Billion-Dollar Hawk | MythBusters

Catch all new episodes of MYTHBUSTERS Saturdays at 8/7c on Discovery!

Watch full episodes!

Subscribe to Discovery:

Join us on Facebook:

Follow on Twitter:

Check out some classic MythBusters testing results:

[thegeneralissimo]

"Not that I can talk about" lol

[chris-hayes]

When Jamie asks what the infrared sensor is for, the answer that it was used to find hotspots in the Fukushima reactor is a much nicer way of saying it's designed to find people that need to be eliminated.

[brianm]

Off camera, Grant is hyperventilating and drooling a tad bit.

[christopherfaust]

The Global Hawk UAV, an Unmanned Air Vehicle, unlike an RPA, Remotely Piloted Aircraft. The difference is that an RPA requires a pilot on the ground in a command unit or a pilot with an arm mounted controller to operate depending on distance and mission. The UAV however requires no pilot because onboard computers (primary and backup) are pre-programed with the mission and fly the directed course as if a pilot was on board. There is an operator on the ground who monitors the mission, performs mission updates or changes through an active up and down link and monitors air vehicle health through the same link. The Global Hawk Takes over from the ground crew after engine start. performs self check of all systems and control surfaces then informs the opertor that she is ready to taxi. The operator then initiates taxi command and the air vehicle "taxis" out to the take-off waypoint and awaits the next command. Once cleared by the tower, the operator then initiates the take-off command and the Global Hawk starts it's mission. Take-off, cruise mission objectives, return to base and landing are then performed autonomously with no operator inputs. She is truly a "free bird". I ended my career working on Global Hawk from inception thru flight ops. Global Hawk also won the Collier Award in 1998. A true "spy in the sky".

[saranafshin]

These are on sale now for 599 dollars each + free shipping ; )

[barrybarlowe]

I liked this one. I didn't know they had any U2s that were still operational. I wonder what what Adam would have thought of flying an SR71 Blackbird? Wouldn't THAT be a trip!!

[TheGary]

Wow. You know Jamie’s enjoying himself when he’s laughing at the “Global Hawk” comment.

[HesamoddinAbolhasani]

One of these was destroyed today by the Iranian Air Force.
The rest of these UAVs are for us.
Laughing :D

[talalmalik]

It was a state of art !!! CONDOLENCES? keep the rest safe away from the strait of Hormuz!! would you!!??

[JillZeeee]

It is 100% autonomous!!!! I supported this plane for 15 years

[mbukukanyau]

These are fully autonomous, the pilot just monitors what it’s up to

[ashiri]

Now, if the Pink Protester would quit hanging around the gates, that would be great.

[raynfir]

We called her the red queen and this is not a funny thing. She gave us orders autonomously. This was 15 years ago, be afraid.

[Choc_Chilla]

Jaimie well and truly out of his depth there :P

[keanuclaxton]

Hope HTC Didn't Make Those Guy's Plane Camera

[treytrimble]

Camera in the front is nothing more than a guidance camera. When hes talking about the sensors, this is not the camera he is talking about.

[kordwanner]

There you have it folks— there’s your Area 51 footage 20 years ago

[christosvoskresye]

Are there cameras to let the operator "see" the horizon and airspace, or do they just always trust the artificial horizon, altimeter, etc.?

[kevinjohnson]

That joke at the end reminds me of my uncle when he is trying to "be down like us kids"

[jaysonpida]

This, along with 'reaper' (unarmed), is what replaced the air force RF-4Cs.