Planes and Automobiles

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[edit] General Information

Technology Documentary hosted by Robbie Coltrane, published by Channel 4 in 1997 - English narration

[edit] Cover

[edit] Information

Robbie coltrane, in his own unique style, tells the story of some of the greatest engines ever built. This dvd contains six episodes, each covering a different type of engine - the imperial steam engine, the workhorse diesel, the exhilarating supercharger, the laid back v8, the noisy, smelly two-stroke, and the jet, the engine that went on to shrink the world. This is the highly-acclaimed channel 4 television series - a celebration of design, engineering and individual genius. If you want to see a man single-handedly remove the engine from a trabant, or toast marshmallows in the afterburner of a military jet aircraft, then this is the film for you - the guardian. I have a confession to make says robbie coltrane. I am a nosey bastard. I am incapable of walking past a piece of machinery without wanting to know all the details of its private life.

[edit] Imperial Steam Engine

In the first programme, Robbie Coltrane turns his attention to James Watt's invention, the steam engine, tracing its development in a journey that takes him from Loch Lomond in Scotland to Bulawayo in Zimbabwe.

[edit] The Workhorse Diesel

Robbie Coltrane turns his attention to the diesel engine, known as the workhorse of the world. He charts the story of the maverick inventor, Rudolf Diesel, who was driven to commit suicide by his creation and, through visits to a Cornish lighthouse, an apple farm in Oregon and a disco in Zimbabwe, he examines the rise of this economical hard-working engine.

[edit] The Exhilarating Super Charger

Robbie Coltrane continues his journey through 20th Century engineering by examining the engine that changed the course of motoring and military history: the supercharger. Travelling from the wilds of Scotland to the famous Nürburgring race track in Germany, Coltrane charts the development of the supercharger from its motor-racing origins to the vital role it played in the battle for air supermeacy in World War II and beyond.

[edit] The Laid Back V8

The development of the V8 engine, from its origins in the Cadillac through its use by Ford during the Depression to its place in US motorsport.

[edit] The Noisy/Smelly 2 Stroke

Robbie Coltrane traces the development of the small but noisy two-stroke engine. Its cheap simplicity helped to rebuild the ailing postwar economy in East Germany withthe production of the Trabant but in the west it was mainly used for leisure in such machines as lawnmowers, snowmobiles, model planes and boats.

[edit] The Enduring Jet Engine

Continuing his journey through engineering history, Robbie Coltrance traces the development of the jet engine from its humble wartime inception to its role in revolutionising international travel and modern warfare.