Blue Thunder is a 1983 feature film that features a high-tech helicopter of the same name. The movie was directed by John Badham and stars Roy Scheider. A spinoff television series also entitled Blue Thunder lasted eleven episodes in 1984 . Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (500x756, 55 KB) Summary Blue Thunder movie poster Licensing This image is of a movie poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the movie or the studio which produced the movie in question. ... John Badham (born August 25, 1939, UK) is a film director. ... Dan OBannon (born Daniel Thomas OBannon on September 30, 1946 in St. ... Roy Richard Scheider (born November 10, 1932 in Orange, New Jersey) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-nominated American actor. ... Malcolm McDowell (born June 13, 1943) is an English actor probably best known for his portrayal of Alex in A Clockwork Orange. ... Arthur B. Rubinstein (born March 31, 1938 in Brooklyn, New York) is a composer and behind in particular several TV series soundtracks, but also occasional film scores, possibly most notably work such as Video Fever and Edge of the World in the film WarGames. ... John Alonzo (born June 12, 1926 in Dallas, Texas, died March 13, 2001) was an American cinematographer who pioneered hand held work, lighting techniques and HD development during his career. ... Frank Morriss, a graduate of Beverly Hills High School, an Emmy award winning film editor[1], was a three sport varsity letterman at Beverly. ... The Columbia Pictures logo from 1993 to the present Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Blue Thunder may refer to: Blue Thunder, a 1983 feature film that features a high-tech helicopter of the same name Blue Thunder (truck), a monster truck currently racing in the USHRA Monster Jam series Blue Thunder, a song by Galaxie 500 from their 1989 album On Fire Category: ... // February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Lets Spend the Night Together opens in New York North Americas Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Tootsie Trading Places, starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy WarGames, starring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy Superman III Flashdance Staying Alive Octopussy Mr. ... A reel of film, which predates digital cinematography. ... For other uses, see Helicopter (disambiguation). ... John Badham (born August 25, 1939, UK) is a film director. ... Roy Richard Scheider (born November 10, 1932 in Orange, New Jersey) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-nominated American actor. ... A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a new company formed from a university research group. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... Blue Thunder was a 1984 ABC TV series based on the movie of the same title. ...

Plot synopsis

The film revolves around Frank Murphy, a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) helicopter pilot and troubled Vietnam War veteran. Amid a family crisis, he is selected to pilot the world's most advanced helicopter, nicknamed "Blue Thunder", which is essentially a military style combat helicopter supposedly intended for police use as a surveillance platform and for large crowd control missions. With powerful armament, stealth technology that allows it to fly virtually undetected, and other accoutrements (such as infrared scanners, powerful microphones and cameras, and a U-Matic VCR), Blue Thunder appears to be a formidable tool in the war on crime that the LAPD readily accepts. This article is about motion pictures. ... “LAPD” redirects here. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... F-117 stealth attack plane Stealth technology is a sub-discipline of electronic countermeasures which covers a range of techniques used with aircraft, ships and missiles, in order to make them less visible (ideally invisible) to radar, infrared and other detection methods. ... For other uses, see Infrared (disambiguation). ... Sony U-matic VTR BVU-800 A U-matic tape U-matic is the name of a videocassette format developed by Sony in 1969. ... The video cassette recorder (or VCR, less popularly video tape recorder) is a type of video tape recorder that uses removable cassettes containing magnetic tape to record audio and video from a television broadcast so it can be played back later. ...

