1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:08,880 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you get in touch with technology with 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: tech Stuff from how stuff works dot com. Hello again, everyone, 4 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to tech Stuff. My name is Chris Poulette and 5 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 1: I am an editor at how stuff works dot com. 6 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: Sitting across from me, as always his senior writer Jonathan Strickland, 7 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: it was like, so, but wasn't. This is the second 8 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: podcast we've recorded today, and the second really short quote. 9 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: This is what happens when I run out of time 10 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: and I need to find a quote very quickly. I think, no, 11 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: that one's too long. I can't read it to make 12 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 1: sure there's nothing objectionable in it. All, right, then well, 13 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: speaking of objectionable and thinking of things that were like so, 14 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: but weren't okay, then we were um We were going 15 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: to talk today about an interesting thing that I saw 16 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: the other day, which is um Well. In a way, 17 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: it's sort of a drug own because it starts with 18 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 1: a the r Q for Global Hawk, a drone aircraft 19 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 1: that is um Well. It's status is sort of in 20 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: question right now, as at the time we're recording this, 21 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: there negotiating the budget for UH the United you know, 22 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: the defense budget for the United States of America. UM, 23 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 1: and UH, that's one of the items that was considered 24 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: to be struck. Now, of course, UM, over the past 25 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: few years, unmanned aerial vehicles have been UH coming up 26 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 1: a lot in the news. They've been instrumental in several 27 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: of the military engagements around the world with the United States, 28 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: I mean, US has has employed unman aerial vehicles in 29 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: lots of cases. The proposal was that there would be 30 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: three d forty two million dollars budgeted UM to UH 31 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: to work on the Global Hawk and UM. As it 32 00:01:56,200 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: turns out, it's been proposed that they dropped the item 33 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: entirely in favor of a much more uh much more 34 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: or less cutting edge technology in a way. And the 35 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: reason one of the reasons to talking about cutting this 36 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: whole Global Hawk thing is because, uh, it's expensive. Yeah, 37 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: the estimated cost of a single Global Hawk is a 38 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,799 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy six million dollars. That's expensive. So they 39 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 1: had they had enough. They had just they didn't even 40 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: quite have enough money in the budget for two of them. 41 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: So you could get one and seven eighths of a 42 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: Global Hawk for the budget they had proposed, So the 43 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: the alternative right now for a and the purpose of 44 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: the Global Hawk, we should say, is it's reconnaissance aircraft. Yes, 45 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 1: it doesn't attack people, it is it is their for 46 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: surveillance purposes, specifically spying. Yes. So, you know, there are 47 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: a lot of unmanned aerial vehicles that have been developed 48 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: over the last several years. Many of them are designed 49 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: to get a real time uh feel of what's going 50 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: on in certain environments. And they they're designed to do 51 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: things like fly through areas that could be combat zones, 52 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: but they're not necessarily designed to spy, to be able 53 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: to fly through undetected. It's more about getting as quick 54 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: and accurate a picture of the situation as it exists 55 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: right now, rather than let's go find out what those 56 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: pesky so and so's over there are doing. So are 57 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: pesky so and so technology tends to be much more sneaky, 58 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: and it's designed to be very fast. Usually it's designed 59 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: to fly very very high, so that can try to 60 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: avoid things like radar as well as missiles, you know, 61 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: attempts to take it down, uh. And it's designed to 62 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: try and gather as much information as quickly as possible. Uh. 63 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: And since the nineteen fifties, that technology has been one 64 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: particular type of aircraft in the United States. Even though 65 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: we've tried to replace it on multiple occasions, we're still 66 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: using it today and the it's what we will be 67 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: using instead of the Global Hawk, the Lockheed U two. Yes, 68 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:17,799 Speaker 1: I believe it or not. Um they're saying that the 69 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: the U two is actually a better piece of technology 70 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: and in some ways than the the newer unmanned aerial vehicle. 