Top Gear’s (the image above is courtesy of Top Gear | BBC Worldwide) renowned for outrageous set piece stunts and challenges. Not content with high speed and high-jinx on terra firma, Clarkson, Hammond, May and The Stig have often pushed the boundaries of what can be done in the air too. Here are some of their most memorable uses of aircraft.
Reliant Robin converted into a space shuttle – somewhere in the English countryside
The three-wheeled Reliant Robin is somewhat lacking in the reputation department. May and Hammond helped boost it’s profile by turning one into a Space Shuttle.
Bugatti Veyron vs Euro Fighter – Top Gear test track
The RAF challenges Hammond to race a Bugatti Veyron against its top fighter jet. The race pits the 1,000 break horsepower of the Veyron versus the 40,000 pounds of thrust of the Eurofighter Typhoon’s twin jet engines.
Drag racing a gravity-powered VW Beetle – South Africa
Hammond races a Porsche 911 against a VW Beetle over a mile. The catch? The 911 covers the distance running over a salt flat, while the Beetle is dropped from a helicopter hovering one mile over the drag strip.
Speed test on an aircraft carrier – somewhere at sea
The Stig attempts to match the take-off speed of a harrier jump jet using a modified Jag down aircraft carrier HMS Invincible’s runway.
Rallying around an airfield – California
Rallying and stunt-driving legend Ken Block takes James May for a “spin” in his Subaru Impreza Rally Car around a quiet Californian airfield. Oh, and dirt-biking champion Ricky Carmichael joins the party.
Can a car survive the thrust of a jumbo jet’s engines – Top Gear test track
Hammond – with the help of some Virgin Atlantic pilots – unleashes the power of a 747’s four jet engines on a Ford Mondeo and Citroën 2CV.
Caravan Airship – somewhere over the English countryside
As everyone knows, caravans are the scourges of the road. In a nod to Scaramanger’s flying car in the Man With the Golden Gun, May comes up with a novel solution – a caravan airship.
See airship caravan part two and part three.
Landing a helicopter on the roof of a speeding Skoda Yeti – Top Gear test track
A small helicopter is landed on a helipad strapped to the roof of a Czech SUV as Clarkson cruises down the Top Gear runway.
Parked in the back of a Russian cargo plane – somewhere over Iraqi airspace
All three members of the team are treated to a bird’s eye view of Iraq when the doors of their Russian cargo plane are opened midair.
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