When the death of Councilwoman Diane McNeely turns out to be more than just a random killing, Murphy begins his own investigation. He discovers that a subversive action group, using the acronym THOR (Tactical Helicopter Offensive Response—the "proposed use of military helicopters to quell disorder"), is intending to use Blue Thunder to carry out their mission that involves secretly eliminating political undesirables. Murphy immediately suspects that his old nemesis from the war, Lt. Colonel F.E. Cochrane, who is actually the primary test pilot for Blue Thunder, is hiding something. After following Lt. Colonel Cochrane and using the technology on board Blue Thunder to record a meeting Cochrane has with others planning to use Blue Thunder for nefarious purposes, Frank must try to get the video tape to a television station before he gets killed. The final showdown between him and Lt. Colonel Cochrane, who pilots a dual 30mm cannon equipped Hughes/McDonnell Douglas MD500 helicopter against Blue Thunder, takes place over Los Angeles and includes a battle with two F-16 fighters. After pulling off a spectacular loop Murphy shoots down Cochrane, and then destroys Blue Thunder by landing it in front of a freight train. The MD Helicopters MD 500 series is a family of light utility civilian and military helicopters. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American multirole jet fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin for the United States Air Force. ... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ...

Main cast of characters

• Roy Scheider: Frank Murphy
• Malcolm McDowell: Lt. Colonel Cochrane
• Warren Oates: Captain Jack Braddock
• Candy Clark: Kate
• Daniel Stern: Officer Richard Lymangood ("JAFO"—"Just Another Fucking Observer")

Roy Richard Scheider (born November 10, 1932 in Orange, New Jersey) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-nominated American actor. ... Malcolm McDowell (born June 13, 1943) is an English actor probably best known for his portrayal of Alex in A Clockwork Orange. ... Warren Oates (July 5, 1928 – April 3, 1982) was an American character actor best known for his performances in several films directed by Sam Peckinpah including The Wild Bunch (1969) and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974). ... Candace June Clark (born June 20, 1947) is an Oscar-nominated American film and television actress. ... Daniel Stern (born August 28, 1957), is an American television and film actor. ...

Trivia

• The type of helicopter used for Blue Thunder was a French-made Aérospatiale SA-341G Gazelle modified with bolt-on parts and an Apache-style canopy. Two helicopters were used in the filming of the movie in case one was grounded for maintenance issues. 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 at the end of the film was carried out by a radio controlled model.
• The helicopter and Los Angeles television station had a 3/4" Sony U-Matic VCR . It was one of the first successful cassette-based videotape formats, and used as a broadcast standard for nearly 25 years.
• 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 Helmet And Display Sight System" (IHADSS), 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 show was canceled 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 used to be visible on the backlot tour of MGM Studios in Florida. It has not been present in the 'bone yard' since at least 2005. Previous images can be found here.
• 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.^{[citation needed]}
• The first draft screenplay for Blue Thunder featured Frank Murphy as more of a crazy main character with deeper psychological issues, who literally went on a rampage and destroyed a lot more of the city.

The Aérospatiale Corvette first flew in 1970 and went into service in 1974. ... The Gazelle is a French-designed helicopter, created by the company Sud Aviation, that later became Aérospatiale, and later still Eurocopter. ... The AH-64 Apache is the United States Armys principal attack helicopter, and is the successor to the AH-1 Cobra. ... The raised canopy of a Vans RV-7A A canopy is the transparent enclosure over the cockpit of an aircraft. ... This radio control airplane is carrying a scale model of X-33 and is taking part in NASA research. ... Sony U-matic VTR BVU-800 A U-matic tape U-matic is the name of a videocassette format developed by Sony in 1969. ... The video cassette recorder (or VCR, less popularly video tape recorder) is a type of video tape recorder that uses removable cassettes containing magnetic tape to record audio and video from a television broadcast so it can be played back later. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American multirole jet fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin for the United States Air Force. ... March Air Reserve Base (IATA: RIV, ICAO: KRIV, FAA LID: RIV) is a base of the U.S. Air Force Reserve in Riverside County, California, between the cities of Riverside and Moreno Valley. ... Nickname: Location in the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Riverside Government  - Mayor Ron Loveridge Area  - City  78. ... Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) was a former United States Air Force command. ... Edwards Air Force Base (IATA: EDW, ICAO: KEDW) is a United States Air Force airbase located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley, 7 miles (11 km) due east of Rosamond. ... The AH-64 Apache is the United States Armys principal attack helicopter, and is the successor to the AH-1 Cobra. ... The Hughes M230 Chain Gun is a 30 mm automatic cannon developed and manufactured by Hughes (McDonnell Douglas). ... Blue Thunder was a 1984 ABC TV series based on the movie of the same title. ... James Farentino (born February 24, 1938 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor. ... Dana Thomas Carvey (born April 2, 1955, in Missoula, Montana) is an American actor and comedian best known for his work on Saturday Night Live and the spin-off movie Waynes World. ... The ball used in American football has a pointed oval shape, and usually has a large set of stitches along one side. ... Charles Aaron Bubba Smith (born February 28, 1945 in Orange, Texas) is an American actor and former athlete. ... Dick Butkus (born December 9, 1942) is a former American football player and actor. ... Airwolf was an American television series that ran from 1984 through 1986. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... The Southfork Ranch, home of the Ewing family The original cast of Dallas. ... For alternate meanings of MGM, see MGM (disambiguation). ... John Badham (born August 25, 1939, UK) is a film director. ... An 1865 Gatling gun. ...