71 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: And like I said, the replacement for the U two 72 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: has has was built and was retired already, which was 73 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: the SR seventy one Blackbird that we'll get into that. 74 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: It's a gorgeous design, right. So they have the Blackbird, 75 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:44,159 Speaker 1: which was designed to be the replacement for the U two. 76 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: It actually lived out its useful life in the U 77 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:51,600 Speaker 1: S Air Force and then was retired because well, it's 78 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 1: really expensive to maintain as well. In fact, well, and 79 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: I'll talk about why it was expensive to maintain, because 80 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: that's kind of an interesting story. But to to understand 81 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,600 Speaker 1: the U two, we have to go back quite a bit. 82 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: And we're not going to use the way back machine 83 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 1: because I found out that stuff. You should know used 84 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: it about a week and a half ago, and apparently 85 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: they left it somewhere like they actually hoofed it back 86 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: from seven And I have no idea what they were 87 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 1: doing back then. But yeah, so I have no idea. 88 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:21,720 Speaker 1: We have to track it down, so we're just have 89 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 1: to talk about today, all right then, But um so, 90 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: then you would probably go back in time if we 91 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 1: were using the machine to uh about Well, August nine 92 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: is the first day it ever flew, Yes, August one, 93 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty five, it's the first flight of the YouTube. Now, 94 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: the whole purpose for developing the YouTube stems out of 95 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: the Cold War between the United States and the then 96 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: ussry Soviet Union. Um So, the whole reason for it 97 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,160 Speaker 1: was that we needed to have we being the United States, 98 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: because from the US the Unit and States needed to 99 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: have some sort of vehicle to get an idea of 100 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: what was going on in a potential uh UM wartime enemy. 101 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: And the Cold War was was called the Cold War 102 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: because it wasn't like there were actual physical outbreaks of 103 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: violence between the two countries, but there was a true 104 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 1: rivalry of global proportions going on between the two and 105 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: so we there were needs each each country felt the 106 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 1: need to find out as much about what was going 107 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: on in the other country as possible, and so they 108 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: were developing their own ways of spying on each other. 109 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: Of course, this also figured into the space race. Um. 110 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: We've talked about the thing what beeped Sputnick sput Nick 111 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: that they sent up from the Soviet Union. Um shortly 112 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 1: after that period, but it was around the same time 113 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: they were looking for ways to spy on each other. 114 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: Of course, satellite technology entered into it, but the YouTube 115 00:06:55,960 --> 00:07:01,160 Speaker 1: predates because I mean it was already flying by that point. Yeah. 116 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,480 Speaker 1: So this is during the Eisenhower administration in the United 117 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: States history and uh, and so there were several the government, 118 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: the United States government actually invited several different companies to 119 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: submit proposals for a spy plane. That's pretty typical, right, 120 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 1: And the company that one out was Lockeed And there 121 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 1: was a fellow by the name of Clarence Kelly Johnson 122 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: who was put in charge of the development of this 123 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 1: spy plane. Johnson also was instrumental in creating the facility 124 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: that was the testing grounds for this particular airplane, and 125 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 1: that facility has gone on to gain incredible notoriety. Yes, 126 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: partially because it was very innovative, and partially because it 127 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: just has a very cool name, and it was very, 128 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: very very secret about everything. And that cool name, at 129 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 1: least that's the popular name for it, is Area fifty one. 130 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: So if you always wondered what Area fifty one was about, 131 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: and you've heard about things like UFOs and aliens, what 132 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: it really was about was a testing ground for secret aircraft, 133 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: and the YouTube was very much a secret aircraft. The 134 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: United States did not really talk about what the You 135 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: two was for until they were forced to, and we'll 136 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: get into that story too, because that's pretty dramatic. But 137 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: but before we get into that, let's talk more about 138 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: what the You two actually was and uh oh, and 139 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: in case you're just wondering, Area fifty one, also popularly 140 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 1: known as Groom Lake because it's a dry lake bed, 141 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: was where it was built up on. And uh I 142 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: think in the future we're going to have to do 143 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 1: a podcast all about Area fifty one because it was 144 00:08:41,800 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: such a cool place. It's not really not really a 145 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: thing anymore, but it was definitely a neat idea and 146 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: some really cool technology was developed there. Anyway, getting back 147 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: to the YouTube, it's got a now and this this 148 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 1: sucker can fly at at altitudes of more than seventy 149 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: thousand feet. Yes. Um, that's pretty high up. Least that's 150 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:10,680 Speaker 1: when you think about commercial jet liners or tend to 151 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: be between thirty and thirty five thousand feet sometimes a 152 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: little higher. Uh, you know, it's more than twice as 153 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: high up. And uh it was built. It was built 154 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: with a really really long wings almost like a glider, 155 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: and a very light air frame. Yeah. Well, I'm sorry, 156 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,199 Speaker 1: go ahead. The wingspan of the U two is about 157 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: a hundred and five feet or you know, thirty two 158 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: