wanttaja@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ronald J Wanttaja) (09/04/84)
Saw "Red Dawn" again the other night, political/realism/left*right wing flames aside, I feel it is a pretty good shoot-em-up. Did everybody catch the Joe Bob review of this movie? Classic! Anyway, I digress. One thing I really liked about this movie was the accurate Sovblok hardware. The buddy I went with had the same opinion, and he's a Ranger at Fort Lewis. I could see how the producers got most of the gear, or mocked it up like the fighters at the airbase. But: WHERE DID THEY GET THOSE (operating) HELICOPTERS??? They appear to be Hind-A models, but close inspection with Jane's shows some differences. Does anyone have any information about the helos used in this movie? Do the Soviets have a export civil version of the Hind? Were they modified Westlands? The aircraft credits listed "Wright Aviation International"... anyone know anything about this company? Ron Wanttaja (ssc-vax!wanttaja)
Carter@RUTGERS.ARPA (09/06/84)
From: _Bob <Carter@RUTGERS.ARPA>
From: ihnp4!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!wanttaja at Ucb-Vax.arpa
WHERE DID THEY GET THOSE (operating) HELICOPTERS???
They appear to be Hind-A models, but close inspection with Jane's shows
some differences. Does anyone have any information about the helos used
in this movie? Do the Soviets have a export civil version of the Hind?
There was a piece in a recent issue of 'Soldier of Fortune' about how
the producers mocked up Soviet bloc equipment for this film. Sorry,
but I don't remember the month.
The helicopters were in fact disguised western models, if I recall
correctly.
_BobCarter@RUTGERS.ARPA (09/07/84)
From: _Bob <Carter@RUTGERS.ARPA>
From: ihnp4!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!wanttaja at Ucb-Vax.arpa
WHERE DID THEY GET THOSE (operating) HELICOPTERS???
They appear to be Hind-A models, but close inspection with Jane's shows
some differences. Does anyone have any information about the helos used
in this movie? Do the Soviets have a export civil version of the Hind?
Here is the reference:
"SOF Movies, Apocalypse in America, SOF Looks at Milius' New Movie,"
by SOF Staff, Soldier of Fortune Magazine, September 1984, page 28.
Page 30
"The Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter is a different story.
Unobtainable outside the Soviet bloc, Milius had no choice but to
attempt a complete conversion. Clay Wright, creator of the
helicopter in @i(Blue Thunder) (see "Blue Thunder," SOF, October
1983), took three French Puma helicopters rented from a Louisiana oil
company and fitted them with pylons and false hull sections to
recreate the Hind. In the movie, the Hinds are used by the Russian
counterinsurgency unit to track the children through the mountains.
There are a few problems with the Hind replica, most notably four
rotor blades instead of five. The air intakes are a bit flat and the
rear wheels protrude too far to the side. But if one were shooting
at you, you probably wouldn't notice the difference. Excitement is
going to cover a lot of little irregularities."
_Bob
[P.S. Why is Milius unobtainable outside the Soviet bloc?]