MythBusters

I'M JAMIE HYNEMAN, AND YOU'RE WATCHING "MYTHBUSTERS."

Narrator: COMING UP --

CAN YOU GET STUCK TO AN AIRLINE TOILET?

EXPOSED BUTT CHEEKS.

THERE WE GO.

BUILDING A BISCUIT BAZOOKA.

HO-HO, NO!

WOW! THAT JUST WENT EVERYWHERE.

THE LEAPING LAWYER -- FACT OR FANTASY?

SCOTTIE, I NEED POWER!

MORE!

HERE ON "MYTHBUSTERS,"

WE'RE NOT JUST GOING TO RETELL THE LEGENDS.

WE'RE GONNA PUT 'EM TO THE TEST.

WE'RE PREPARED TO PUT OUR BODIES ON THE LINE.

WHY SHOULD YOU TRUST THESE GUYS?

WELL, JAMIE AND ADAM

HAVE OVER 30 YEARS IN MODEL BUILDING,

ANIMATRONICS, AND TOY PROTOTYPING.

THEY CAN BUILD JUST ABOUT ANYTHING

AND PROBABLY HAVE.

THIS IS M5, MY SPECIAL-EFFECTS SHOP.

COME ON IN AND HAVE A LOOK AROUND.

IF WE CAN'T FIND WHAT WE NEED HERE,

THERE'S ALWAYS ADAM'S JUNK COLLECTION.

MY CIGARETTE DISPENSER.

THE GUYS ARE BACKED BY EXPERTS IN FOLKLORE, CRIME,

MEDICINE, AND ENGINEERING.

AAH! OW!

AND THEY'LL NEED EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK.

SO, WHERE DO WE BEGIN? WHAT DO WE GOT? LET'S GO.

THIS STORY INVOLVES A LARGE WOMAN, AN OBESE WOMAN.

FLYING ON AN S.A.S. FLIGHT FROM EUROPE.

AND AS SHE WAS GOING ALONG, SHE HAD TO USE THE RESTROOM.

SHE FLUSHED IT WHILE SHE WAS STILL SITTING ON THE TOILET.

AND IT SUCTIONED HER DOWN A LITTLE BIT,

AND SHE WAS STUCK.

AND THEY HAD TO LAND THE PLANE WITH HER ON THE TOILET.

WHERE THE AIR-FLIGHT CREWS

HAD TO COME AND ASSIST HER TO GET OFF.

WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE GONNA NEED TO TEST THIS?

WE HAVE A VACUUM PUMP THAT IS PRETTY POWERFUL.

WE HAVE TO CREATE A LARGE FEMALE PROSTERIOR --

POSTERIOR -- IS THAT HOW WE...

POSTERIOR, YES.

A BIG ASS.

AND WE GOT TO HANG IT OVER THE TOILET.

DID YOU GO TO ART SCHOOL, JAMIE?

I BUILD REAL STUFF. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRAW IT.

YOU KNOW WHAT'S WHAT, HUH?

I DO. IT COULD ALSO BE A BIG LEG OF LAMB

COOKING OVER A BARBECUE, THOUGH, WITH A GAS FEED.

THAT SOUNDS KIND OF GOOD.

WE GOT TO RIG A MEANS OF MEASURING

HOW MUCH PULLDOWN THERE IS.

TO ME, THAT MEANS A BIG FISH SCALE.

WE'LL USE A FORKLIFT.

WE'LL HOIST THIS BIG ASS OVER THE TOILET,

HANGING OFF THE FISH SCALE.

WE LOWER IT ON THERE, AND THEN WE TURN THE PUMP ON.

AND THEN WE RAISE THE FORKLIFT

AND SEE HOW MUCH SUCK THE THING HAS

BEFORE IT LETS GO,

VIA THE FISH SCALE.

AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO INVENT ONE

BECAUSE THAT'S A PRETTY BIG FISH.

THIS WOMAN WAS, LIKE --

I GUESS COULD HAVE BEEN A 300-POUNDER.

Pondelick: IN THE AIRCRAFT MARKET,

WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 13,000 VACUUM TOILETS

IN OPERATION ON A DAILY BASIS.

