Helicopters & Gunships

[Wolfhound]

I took these with a crappy 110 camera in 1989. Fort Sherman Panama......

 

[Kutnupe14]

Does anybody remember the movie Blue Thunder? It pre-dated the introduction of the Apache. My dad was convinced that someone at the DoD was leaking secrets to Hollywood.

 

[Wolfhound]

Does anybody remember the movie Blue Thunder? It pre-dated the introduction of the Apache. My dad was convinced that someone at the DoD was leaking secrets to Hollywood.

That was a good movie in it's day. I borrowed this from Wiki:

Designer Mickey Michaels invented the helicopters used in the film after reviewing and rejecting various existing designs. The helicopters used for Blue Thunder were French built Aérospatiale SA-341G Gazelles modified with bolt-on parts and Apache-style canopies.[SUP][7][/SUP] Two modified Gazelle helicopters, a Hughes 500 helicopter, and two radio-controlled F-16 fighter models were used in the filming of the movie.[SUP][8][/SUP] The helicopters were purchased from Aérospatiale by Columbia Pictures for $190,000 each and flown to Cinema Air in Carlsbad, California where they were heavily modified for the film. These alterations made the helicopters 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 Murphy performs at the end of the film, which catches Cochrane so completely by surprise that he is easily shot down by Murphy's gunfire and killed, was carried out by a radio controlled model.

 

[Kutnupe14]

That was a good movie in it's day. I borrowed this from Wiki:

Designer Mickey Michaels invented the helicopters used in the film after reviewing and rejecting various existing designs. The helicopters used for Blue Thunder were French built Aérospatiale SA-341G Gazelles modified with bolt-on parts and Apache-style canopies.[SUP][7][/SUP] Two modified Gazelle helicopters, a Hughes 500 helicopter, and two radio-controlled F-16 fighter models were used in the filming of the movie.[SUP][8][/SUP] The helicopters were purchased from Aérospatiale by Columbia Pictures for $190,000 each and flown to Cinema Air in Carlsbad, California where they were heavily modified for the film. These alterations made the helicopters 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 Murphy performs at the end of the film, which catches Cochrane so completely by surprise that he is easily shot down by Murphy's gunfire and killed, was carried out by a radio controlled model.

Yeah, the pic above is the modified, Blue Thunder, version. It looks vastly different from an actual Gazelles (below). The thing that really had my dad curious, was the gun-to helmet tracking system, which BT also had. It was a relative "unknown" concept, until BT... and then when the Apache came afterwards, nipping at it's heels, it raised some eyebrows.

 

[Wolfhound]

Yeah, the pic above is the modified, Blue Thunder, version. It looks vastly different from an actual Gazelles (below). The thing that really had my dad curious, was the gun-to helmet tracking system, which BT also had. It was a relative "unknown" concept, until BT... and then when the Apache came afterwards, nipping at it's heels, it raised some eyebrows.

The gun tracking thing makes me wonder who copied who. Also, I am amazed by the price difference between a Gazelle and an Apache. The Gazelle is 200k and the AH-64E goes for a whooping 35.5 million. Wow so using those numbers (which are probably a little off) you could buy 177.5 Gazelles for the price of an Apache.

 

[flatlander]

I took these with a crappy 110 camera in 1989. Fort Sherman Panama......

Was that right in front of the barracks?
it looks like the lagoon where I dove in the background.

Bob

 

[actaeon277]

The gun tracking thing makes me wonder who copied who. Also, I am amazed by the price difference between a Gazelle and an Apache. The Gazelle is 200k and the AH-64E goes for a whooping 35.5 million. Wow so using those numbers (which are probably a little off) you could buy 177.5 Gazelles for the price of an Apache.

Quite a bit of difference in capabilities though.

 

[drumsscott]

That was a good movie in it's day. I borrowed this from Wiki:

Designer Mickey Michaels invented the helicopters used in the film after reviewing and rejecting various existing designs. The helicopters used for Blue Thunder were French built Aérospatiale SA-341G Gazelles modified with bolt-on parts and Apache-style canopies.[SUP][7][/SUP] Two modified Gazelle helicopters, a Hughes 500 helicopter, and two radio-controlled F-16 fighter models were used in the filming of the movie.[SUP][8][/SUP] The helicopters were purchased from Aérospatiale by Columbia Pictures for $190,000 each and flown to Cinema Air in Carlsbad, California where they were heavily modified for the film. These alterations made the helicopters 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 Murphy performs at the end of the film, which catches Cochrane so completely by surprise that he is easily shot down by Murphy's gunfire and killed, was carried out by a radio controlled model.

Larry Jolly was the RC pilot for both Blue Thunder & Airwolf. Another great helicopter movie is " Birds of Prey"
Blue Thunder was a good movie and made me a big fan (no pun) of the fenestron fantail. Another reason why I like BK's & the Eurocopter Dauphin, they just look sharp!

 

[Wolfhound]

Was that right in front of the barracks?
it looks like the lagoon where I dove in the background.

Bob

Yes sir, right behind the line of barracks. The bay was in front of the barracks and the airstrip and lagoon were behind. I swam across that lagoon during jungle training with a rucksack, LBE and M249 inside a poncho raft. Lol

 

[Wolfhound]

Quite a bit of difference in capabilities though.

Agreed, like comparing a Pinto to a Ferrari.

 

[Wolfhound]

Larry Jolly was the RC pilot for both Blue Thunder & Airwolf. Another great helicopter movie is " Birds of Prey"
Blue Thunder was a good movie and made me a big fan (no pun) of the fenestron fantail. Another reason why I like BK's & the Eurocopter Dauphin, they just look sharp!

Airwolf was a great show. I will have to check into Birds of Prey.

 

[actaeon277]

 

[actaeon277]

Airwolf was a great show. I will have to check into Birds of Prey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLFqeXm_5X4

[video=youtube;pLFqeXm_5X4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLFqeXm_5X4[/video]



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULfmowbNlK0

[video=youtube;ULfmowbNlK0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULfmowbNlK0[/video]

 

[Wolfhound]

Awesome picture. That sub has the "hangar" for the Seal mini-sub right?

 

[actaeon277]

Agreed, like comparing a Pinto to a Ferrari.

Or like strapping a couple machine guns to the front of an SUV, and saying it's cheaper than a tank.

 

[actaeon277]

Awesome picture. That sub has the "hangar" for the Seal mini-sub right?

Yes, it's a "Dry Deck Shelter".
https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/dds.htm

https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/docs/990100-drydeck.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_deck_shelter


It can contain a SDV (SEAL Delivery Vehicle), or a CRRC (Combat Rubber Raiding Craft)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEAL_Delivery_Vehicle


Here you can see the propeller of a SDV, in our starboard DDS.
Yes, this is one of my pics.

And a video, not mine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiQBUN5yeME

[video=youtube;MiQBUN5yeME]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiQBUN5yeME[/video]



It is weird that it was super secret back in my day, all kinds of lectures. Now it's on the internet. Course, now it's decades past it's date.

 

[actaeon277]

It was our bread and butter.

 

[Wolfhound]

Thanks for posting that information. That is pretty high speed. I can understand why the Navy would want to keep that secret for as long as possible. The Russians and others probably had it all figured out within a few years. When we deployed to Panama they ran us up the canal from Howard Air Force base to Fort Sherman in an LCM. One of the first things we passed was a Russian spy ship right there in the canal at Gatun Lake. They were taking pictures and videos of course.

 

[churchmouse]

Quite a bit of difference in capabilities though.

Huge differences in capability's.

 

[actaeon277]

I think the copter was a The US Navy -- Fact File: H-3 Sea King helicopter