Smithsonian HD Network Free TV Guide & Schedule

How Did They Build That?

In Oklahoma, a sacred spiral mound rises on a former oilfield, honouring 39 tribes; London's crumbling Battersea Power Station is reborn with two million new bricks. And in Spain, Frank Gehry crowns a historic winery.

Air Disasters

On Dec. 22, 1996, Airborne Express Flight 827 crashes into mountainous terrain near Narrows, Va., during a functional evaluation flight, killing all six occupants; the investigation finds that the pilots made improper flight control inputs.

Air Disasters

Three planes fall prey to deadly winds, and it is up to investigators to find out why.

Air Disasters

A British Airways Flight's engines failure to respond cause the plane to crash-land just short of the runway.

Air Disasters

Pilots leaving Cameroon steer their plane clear of a storm, but the aircraft begins rolling to the right, and they are unable to regain control.

Air Disasters

In São Paulo, the Himalayas, and on the Norwegian coast, the toughest landings on earth pushed three flight crews.

Air Disasters

Pilots of TACA Flight 110 make a remarkable landing on a narrow levee, but investigators must find out why the engines in a brand-new plane failed.

Air Disasters

On July 17, 2007, TAM Airlines Flight 3054 slides off runway 35L at Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, Brazil, and crashes at high speed into a warehouse adjacent to a petrol station killing nearly 200 people.

Air Disasters

Following the story of the Scandinavian Airlines Flight 751 and Captain Rasmussen.

Combat Ships

The evolution of amphibious assault vehicles, including the restoration of Britain's last surviving LCT 7074 landing craft, designed to carry six Churchill tanks.

Combat Ships

A look at how the role of battleships changed over the course of the First and Second World Wars.

Combat Ships

From tests in the River Thames, to the German's deadly U-boat attacks in World War II, this episode explores the silent threat of submarines.

Combat Ships

Stories of espionage at sea, including deadly U-boat cat-and-mouse games during WWI, the sinking of the Lusitania, a gun-smuggling private yacht that made history, and liners turned troopships.

Combat Ships

The legendary Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, which pitted Napoleon's French ships against a British armada under the command of Admiral Horatio Nelson.

Combat Ships

A look at how the art of deception was used by naval forces in the first half of the 20th century; in 1939, the German raider Atlantis was equipped with fake funnels, while its sailors dressed as women pushing strollers to fool Allied merchant ships.

Combat Ships

Revolutionary ship design helped Sir John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake lead England to defeat the Spanish Armada and become a world power.

Combat Ships

A look at Naval warfare's fastest combat ships and how the advantage of speed determined the outcome of some of the great seas battles of the last 150 years.

Combat Ships

Bad design, human error and the enemy sent great ships to tragic ends, like Britain's K13 submarine and HMS Hood, Sweden's 17th century Vasa, and Kublai Khan's fleet, sunk by the original kamikaze.

Combat Ships

The evolution from wooden ships to metal ones in the second half of the 19th century is examined.

Air Warriors

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most lethal bombers of the U.S. Air Force in WWII's European and Pacific campaigns; among other things, the plane delivered food to the German-occupied Netherlands.

Air Warriors

A look at the rise and fall of the infamous Nazi dive bomber Ju-87 Stuka, an aircraft of World War II.

Air Warriors

The inside story of the F-4 Phantom, the U.S. military's go-to fighter for more than four decades.

Air Warriors

The world's most versatile and powerful helicopters, including the Huey that served as a rescue helicopter in Vietnam, and the Apache attack helicopter.

Air Warriors

An inside look at the U.S. Air Force's largest aircraft, the C-5 Galaxy; its most dramatic combat and peacetime missions over the last 50 years.

Air Warriors

The Vietnam-era OV-10 Bronco is pulled out of retirement to join the fight against ISIS.

F6F Hellcat

The naval fighter designed to counter the Japanese Zero turns the tide of the war in the Pacific.

Air Warriors

The true story of the F-14 Tomcat, the military aircraft made famous in "Top Gun"; how it served as the US Navy's top carrier fighter for a generation.

Air Warriors

The most-produced bomber in US history, used during World War II by every branch of the American military, as well as by the Royal Air Force.

Air Warriors

A look at the amphibious aircraft and the many roles it served during WWII, from patrol bomber to search-and-rescue aircraft.

Air Warriors

A look at the British multirole fighter aircraft; the de Havilland Mosquito was used in the Second World War as a bomber, fighter and reconnaissance aircraft.

Air Warriors

The overlooked underdog of British fighter planes; fast and versatile, the dogfighter doubled as a bomber and ground support aircraft in every theatre of WWII.

Air Warriors

An inside look at the Panavia Tornado's evolution from a Cold War low-level bomber to a high-level fighter-interceptor.

Air Warriors

The inside story of the Avro Lancaster, the British bomber that was rushed into service to fight back against Nazi Germany.

Aerial America

A cross-country flight over the nation's mountains, beaches and national parks; visiting other sites that attract adventurers and tourists.

Aerial America

Natural wonders, manmade marvels, hidden treasures and places of inspiration.

Aerial America

Zoom above, and below, some of the Golden State's greatest monuments.

Aerial America

An aerial tour of the world's first national park showcases Yellowstone's diverse wildlife and rich history.

Aerial America

An aerial tour of Kansas shows a state with varied landscapes, scenic areas and historical conflict sites.

Aerial America

A coast-to-coast aerial journey across America, visiting locations made famous by movies such as Rocky, Citizen Kane, Forrest Gump and others.

Aerial America

A journey over America's western landscape featuring "wild" history and stories of colorful characters.

Air Disasters

On 15 September 1989, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aircraft tasked with intercepting Hurricane Hugo over the Caribbean islands is jolted by strong winds, causing an engine to catch fire and fail.

Air Disasters

Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 crashes beyond the runway while taking off from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

Air Disasters

Experts examine a departing DC-9 in Detroit which gets lost in the fog and ends up in the path of an oncoming 727.

Air Disasters

On 25 July 2000, a Concorde operating as Air France Flight 4590 stalled and crashed into a hotel in Gonesse shortly after takeoff from Charles de Gaulle Airport, killing all the 109 people on board and 4 on the ground.

Air Disasters

Following three air crash investigations in which examiners are pushed to the limit to crack the cases.

Air Disasters

Investigators struggle to explain why the plane slammed into a Portuguese mountaintop just minutes from the runway.

Air Disasters

On 18 June 1972, British European Airways Flight 548 stalls and crashes in a field near Staines shortly after takeoff from London Heathrow Airport, killing all 118 people on board.

Air Disasters

On Dec. 22, 1996, Airborne Express Flight 827 crashes into mountainous terrain near Narrows, Va., during a functional evaluation flight, killing all six occupants; the investigation finds that the pilots made improper flight control inputs.