Narrator: THE TOILET STORY BROKE IN EARLY 2001.

FIRST THOUGHTS WE HAD WAS THAT THIS WASN'T POSSIBLE.

Narrator: AFTER INITIAL CONFIRMATION BY SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES,

REUTERS AND THE BBC RAN THE STORY WORLDWIDE ON WIRE AND WEB.

WE WERE QUITE SURPRISED HOW MUCH PRESS IT DID GET.

WE'RE AT INTERFACE AVIATION IN HOLLISTER, CALIFORNIA.

OH, MY GOD!

INTERFACE AVIATION IS A AIRCRAFT RECYCLING COMPANY

THAT ACQUIRES AIRCRAFT PARTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD,

AND THEY END UP HERE.

I LIKE THIS. THIS MUST BE THE STAIRWAY FROM A...

Man: 747. Adam: OH, YEAH.

THEY'VE GOT 3 1/2 ACRES OF USED AIRCRAFT INTERIORS.

Adam: ALL THE PANELING, THE BATHROOMS, ALL THE FOOD PREPARATION.

GOOD LORD!

Jamie: AND THE TOILETS.

THEY'VE GOT EVERY KIND OF TOILET THAT'S EVER BEEN MADE

FOR ANY KIND OF AIRCRAFT, OR SO IT WOULD SEEM TO ME.

WELL, WAYNE, YOU HEARD OF THIS LEGEND BEFORE THIS, RIGHT?

Dyer: OH, EVERYBODY'S HEARD OF THAT.

Adam: DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT AIRLINE YOU HEARD IT HAPPENED ON?

NO. NO.

YOU GUYS...

UM, I KNOW MY TOILETS, BUT I DON'T KNOW MY LEGENDS.

OKAY.

FAIR ENOUGH.

Narrator: INTERFACE CARRIES TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

HUMAN-WASTE-DISPOSAL UNITS.

Dyer: HERE'S THE OLD STYLE.

THAT'S FILLED UP WITH BLUE WATER.

YOU CAN USE YOUR OWN IMAGINATION

WHAT THAT WATER'S MADE OF AFTER A WHILE.

THE AVERAGE PRESSURE HERE IS EXACTLY ZERO

BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST RECYCLING OUT OF A COMMON TANK.

RIGHT.

Narrator: THE PRESSURE SHOULD BE ZERO,

BUT IF SOMETHING -- SAY, A HAIRBRUSH --

GETS CAUGHT IN THE OUTLET VALVES

WHILE THE AIRCRAFT IS AT ALTITUDE...

Jamie: NOW WE'RE TALKING.

OKAY, DO YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING HERE?

SHE COULD GENERATE A DIFFERENTIAL IN PRESSURE.

YEAH, THE GREATER PRESSURE INSIDE WOULD ACTUALLY

BE TRYING TO PUSH HER THROUGH THE HOLE.

THAT'S A SCENARIO I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT.

BUT, YES, IT COULD.

YEAH, WELL, LET'S SEE.

IT DOESN'T HAVE THE LID ON IT, BUT...

YEAH, WHAT'S THE CHEEK SPREAD HERE?

LET'S SEE.

Narrator: THAT THEORY OF TOILET TERROR HAS ONE PROBLEM --

IT COULD ONLY HAPPEN AT ALTITUDE.

Jamie: ACCORDING TO THE LEGEND AND THE INFORMATION WE HAVE,

THEY SAID THAT THE WOMAN

ACTUALLY STAYED ON THE TOILET UNTIL THEY WERE ON THE GROUND.

Adam: THAT WOULD RULE OUT

THE PRESSURE-DIFFERENTIAL THEORY, WOULDN'T IT?

EXACTLY, EXACTLY.

Narrator: THAT LEAVES THIS VACUUM UNIT.

IT HAS PRESSURE AT ALTITUDE AND ON THE GROUND.

SO, GIVEN THE PRESSURE DOWN HERE,

DO YOU THINK YOU COULD GET A LOCK BETWEEN THIS

AND SOMEONE COULD ACTUALLY GET SUCKED DOWN IN THERE?

