Emergency testing a Boeing's brakes equals awesome

Modern-day supercars typically come with brake discs and pads made from exotic carbon and steel compounds, and are more than a foot in diameter. As you would expect, they are capable of hauling the exotic machinery they are attached to from speeds of over 200 miles per hour back down to zero with physics-defying alacrity.

But even the most high-tech automotive brakes have got nuthin' on the binders holding back the latest Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of the brakes of its massive aircraft, Boeing ground away every last bit of of the carbon surfaces that normally handle braking duties. In other words, these brakes were ready for replacement and would never even have sniffed a runway in real life. In order to pass the test, the 747-8 needs to stop from 200 miles per hour to simulate an aborted takeoff, and it must do so using only its brakes – no reverse thrusters allowed.

Also, it's worth mentioning that the fully-loaded airplane weighs in at more than 975,000 pounds. That bears repeating: A million pounds!

So, does the million-pound airliner pass this ultimate rejected takeoff test? Check out the video after the break to see for yourself.

The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.