meters or so. The length is sixty three ft or 159 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:40,959 Speaker 1: about nineteen point two meters, and height, uh sixteen feet 160 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:45,319 Speaker 1: about four point eight meters. It only weighs sixteen thousand pounds, 161 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: which when you think about it, is pretty light. That's 162 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:52,199 Speaker 1: pretty remarkable. Yeah. It's got one General Electric FE een 163 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: Dash one oh one engine. Yeah, although there were other 164 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 1: engines used in the U tube during its entire history. Uh. 165 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:04,040 Speaker 1: There Uh, there's a J fifty seven turbojet engine, the 166 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 1: J seventy five turbojet engine, and then the General Electric 167 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 1: F one eight team turbo fan engine. Uh. They have 168 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 1: all been used in you two's throughout its history of 169 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 1: its service in the United States. Also, before we get 170 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: too much further into the technical details, one of their 171 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 1: interesting elements. Originally this was pitched to the Air Force. 172 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: The Air Force decided it did not The Air Force 173 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: decided not to fund it. The funding came from the CIA, 174 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:37,440 Speaker 1: so the Central Intelligence Agency is actually responsible for the 175 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 1: development of the you tube and UH. In fact, the 176 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: pilots of those early you two's were all CIA pilots 177 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: because the idea was that if you had a a 178 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 1: plane go down and the pilot of that plane was 179 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 1: a member of the United States military, it could look 180 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:02,959 Speaker 1: like a military action against another country. Because you were 181 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:05,719 Speaker 1: a pilot for the CIA, you had to be a civilian, 182 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: so you actually would go through and and quit a 183 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 1: branch of the military service. He would no longer be 184 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: a part of the Air Force. You would become a 185 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: civilian and be employed by the CIA, and that would 186 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 1: give you the deniability that it was a military action 187 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 1: against another country. Well, of course, um also sneaky. If 188 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:31,559 Speaker 1: you're wondering how much these aircraft cost, they won't tell 189 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 1: you that information is classified. There's actually a lot of 190 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 1: information classified about the YouTube, like we can't tell you 191 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: specifically all the different sensors that are on board a YouTube. 192 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 1: We can tell you that it does have a camera, 193 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: actually has multiple cameras in order to get a visual 194 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 1: representation of what's what it's flying over. It also has 195 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 1: sensors that can detect the quality of the air and 196 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: and perhaps even sniff out things like, uh, chemicals that 197 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:01,960 Speaker 1: would be indicative of a nuclear facility in the area. Um, 198 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: it's got Supposedly it has sensors that can allow it 199 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:09,319 Speaker 1: to even eaves drop on cell phone conversations. Interesting, and 200 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: there's also a data link that allows it to upload 201 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:16,319 Speaker 1: information in real time to a remote location. Yes, it's 202 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: got a it has infrared cameras and an optical bar camera. UM. 203 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:26,400 Speaker 1: And uh it does have you know, advanced radar capabilities 204 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: as well. UM. So it's it's certainly able to pay 205 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,960 Speaker 1: a lot of attention to what's going on in the 206 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 1: world around it. Um, even from the altitudes that they 207 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:40,080 Speaker 1: can reach. Does have a crew of one, we know 208 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:42,680 Speaker 1: that much. Yeah, it's it's designed to be a one 209 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:45,680 Speaker 1: person aircraft. I have heard that there are a few 210 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 1: examples of two man youtubs, but they are specifically built 211 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:52,679 Speaker 1: for training purposes. They are not they're not actually used 212 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: in service. Uh. It does. It can reach a speed 213 00:12:56,400 --> 00:13:00,040 Speaker 1: of about four miles per hour. It's not you know, 214 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 1: we're not talking about breaking the speed of sound um, 215 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: which is unlike the SR seventy one. Yes, which that 216 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,559 Speaker 1: was one of the reasons why the SR seventy one 217 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 1: was developed was they wanted the government wanted something that 218 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 1: was even faster and could fly even higher than the 219 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 1: U two, And the SR seventy one could do both 220 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: those things. It could fly at an altitude around ninety 221 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: thousand feet and it could fly very fast. Indeed, yes, 222 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: which works for the X men. Yes, sort of um 223 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:32,559 Speaker 1: and often than not. And if you're wondering, there are 224 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:36,440 Speaker 1: about thirty three of them. They are still active. Um 225 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 1: And Yeah. Despite as as Jonathan said earlier, just Bite 226 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 1: attempts to phase them out as older, outmoded technology. They're 227 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:47,079 Speaker 1: just too good at what they do. You know what. 228 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:48,719 Speaker 1: It turns out the other stuff that was built to 229 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: replace them wasn't good enough and was more expensive. So 230 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 1: while you had aircraft that could fly faster and higher. Uh. 231 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:00,840 Speaker 1: The one of the big drawback because of the Blackbird 232 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:03,240 Speaker 1: was that it did not have a data link. So 233 