Veritasium: What happens if you throw sand into a jet engine?

What happens if you throw sand into a jet engine?

In this Veritasium deep-dive, Derek Muller peels back the layers of a jet engine—from air intake and combustion to the roaring turbine—showing how precision-cast, single-crystal nickel superalloys and intricate cooling channels keep blades from melting in 2,000°F temperatures. You get a behind-the-scenes tour of Rolls-Royce’s casting floor, the science of gamma-prime strengthening, and the microstructure magic that makes modern engines possible.

Then comes the ultimate stress test: tossing sand into the intake. Watch tiny silicate grains erode protective coatings, fuse into glass, and wreak havoc on blade edges—demonstrating exactly why volcanic ash and desert dust are every pilot’s nightmare.

Watch on YouTube