Other appearances

• Thunder Blade (alternatively titled Blue Thunder) is a SEGA video game that is based loosely on the movie.
• Blue Thunder, a game for the Action Max, using footage from the movie.
• Blue Thunder, a Harrier Attack-inspired helicopter-based action game for the ZX Spectrum [4], Atari 8 bit ^[1] and Commodore 64 ^[2] home computers, was related to the film in name only.
• In a television commercial for Wang Laboratories, a modified Blue Thunder with wing mounted missiles was featured, sneaking up and hovering outside of a skyscraper's windows, to intimidate a competitor.
• The ABC TV miniseries Amerika from the late 80s, about the invasion of the U.S. by the U.S.S.R., featured two Blue Thunder helicopters, painted black and wearing Red Star insignias, posing as Russian helicopters on patrol.
• In the 2005 Doctor Who episode "Dalek", Blue Thunder appears in stock footage as "Bad Wolf 1", the villain's helicopter.
• Matchbox released a die-cast toy model in 1985 named "Mission Helicopter". It is directly based on Blue Thunder.
• A French reprint of a Tom Clancy's Op-Center novel entitled Chaostage features a photo of Blue Thunder on the cover. ^[3]

This article is about the video game company. ... “Computer and video games” redirects here. ... Created in 1987 by Worlds of Wonder (toy company), the Action Max console used VHS Tapes as games. ... Harrier Attack was a game for the Amstrad and Spectrum from the early 1980s. ... The ZX Spectrum is a home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd. ... An Atari 800XL, one of the most popular machines in the series. ... C-64 redirects here. ... Wang logo circa 1976. ... Amerika – suggesting a Russian name for the United States – was an American television miniseries that was broadcast in 1987. ... For other uses, see Doctor Who (disambiguation). ... Matchbox Superfast box art. ... 1:64 scale toys 1:24 scale including models of a Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV, a Chrysler Concorde and a Chevy Express Van The term Die-cast toy here refers to any toy or collectible model produced by using the casting method. ... Tom Clancys Op-Center is a book series, created by Tom Clancy. ...

See also

• Airwolf
• Knight Rider
• Viper (TV series)
• Street Hawk

Airwolf was an American television series that ran from 1984 through 1986. ... For the American media company, see Knight Ridder. ... Viper was an action-adventure TV series about a special task force set up by the federal government to fight crime in fictional Metro City, California. ... Street Hawk was an American television series that aired for 13 episodes on ABC in 1985. ...

References

External links

• Blue Thunder (movie) at the Internet Movie Database
• Blue Thunder (TV series) at the Internet Movie Database
• Blue Thunder (video game) at the Internet Movie Database
• Blue Thunder unofficial home page
• Blue Thunder movie page on gregdonner.org