I REALLY WOULDN'T EVEN WANT TO VENTURE A GUESS.

BUT THERE IS A SUCTION.

AND IF YOU CAP THAT THING, THERE WILL BE A LOT.

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT WORKS.

YEAH.

LOOKS LIKE THERE IS SOME AIR SPACE RIGHT HERE, TOO.

AND YOU SAID THE AVERAGE PRESSURE THERE IS ONLY A 3 PSI?

3 IS COMING TO MIND.

Pondelick: THE VACUUM TOILET OPERATES AT TWO DIFFERENT PRESSURES.

ON THE GROUND, IT OPERATES

AT APPROXIMATELY 3 PSI NEGATIVE PRESSURE.

AND AT ALTITUDE, WE OPERATE AT 8 PSI

NEGATIVE PRESSURE.

THAT PRESSURE IS PRODUCED BY THE DIFFERENTIAL

BETWEEN THE INSIDE CABIN AIR

AND THE OUTSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT.

Narrator: THIS IS THE ONE,

BUT AT 9 GRAND, IT DOESN'T COME CHEAP.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE MOVE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION

TOWARD THE DOOR OF PLANE,

CROSS YOUR HANDS OVER YOUR CHEST,

AND SLIDE DOWN THE INFLATABLE SLIDE TOWARDS THE SHARKS.

THANK YOU FOR FLYING. WE HOPE YOU'LL COME BACK SOON.

REMEMBER, MOST OF OUR PASSENGERS GET THERE ALIVE.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS THAT I SEE

IS THAT WE'VE GOT TO MIMIC A WOMAN'S BUTT REALLY WELL.

IT HAS TO BE NICE AND FLESHY AND SOFT,

SO WE'VE GOT TO DECIDE ON WHAT KIND OF --

IT'S GONNA BE A RUBBER OF SOME SORT.

I'VE THOUGHT OF USING THIS RUBBER

THAT'S USED IN A LOT OF SEX TOYS,

BECAUSE IT'S VERY FLESHY -- IT'S CALLED HOT-MELT VINYL.

I'D LIKE TO SEE A SAMPLE OF THE HOT-MELT VINYL YOU HAVE.

IS THIS HOT MELT?

YEAH, THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S REALLY STICKY.

THAT'S THE ONE THAT I LIKE. THIS IS THE ONE THAT I WANT.

WE ARE CASTING UP A REALLY LARGE BOTTOM,

AND WE'RE GOING TO STICK IT

TO AN AIRLINE TOILET SEAT THAT WE HAVE,

SO THIS IS ACTUALLY PERFECT.

THIS IS DEFINITELY THE STUFF.

YEAH. THAT SOUNDS RIGHT.

I MIGHT WANT TO BUY AS MUCH AS 10 GALLONS.

SO, THAT COMES IN FLESH OR CLEAR.

FLESH, OF COURSE. OF COURSE, YEAH.

CAN I TRY ON THAT BUTTHEAD?

YOU'D LIKE TO TRY THE BUTTHEAD?

I WOULD LIKE TO TRY THE BUTTHEAD, ABSOLUTELY.

THERE YOU ARE, SIR.

DO I HAVE TO PULL OUT THE, UH...

ALL RIGHT.

AND NOW THE TRANSFORMATION IS COMPLETE.

I COME FROM THE PLANET BUTTHEAD.

SO, HOW DID YOU HAVE THIS DONE?

THAT'S ACTUALLY KARI'S BUTT.

NO. REALLY?

EXCEPT THAT WE LET HER MODIFY HERSELF.

OKAY, I'M GONNA TAKE A SHOT.

TRY TO HOLD AS STILL AS POSSIBLE FROM NOW ON.

WE SCANNED HER BUTT.

AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST SHOT

THAT YOU'LL EVER SEE OF YOUR OWN BUTT.

OH, YEAH, RIGHT.

AND THEN WE TOOK IT UP TO THE COMPUTER

AND USED THE FREE-FORM TOOL TO ENLARGE IT