fake film physics.

Whoa, whoa, we can't go
busting this myth yet.

They did have a cool collection
of customized g*ns.

And special engraved b*ll*ts.

Okay, I see where
you're going with this.

Maybe it's not just
the sidearm flick

that gives us
the curving b*llet.

Exactly. Maybe it's a function
of altering the b*ll*ts

and g*ns themselves that's
giving the b*ll*ts that curve.

It seems logical...
you change the surface

of the b*llet or its balance,

that could affect
the trajectory.

- But what about the g*n?
- The thing that makes the b*llet

go straight is the rifling
in the barrel.

Yeah, the helical grooves

cause the b*llet to go into
a self-stabilizing spiral.

So, I guess the next step...
take the rifling out of the g*n,

alter the b*ll*ts,
and see if we get a curve.

NARRATOR: So, in their final bid
to bend the b*llet,

Kari takes on the task

of smoothing out
the g*n barrel's rifling.

That should do it.
We have a smooth barrel.

NARRATOR: Meanwhile,
Tory has been attempting

to upset the b*llet's
finely balanced aerodynamics.

The three sets of b*ll*ts
are done.

The first set I've changed just
the aerodynamics of the b*llet,

and the way I've done that
is I've taken a hacksaw

and cut grooves
along one side of the b*llet.

The other set, what I've done
is I've changed the weight,

and the way I've done this is
I've drilled out

half of the b*llet,
and then I filled it

with car-body filler,
so that way it's unbalanced.

Finally, the third set of
b*ll*ts, I've incorporated both

where I've drilled out
half the b*llet.

This way,
it is no longer balanced,

and it's no longer aerodynamic.

NARRATOR:
And with the a*mo altered

and their g*n barrel smooth...

I'm gonna make some arrests.

NARRATOR: It's back
to the South San Francisco

- Police Department.
- Calling all car...

- Can I get my bike back?
- Sorry.

[Siren wails]

NARRATOR: Inside the firing
range, in order to capture

the all-important
high-speed camera shots,

the team is reverting to
a stationary sh**ting position.

And first up,
the team fires off a few shots

with a regular g*n
and the altered b*ll*ts.

But on each occasion,
there was no bend

to the b*llet's flight path.

GRANT:
But I think when we switch

to the barrel
that has no rifling,

all bets are gonna be off,
and that b*llet is gonna do

whatever it wants to.

NARRATOR:
And from the very first test

with a grooved b*llet...

Okay, grooved b*llet,
derifled g*n.

[g*nsh*t]

NARRATOR: It's clear
how important rifling is.

Whoa!

Look at how wild that b*llet
went without the rifling.

NARRATOR: Yep, one look
at the first pane of paper,

and you can see the b*llet
must have gone through sideways.

- That was incredible.
- What the heck happened?

NARRATOR: But despite
the head-over-heels flight,

it still traced a straight line
through the air.

Look at that.

It's a straight path.

NARRATOR: And no matter
how the b*llet is altered...

grooved...

unbalanced...

and a combination of both...

the result is the same
every time.

- TORY: Whoa!
- KARI: Whoa!

TORY: Look at how unstable
the b*ll*ts are

now that there's no rifling.

Yeah, it's, like,
going, "Pshew!"

TORY:
But still, it's not curving.

- GRANT: No.
- NARRATOR: It's clear

that the massive forward
momentum of a speeding b*llet...

No.

Straight path.

NARRATOR:
...simply overrides

any minor adjustments
to its aerodynamics or balance.

So, it's looking like
no matter what we do,

physics are working
against us.

We cannot curve a b*llet.

It doesn't matter
if the barrel's rifled or not.

Doesn't matter if the b*ll*ts
are altered or not.

So, this one's busted.

- Busted.
- Busted.

[Boom]

JAMIE: Wow!

[Chuckles]

ADAM: So, our 500-foot pass
did not break any glass.

Nothing.

