Blue Thunder!!

[klmmarine]

I'm watching Blue Thunder on TV tonight, brings back childhood memories.

 

What type of aircraft did they use to film that movie? It looks like a modified Gazelle, or was it all models?

[FUSE]

If Wikipedia is correct it was an Aérospatiale Gazelle modified with bolt-on parts and an Apache-style canopy. These alterations made the helicopter so heavy that various tricks had to be employed to make it look fast and agile in the film. For instance, the 360° loop maneuver at the end of the film was carried out by a radio controlled model.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Thunder

 

Some more interesting trivia about Blue Thunder (again assuming Wikipedia is correct)

 

The type of helicopter used for Blue Thunder was a French-made Aérospatiale Gazelle—modified with bolt-on parts and an Apache-style canopy. These alterations made the helicopter so heavy that various tricks had to be employed to make it look fast and agile in the film. For instance, the 360° loop maneuver at the end of the film was carried out by a radio controlled model.

 

The helicopter and at least one Los Angeles television station had a 3/4 " Sony U-Matic VCR. It was one of the first VCR formats in use and was largely transitional. It found limited use in the broadcast industry but never became a consumer product, as did (briefly) Sony's Betamax and (not-so-briefly) Matsushita's VHS formats.

 

This was one of Warren Oates' last films before his death. He died of a heart attack after making this film. This film is dedicated to him. He made one movie and one TV episode that were released after Blue Thunder.

 

The two F-16 Fighting Falcons were actually scale models.

 

The F-16 pilots are supposedly operational air defense alert pilots from March Air Force Base, in Riverside, California. However, they are wearing Air Force Systems Command patches on their chests, and shoulder patches from the 445th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, which was a flight test unit, manned solely by test pilots. The 445th did not participate in combat operations.

 

A caption at the beginning of the Blue Thunder movie states that all the high-tech-equipment features of the helicopter are real and were actually used by the military at the time.

 

The helmet-controlled gun turret and targeting system was inspired by the AH-64 Apache, which uses an "Integrated Display and Sight System", wherein the nose-mounted sensors and the 30-mm chain gun are linked to the pilot's helmet.

 

The television series cast included James Farentino, Dana Carvey, and former professional American football players Bubba Smith and Dick Butkus. The 11-episode series was released as a region 1 DVD in August 2006. The show was cancelled by ABC after they felt the similar Airwolf on CBS would win the ratings battle. Also, the series aired at the same time as the CBS series "Dallas" on Friday nights, and lost.

The bolt-on cockpit of the original helicopter is currently in deplorable shape on a backlot of MGM studios in Florida. It can be seen on the backlot tour from the tram.

 

A defense contractor offered to donate fifty million rounds of live ammunition to director John Badham for Blue Thunder's Gatling gun. Badham declined the offer.

 

[icqa]

Great movie, so so TV series. Blue Thunder was built on a Gazelle. Both full size and RC models were used. The F-16s were obviously models. The loop at the end was done with an RC. Look closely for the flybars. Most RCs have them.

[Gunner]

As a kid I used to flip through the pages of my fathers Trade A Plane. They had an add for the actual Blue Thunder used in the movie for sale... This was back in the mid 80's but it was very cool. If I can remember correctly they wanted $1M.

[klmmarine]

I used to sit in a kitchen chair with a broomstick between my legs and a full face motorcycle helmet on, while making the sound effects of a chain gun. I used to wear that same helmet and race around on my bike while pretending to be Stringfellow Hawk.

 

Then my wife told my I had to go out and get a job or she'd leave

 

I've heard that they are installing "Whisper Mode" in the AH-69...

 

http://helicopterforum.verticalreference.com/helicopterfor...?showtopic=5891

Edited March 19, 2007 by klmmarine

[Kc135Delta]

A defense contractor offered to donate fifty million rounds of live ammunition to director John Badham for Blue Thunder's Gatling gun. Badham declined the offer.

 

that's about 80million dollars! That can't be correct...