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: when you sent a Blackbird out on a mission in 234 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 1: the dead of night, you had to wait for it 235 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: to come back and dump all that information for you 236 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:13,880 Speaker 1: to be able to look at it. You couldn't get 237 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 1: updates as the mission was going on, at least not 238 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 1: of all the data that it was collecting. You know. 239 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: The pilot could communicate, presumably, but smartphone, yeah, there's a 240 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:27,160 Speaker 1: nap for that. But flying over foreign power l O 241 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: L nice TfL uh the uh the only uh. There's 242 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 1: some other interesting things about the YouTube. It's landing gear 243 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: it has. You know, most most aircraft that we think 244 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 1: of today has have the landing gear where there's the 245 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: one set of wheels up front and then the two 246 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 1: set of wheels in the backs. It's almost like a tricycle, 247 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:51,000 Speaker 1: you know. YouTube does not have that. It has more 248 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: like a bicycle set up. It's got one the front 249 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: set of wheels and back set of wheels are in 250 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 1: line with one another. Now, it does have a wheels 251 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 1: call pogoes that are attached to the wings for takeoff, 252 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: so to give it stability when you're taking off with 253 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 1: a you two, but then once you take off, you 254 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 1: jettison those wheels they're gone and you only when you're 255 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 1: coming into land you only have those two sets of wheels. 256 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: So you're thinking, how can you maintain balance? Well, the 257 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 1: wings have skids on them to protect the wings. It's 258 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:30,160 Speaker 1: apparently really really hard to fly you two and and 259 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 1: more so not just because of the landing thing, although 260 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 1: landing apparently is one of the most difficult maneuvers you 261 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 1: can do with the YouTube. Because the wings are so wide, 262 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:43,200 Speaker 1: the a little cross wind can very much affect the 263 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: you two, it can start gliding off track, and uh, 264 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 1: it's it's really hard to correct for that. Another issue 265 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: is that it's designed to fly at a very high altitude. 266 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 1: We'll add that altitude, the atmosphere is not as thick. Yeah, 267 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: it's a thinner atmosphere. Well, in order to give precise 268 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 1: controls at that altitude, the controls are extremely responsive when 269 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:10,480 Speaker 1: you are flying through a very thin atmosphere. So just 270 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 1: a tiny little adjustment by the pilot is going to 271 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: result in a pretty dramatic change in the plane's behavior. 272 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: All Right, when you start going down, you start descending 273 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: in the atmosphere is starting to get thicker. Suddenly, those 274 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: controls aren't as responsive and you have to do more 275 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: to get the plane to do what you wanted to do. 276 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: So as you're descending from that height where you're actually 277 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 1: spying and everything, and you're coming down, uh, the plane 278 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: becomes less responsive and the pilot has to use a 279 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 1: lot more force to get the plane to do what 280 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 1: he wants it or she wants it to do. And 281 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: and so it is supposed to be or supposedly one 282 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 1: of the most difficult aircraft master because the two sets 283 00:16:55,120 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 1: of flying UH scenarios are so different. As if that 284 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 1: weren't enough, Because of the way the plane is configured, 285 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 1: it's kind of hard to see out of um that 286 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:10,120 Speaker 1: the nose is very long, and it's difficult to see 287 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: out the back because of the tail. So as a 288 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:19,640 Speaker 1: matter of fact, Uh, Jonathan I, I've actually seen information 289 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 1: that suggests that many pilots call it the most difficult 290 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: plane in the world to fly, and and it actually 291 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 1: requires in some instances, actually requires a second set of eyes. 292 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 1: Somebody else will go up after the you two to 293 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:35,160 Speaker 1: help it get down, somebody who's sort of if you will, 294 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: it's sort of a visual spot and they go, you know, 295 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: there's sometimes lined up. Sometimes it's a person in a 296 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 1: souped up car. As a second, a second YouTube pilot 297 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:48,160 Speaker 1: who is being driven on in a souped up car 298 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:52,680 Speaker 1: going alongside the plane as it's coming down and giving 299 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 1: verbal directions to the pilot. So the pilot hasn't indication 300 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 1: of how far they are from the surface and whether 301 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:03,720 Speaker 1: they need to make any adjustments, so they'll be in 302 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: a car traveling at a pretty good clip of speed. 303 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 1: See that was my That was my assumption because it 304 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:12,440 Speaker 1: said my notes say high performance vehicle, and it didn't 305 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:14,240 Speaker 1: say what kind of vehicle. Yes, yeah, it was a 306 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:18,360 Speaker 1: high performance car, the Blues Mobile. Actually they just check 307 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: they have that that megaphone on top and the alright, 308 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: is what you gotta do? You gotta go down two 309 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:30,639 Speaker 1: ft two ft anyway? Um, so yeah, there's that, and 310 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: then there's also uh, some other interesting things about the YouTube. 