Impossible Engineering.series 7

The skinniest skyscraper in the world will soon become New York's third tallest, and using an innovative, gravity-defying design, this colossal megastructure is breaking all the rules of engineering.

A state-of-the-art NATO airplane, the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), is one of the most complex surveillance tools in the world, and special access inside this behemoth reveals how cutting-edge engineering and a hi-tech midair refueling system helps its crew defend against security threats.

The F-35 is the most advanced fighter jet on the planet, and special access into the most expensive military program ever reveals how engineers use cutting-edge technology to outfit this 1,200 mile-per-hour aircraft with a state-of-the-art stealth system.

Impossible Engineering looks at the history of pioneering modern-day mega structures. Behind every seemingly impossible marvel of modern engineering is a cast of historic trailblazers who designed new building techniques, took risks on untested materials and revolutionised their field. It is a tribute to their achievements.

Impossible Engineering looks at the history of pioneering modern-day mega structures. Behind every seemingly impossible marvel of modern engineering is a cast of historic trailblazers who designed new building techniques, took risks on untested materials and revolutionised their field. It is a tribute to their achievements.

Deadly avalanches and catastrophic flooding are ever-present threats at one of the world's busiest ski resorts, but new technology and cutting-edge construction methods help engineers conquer the elements to keep this mountain-top getaway safe.

Engineers are racing against the clock to build the world's biggest airport; using cutting-edge construction methods, experts put the finishing touches on a modern-day marvel that will move 100 million people in and out of Beijing every year.

Behind every seemingly-impossible marvel of modern engineering is a cast of heroic trailblazers who pioneered new building techniques. As we revel in these modern day creations we leap back in time to recount the stories of the exceptional engineers behind the historic technological advances that made it all possible.

A cutting-edge engineering marvel can lift boats and water to astonishing heights and its advanced design makes it the first and only construction of its kind; behind-the-scenes access shows how it works.

Engineering failures are Icarus-like moments when our overreaching, greed and desire to conquer the impossible can cost not just reputations, but millions of dollars, the environment and lives. Each episode will focus on one disaster, looking at dramatic archive news footage of the disaster occurring and its devastating impact.