ADAM:
What's gonna happen now is,

I'm gonna get in a chase plane

and follow Ben as he begins
to do lower and lower passes

over our test site,

also increasing
his angle of attack

to focus the sonic boom right
on ground zero, on our house.

I swear,
we are incredibly close.

NARRATOR:
So, without a single sign

of the mythical
glass-shattering result,

the team is ramping it up
with some fancy flying.

This time we're coming in
nose down at about 5 degrees.

We think this might focus
the boom a little bit more

and give us what we want.

There they are.

[Boom]

Man, that's a rush.

NARRATOR: Before Jamie can
get in and check the results,

Ben blasts by...

[Boom]

...twice more
in quick succession.

[Boom]

And this time,
damage is definitely done.

JAMIE:
No window.

I can see it from here.

NARRATOR: A broken window,
but not exactly as per the myth.

Oh, no.

It blew the window out of its
hole, but it didn't break it.

NARRATOR: The three rapid-fire,
low-altitude, supersonic flybys

have clearly had an effect.

Ah, the plot thickens.

That broke the door.

NARRATOR:
But the jury is still out

on whether it will specifically
break glass.

It didn't break
any of the glass.

It knocked it down, though.

NARRATOR: And that
has got Jamie thinking.

JAMIE: A sonic boom
is just a pressure wave.

We've created a lot of
pressure waves on Mythbusters.

We've put out fires with them.
We've broken wine glasses.

But on the other hand,
we've tried to make people poop

and we've tried
to blow up cars with them.

Those didn't work too well.

Sometimes they just don't behave
the way you expect...

from reflections,
from harmonics,

from all sorts of subtle details

that you only figure out
after a lot of experimentation.

NARRATOR:
And that further experimentation

is a set
of five 200-foot passes,

which is as low
as we can legally go,

lower than anything seen
outside the training zone.

These things
are coming in so low,

we're not gonna see them
until they're on top of us.

WALBORN:
Blowers ready now.

[Engine roars]

[Boom]

JAMIE: Wow.

That's intense.

WALBORN:
Coming in tight.

[Boom]

- Ready, hit it.
- [Boom]

[Speaks indistinctly]

[Boom]

MAN:
T-minus 330.

[Boom]

Unh!

That kind of wakes you up
in the morning.

[Laughing]

JAMIE: Well, that right there
were five sonic booms

hitting that house and the car
and the glassware, at 200 feet.

I got to go check it out.

What the heck?

Nothing!

NARRATOR: Like the glassware,
the car escaped unscathed.

JAMIE:
Well, it didn't break it,

but it knocked off
the rearview mirror.

NARRATOR:
Well, almost.

But over at the house,
it's a whole different story.

[Boom]

[Boom]

That's what I'm talking about.

That is one broken window.

It not only broke it

but it just, like, shattered
every little bit to smithereens.

So, it can happen.

[Chuckles]

- Oh, no!
- [Boom]

NARRATOR: So, it is possible to
break glass with a sonic boom...

...but not any old glass
from any old sonic boom.

The glassware is intact,

and it was the warping
of the window frame

that led to the only breakage.

And let's face it...

that only happened
after the low-altitude passes

that just don't happen anywhere

but in these restricted
training zones.

JAMIE: So, Tyson,
I've been meaning to ask you.

We're out here in the dessert.

You look like you just came from
the laundry with that thing.

What do you do
if you spill your lunch on it?

DUNKELBERGER: I don't.

JAMIE: Oh. Okay.

Well, I'm looking at a broken
piece of glass here, man.

Does that mean
the fans are vindicated?

That's the only thing
that the sonic boom broke.

What about all the other glass
that didn't break?

There were car windows.

There was a table
full of this kind of stuff.

None of it broke.

Well, I mean,
the myth clearly states

that any sonic boom
will break any glass,

and, apparently,
that didn't happen.

And we had to fly the jet in
at ridiculously low levels

to make this break.

Well, then, I think
the answer is pretty clear.

- It's busted.
- Totally busted.