311 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: Another reason why it's so hard to fly is that 312 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: it has to almost always be flying near the maximum 313 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 1: speed of the vehicle. And the reason for that is 314 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:50,160 Speaker 1: because if it starts to get down below about nineteen 315 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: kilometers per hour below maximum speed, which is ten knots. 316 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,400 Speaker 1: When it starts to drop below ten knots from its 317 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: maximum speed. At whatever altitude it's at, it starts to stall. So, 318 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 1: in other words, there's a really narrow window of performance 319 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: that the plane can operate at where it's not falling 320 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:12,360 Speaker 1: out of the sky. It has to be going almost 321 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: full speed or else it's dropping like a rock. And uh, 322 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 1: the pilots have a a special name for that, that 323 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 1: little window you were, that little narrow window of of speed. 324 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:26,359 Speaker 1: Can you do you have you? Did you come across 325 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:30,439 Speaker 1: that did not? It's it's a charming name. It is 326 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:37,640 Speaker 1: the coffin corner. Nice. So yeah, it's um yeah, pilots. 327 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:43,119 Speaker 1: Pilots have a interesting set of um of of terms 328 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 1: for various things. They have a they have a very 329 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:53,680 Speaker 1: dry and realistic view of the world. So yeah, interesting designs. 330 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: So why sorry, go ahead, I was gonna say, well, 331 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 1: the design has changed over the years somewhat. I mean 332 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 1: they've they've made some adaptations for it. It was originally 333 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:05,880 Speaker 1: based on the F one oh four uh fighter jet, 334 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 1: but um, you know it has they they actually the 335 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 1: version that they fly now is somewhat longer and has 336 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:15,639 Speaker 1: they've they've upgraded the the avionics systems in the past. 337 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: They didn't originally use digital uh, systems. They were using 338 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: UM analog gauges, but they've they've updated all those things 339 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:25,040 Speaker 1: now and so it's a it's a much more UM 340 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:27,439 Speaker 1: I mean, of course, the plane itself is based on 341 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 1: the original design. It's just it's been adapted and updated 342 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 1: as as necessary over the years have have gone by. 343 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: So and for the first several years of YOU two's existence, 344 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 1: the government of course did not admit that it had 345 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 1: this spy plane. They said that the U two. That 346 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: people knew that the YOU two existed, they just didn't 347 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: know what it was for. And the reason given mostly 348 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 1: was that it was a a vehicle used to examine 349 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:01,880 Speaker 1: the weather patterns and weather conditions. It was all about 350 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:05,320 Speaker 1: gathering information about the environment. That it wasn't anything about 351 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 1: spy plane. Well, that all changed on May one, nineteen sixty, 352 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 1: that is when a pilot, a CIA pilot named Gary Powers, 353 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 1: was operating a YouTube and crashed in Soviet territory. Now, 354 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 1: the cause of the crash is has always been disputed 355 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 1: right there. There are some reports that say that what 356 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 1: happened was he was shot down, that it was hit. 357 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 1: The plane was was hit by a Soviet missile and 358 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 1: it caused the plane to crash. There were other reports 359 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:44,959 Speaker 1: that said that the YouTube passed through the slip stream 360 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: of another vehicle, another plane, and that it caused the 361 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: you two to go out of control and a wing 362 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:56,199 Speaker 1: ripped off of it and it crashed because of that. 363 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:59,679 Speaker 1: There's another report that said missiles were fired at the Utuo, 364 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: but uh it exploded behind the plane, and the that 365 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 1: the explosion was enough to send it out of control. 366 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:12,439 Speaker 1: What is known is that there was unfortunately, there was 367 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,679 Speaker 1: another pilot, a Soviet pilot who was flying a MiG 368 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,120 Speaker 1: who actually did get hit by the missiles that were 369 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:23,119 Speaker 1: meant for the YouTube plane and died as a result. Well, 370 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:26,960 Speaker 1: Gary Powers was shot down, but he survived. However, he 371 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:30,879 Speaker 1: was he was used in a little bit of subterfuge 372 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,080 Speaker 1: on top of the subterfuge he was already a part of. 373 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:40,639 Speaker 1: Because the premier of the Soviet Union, Kruscheff, didn't let 374 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 1: the United States know that Powers survived the crash. Instead, 375 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 1: what krus Jeff did was he said, uh, the United 376 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:51,399 Speaker 1: States had a spy plane over my country and we 377 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: shut it down, and you've got some splaining to do. 378 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 1: Chris is banging the table with his shoe. So if 379 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:01,680 Speaker 1: you don't know what that's about. Look up Christeff and Shoe. 380 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:06,160 Speaker 1: But yes, so Christeff. Christeff was a little perturbed, said 381 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:08,639 Speaker 1: there was a spy plane over well he was an 382 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 1: aggressive act. Yes, yeah, and how can you disagree with that? 383 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:15,920 Speaker 1: I mean it was a spy plane, you know. Yeah. 384 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:19,920 Speaker 1: So did the United States say? Yeah? Okay? Now, because 385 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 1: again the US, not aware that Powers was alive, went 386 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: into the cover story that they had created for this 387 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:31,240 Speaker 1: sort of scenario, assuming that Powers had died, The Eisenhower 388 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:35,520 Speaker 1: administration said that the plane was just a weather research aircraft. 