The history of aviation is thrilling, fast, dangerous, and sometimes deadly. In pursuit of the dream of flight we have seen decades of determination and inventiveness and witnessed the birth of an amazing number of different and exotic flying machines. There are many different designs and types of power used to stay in the air, each has its own flying abilities but they all enable us to defy nature. Extreme Machines is dedicated to finding out how machines work, experience the exciting and flamboyant world of aviation. Focusing on unusual aircraft and man's most extreme methods of flying, we take a look at different ways of powering aircraft from a homebuilt plane powered with a lawnmower engine to the cutting edge technology of NASA's solar powered planes. We take a close look into the world of Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) planes, specifically the infamous Harrier Jump Jet with its unique manoeuvrability and ability to take-off and land from almost anywhere.