The MythBusters The MythBusters

MythBusters Episode 66: Concrete Glider

Premier Date: November 8, 2006

A glider can be made out of concrete.

plausible

Adam’s glider made a flight of over 34 feet from a high of 9 feet. Jamie’s took a nose dive. Also, an expert noted that making a glider out of concrete is possible and that the Germans experimented with the idea during World War II. After the test, the MythBusters decided that making a concrete glider is possible, but highly dangerous and impractical since the brittle concrete would shatter once it hits the ground.

The vortex from a passing train can suck a person onto the tracks.

busted

Although small scale testing with model trains in a wind tunnel showed a vortex, the more dominant force when running the full size train was the air turbulence running alongside and away from the train. The force caused Ted, a dummy made of ballistics gel, to simply fall down where he stood rather than be drawn into the train’s wake, and also violently pushed around an empty stroller tethered onto the platform alongside. Despite the lack of suction, the MythBusters agreed that the turbulence was powerful enough in its own right to make standing that close to the train as it passes very dangerous.