389 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:38,959 Speaker 1: It had accidentally moved into Soviet airspace. It was not 390 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:42,439 Speaker 1: meant to be there. The pilot had actually radio that 391 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 1: there was some problems with the equipment aboard the plane. 392 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:50,240 Speaker 1: That was specifically the oxygen equipment, because when you're flying 393 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,560 Speaker 1: at that height you need to have special equipment to 394 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: pressurize the cabin. And in fact, the pilots of the 395 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:00,400 Speaker 1: YouTube where something that's almost like a space suit. Yes, 396 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: because of the otherwise you could have some real pressurization problems. 397 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: So they said, no, no, no, it's just a weather aircraft. 398 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:10,959 Speaker 1: It was there were some problems that we heard about. 399 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:14,239 Speaker 1: They were supposed to be over Turkey. Uh, it was 400 00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 1: completely just a misunderstanding, and that that the plane that 401 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 1: was shot down is probably the weather plane. It's definitely 402 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:25,679 Speaker 1: not a spy plane. And then Chris Jeff said, the 403 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:30,439 Speaker 1: pilots alive and we recovered all the information aboard the plane. 404 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:32,919 Speaker 1: It was actually in in good conditions, So we know 405 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:36,119 Speaker 1: exactly what you were looking for, and we know exactly 406 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:39,160 Speaker 1: what the purpose of this this vehicle was. And you 407 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 1: are a big fibbing fibber. Yes. They they said that 408 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 1: he was okay in Moscow, UM and he had said 409 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: he They said that he told them that he had 410 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: taken off from Peshawar in Pakistan, UM and he was 411 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:58,880 Speaker 1: told to fly over the Soviet Union UM basically over 412 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:05,160 Speaker 1: the rals the Ore Sverdlovsk Kirov our King I can't 413 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:09,200 Speaker 1: pronounce that word, Our King Glisk and Murmansk to the 414 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:14,280 Speaker 1: Bodo Military Airfield in Norway. And so they he told them, 415 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 1: he they said, he told them the exact route he 416 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: was supposed to fly UM. And of course you know 417 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: that the United States after that was still saying, well 418 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: that that really wasn't wasn't what was going on there. 419 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 1: It was just very hard to deny when they had 420 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:32,360 Speaker 1: so much and there was and there was a supposed 421 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:36,640 Speaker 1: to be a summit that was going to be going on, 422 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:40,000 Speaker 1: like I think a week or two after this happened, 423 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:44,880 Speaker 1: and it caused quite a stir and international politics that 424 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 1: this and it was it was considered to be a 425 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:52,080 Speaker 1: very huge humiliating embarrassment for the United States, and kruschof 426 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,480 Speaker 1: Uh demanded that the United States stopped flying over the 427 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:59,159 Speaker 1: the Soviet Union or you know, they'd leave. Do I 428 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 1: need to take my shoe off? And Uh. Ultimately the 429 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:07,639 Speaker 1: international community ended up sighting more with the United States 430 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: than with the Soviet Union. But other outcomes of this 431 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 1: Powers was was tried and convicted in the Soviet Union. 432 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 1: He was sentenced to several years of prison, followed by 433 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:24,120 Speaker 1: I think seven years of hard labor. But he ended 434 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 1: up getting released as part of an exchange, a prisoner exchange. Yeah, 435 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: and that that took place, all right, kids, you might 436 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:36,640 Speaker 1: not know this, but when I was a kid, there 437 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:40,200 Speaker 1: were two Germany's. There's an East Germany and there was 438 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 1: a West Germany. And the exchange actually took place on 439 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:46,480 Speaker 1: a bridge between the borders of East Berlin and West 440 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 1: Berlin and it was a very famous event. So now 441 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 1: there's no longer in East Germany and West Germany. But 442 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:54,399 Speaker 1: back when I was a kid, there was and that 443 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:57,480 Speaker 1: this is what you know, this took place at that 444 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:00,880 Speaker 1: location because there was a so be a controlled part 445 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:05,240 Speaker 1: and there was the German controlled part. All that is 446 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: in the past. Now ask your parents about the Berlin 447 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:13,159 Speaker 1: Wall kids. Well there, um, there were no Really, I 448 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 1: don't recall any other major famous incidents in which a 449 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:23,399 Speaker 1: YouTube was involved. There was the Zaropa tour, yes, and 450 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 1: I was wondering how long I could go without making 451 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:30,440 Speaker 1: a YouTube joke, and then the answer was twenty seven minutes. Um. 452 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:36,719 Speaker 1: But ironically enough, I find um uh. NASA, the National 453 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:41,640 Speaker 1: Aeronautics and Space Administration, has used the e R two, 454 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 1: which is a basically a modified YouTube, to collect information 455 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 1: on um the on space phenomena and and on the 456 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:54,200 Speaker 1: Earth itself. So yes, in fact, it does make a 457 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: pretty good uh you know, weather in and observation plane 458 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 1: for other purposes than just yeah, but still being used 459 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:04,439 Speaker 1: as a as a spy plane. According to I just 460 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:08,200 Speaker 1: thought it was kind of funny then yeah. You well, 461 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 1: as it turns out, you can't use it for that 462 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:12,359 Speaker 1: so I found out some more information about and I 463 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:14,640 Speaker 1: was gonna say talk about the blackbird and about how 464 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:16,719 Speaker 1: it was supposed to be. That was also developed an 465 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 1: Area fifty one. It was originally called the A twelve 466 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,359 Speaker 1: that was designation then eventually was known as the s 467 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:25,440 Speaker 1: R seventy one Blackbird UM. It was the successor to 468 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 1: the YouTube but was retired and it had a useful 469 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 1: life of between nineteen sixty four and was when it 470 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:36,199 Speaker 1: was retired for the second time. So it's kind of 471 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 1: like a professional wrestler and it retires and then comes 472 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:41,200 Speaker 1: back and then retires again, but in this case only 473 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 1: retired the two times. And there's no real way of 474 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 1: making more of them because they destroyed the tooling machinery 475 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 1: back in the sixties and they built the blackbird, the 476 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: idea being that they didn't want it to fall into 477 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 1: any other hands, and so this was a way of 478 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 1: maintaining secrecy. The downside of that is that once you 479 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:01,680 Speaker 1: run out of blackbirds, you don't have any more of them. Uh, 480 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 1: there's no way to make more UM. And so they 481 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 1: actually had a lot of issues with that, and there 482 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 1: were several blackbirds that were involved in various accidents and 483 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:14,320 Speaker 1: incidence that made them either they either were destroyed as 484 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:18,160 Speaker 1: a result or they were inoperable. Uh So they now 485 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: all exist pretty much in museums. I think there might 486 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 1: be one or two that um belonged to NASA actually, 487 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: but there aren't any that are being used in military service. 488 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: So the Air Force has stopped using the Blackbird. Well, 489 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 1: you know, that was supposed to be the successor to 490 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: the You two, but they again stopped being used in 491 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:42,240 Speaker 1: ninety eight. The You two kept going since. According to 492 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 1: the Air Force, about one point seven billion with a 493 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 1: B dollars have been poured into the YouTube program to 494 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 1: keep it up to date, to modernize it, make sure 495 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:58,400 Speaker 1: that it's you know, operating at at a level that 496 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 1: that modern warfare and modern politics demands, because you know, 497 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 1: we've got a lot more sophisticated with the ways that 498 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:08,800 Speaker 1: we detect stuff. So in order to stay ahead, it 499 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:10,840 Speaker 1: had a lot more money to be poured into it. 500 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:14,920 Speaker 1: And according to one source I saw, since two thousand 501 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:18,360 Speaker 1: and three, the Air Force has flown more than ninety 502 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 1: five thousand hours using the You two. Keep in mind 503 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:27,560 Speaker 1: there only thirty three of these things. That's pretty impressive. Yeah, yeah, Well, 504 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:29,959 Speaker 1: the uh in case you're wondering, the r Q four 505 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: may not be off the table. Um, it is presumed 506 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: that North Grumman, the company that makes well, the primary 507 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 1: company that makes it, will try to get it put 508 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 1: back into the into the budget. And it may just 509 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: be that it's a delay more than anything else. In fact, 510 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: most of the sources I saw was that it's it's 511 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:54,600 Speaker 1: that the date keeps getting pushed back, like originally the 512 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:59,800 Speaker 1: the youtwo was supposed to be retired by the most 513 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:02,880 Speaker 1: date I saw it was yeah, And then I saw 514 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:04,880 Speaker 1: one that said it may be flying as late as 515 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:07,400 Speaker 1: twenty fifty, which means it would be a hundred years 516 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: old almost. Yeah. Yeah, well you know, and uh, it 517 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: takes three people to fly in r Q four. You know, 518 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:15,760 Speaker 1: you have to have a an l R E pilot, 519 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,280 Speaker 1: an m C E pilot, and a sensor operator. And 520 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 1: it only flies up to sixty thou feet which is 521 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:26,040 Speaker 1: about eighteen thousand, two eights um. It uh has a 522 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:28,800 Speaker 1: maximum speed of three seven miles per hour about three 523 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:33,040 Speaker 1: knots um. So you know, it's it's comparable in some ways, 524 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: but in others, you know, the YouTube still outdoes it. 525 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:41,200 Speaker 1: So um, it's it's impressive stuff. But it's kind of 526 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:43,760 Speaker 1: funny to me that that tried and true YOU two 527 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: is still hanging in there despite all these other things 528 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 1: that that could replace it. Yeah, part of that is 529 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:52,760 Speaker 1: the the qualities of the U two, and part of 530 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:56,600 Speaker 1: that is is purely economical. She said, you know, there's 531 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: just not the money to replace it, and that you know, 532 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:02,840 Speaker 1: we do have a need for reconnaissance vehicles. And you 533 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 1: might ask, well, why do we need that, because we've 534 00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:07,360 Speaker 1: got satellites now, right, we got satellites that can spy 535 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:09,400 Speaker 1: on stuff. And that's true, we do have satellites, but 536 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 1: satellites are not yeah, stuff that beats. Satellites are not 537 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:18,880 Speaker 1: capable of focusing in on a very specific region at 538 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 1: a reasonable amount of time in many cases, So it 539 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 1: may be that you've got a great view of this 540 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:27,640 Speaker 1: one region, but the problem is that the issue that 541 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: you need to look at is just outside of that 542 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:32,800 Speaker 1: that view, and in order to change the view on 543 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:35,480 Speaker 1: the satellite is going to take hours, whereas you could 544 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:38,680 Speaker 1: send a YouTube plane stationed in a nearby country to 545 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:41,080 Speaker 1: fly over and get a look right then and there. 546 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:45,160 Speaker 1: And the way the world works, we need information instantly. 547 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:48,520 Speaker 1: We can't wait anymore. So Yeah, For for instance, they 548 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: might have intelligence that a specific operation is going on 549 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:56,160 Speaker 1: right now, and they're going to hide whatever it is 550 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:59,120 Speaker 1: that they're moving, you know, some some kind of weapons 551 00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: technology or some you know, uh, something like that, or 552 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 1: or a caravan of people or something. You know, it 553 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:07,440 Speaker 1: could be a variety of things that you want to see. 554 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 1: Um And by the time the Earth rotates back to 555 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,440 Speaker 1: where the satellite could take a good picture of it, 556 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 1: it'll be too late. Um. So that kind of thing, yep, yep, 557 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:24,480 Speaker 1: spy stuff is cool and scary, Yes it is. But um. Oh, 558 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:26,800 Speaker 1: but and it did play a major part in the 559 00:33:26,800 --> 00:33:31,320 Speaker 1: the Cuban missile crisis in the nineties, was able to 560 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:34,520 Speaker 1: get a good picture of what was going on there 561 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 1: between the Soviets and the Cubans. Um do you and 562 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,080 Speaker 1: you know we didn't mention it, But do you know 563 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:46,360 Speaker 1: what the nickname is for the YouTube? Oh? I did 564 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:48,440 Speaker 1: see it a moment ago, and then I scrolled past 565 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:52,600 Speaker 1: it in my notes. I'm surprised I didn't mention it already. 566 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 1: It is the Dragon Lady. Yes you don't. You don't 567 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:00,240 Speaker 1: hear it mentioned? The you two is well known enough 568 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:03,000 Speaker 1: by it by its normal designation that you don't really 569 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 1: hear the nickname very often, like the SR seventy one 570 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:09,799 Speaker 1: Blackbird for example. But yeah, that's a cool name. Cool name. 571 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:13,600 Speaker 1: All right, Well, this wraps up this discussion about the YouTube. 572 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:15,600 Speaker 1: Like I said, we'll try and do one about Area 573 00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 1: fifty one specifically. At some point we can talk about 574 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:21,000 Speaker 1: the other vehicles and technologies that came out of that 575 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:24,799 Speaker 1: research facility, uh, and also talk about why it was 576 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:28,520 Speaker 1: so secret and uh, you know, the whole craziness that 577 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:31,400 Speaker 1: surrounds Area fifty one and and how it plays a 578 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:35,400 Speaker 1: part in conspiracy theories because you know it does, you 579 00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:38,160 Speaker 1: might not have heard about it. Um, you need to 580 00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:41,279 Speaker 1: watch this documentary series called The X Files goes all 581 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:44,880 Speaker 1: into it. But now we'll, uh, we'll talk about that 582 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:48,319 Speaker 1: and we'll we'll give a full rundown on you know, 583 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: what was believed to happen at area is what really 584 00:34:52,200 --> 00:34:54,319 Speaker 1: happened at Area fifty one? And when I say really 585 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:56,600 Speaker 1: there were no aliens involved, I was gonna say, is 586 00:34:56,640 --> 00:34:58,640 Speaker 1: this one of those posters that's been on my Facebook 587 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:01,759 Speaker 1: feed with what my parents think I do, what I 588 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: actually do? Gosh, I hope that means dead um, all right, 589 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:09,440 Speaker 1: so we just whoops, took an air to me wrapping 590 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:12,319 Speaker 1: us up. All right, guys, have a great one. If 591 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:15,000 Speaker 1: you have any suggestions for topics that we should cover 592 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:17,879 Speaker 1: in future episodes of tech Stuff, let us know by 593 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:22,160 Speaker 1: emailing us at tech Stuff at Discovery dot com, or 594 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 1: send us a message on Twitter or Facebook. Are handle 595 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:28,480 Speaker 1: at both of those It Text Stuff H S W 596 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:31,399 Speaker 1: and Chris and I will talk to you again really soon. 597 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:35,920 Speaker 1: Be sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff 598 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:38,600 Speaker 1: from the Future. Join how Stuff Work staff as we 599 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: explore the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The 600 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:46,080 Speaker 1: house Stuff Works iPhone app has arrived down at it 601 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:53,440 Speaker 1: Today on iTunes, brought to you by the reinvented two 602 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 1: thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are you