It may be clear to some of you guys more versed in the intricacies... But how long do you think the rescue party (ie Ripley and co) is on LV-426?

They land, search, get ambushed, barricade and hold out... But for how long before Bishop goes to remote pilot the second drop ship down?

48 hours max? Less?

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A02/TQ2.0.52141E1

"Errr... Roger that's a 2-1-6..."

I'd say it's less than 48, maybe 30-ish. Newt and Ripley have time for a nap, after that I think the film is pretty much in real time (minus the sped-up Ripley/Rambo scene and the journey back to the Sulaco.)

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AKA: Simon

Yes... In operations, Hicks implies it may have been 24 hours since Ripley slept... She goes for the nap and then it goes bent... So 30 hours may be about right...

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A02/TQ2.0.52141E1

"Errr... Roger that's a 2-1-6..."

I estimate about 9 hours from waking to departing the Sulaco. It's another 5 and a half hours before everything goes pear shaped in the AP. If Hicks was correct and Ripley hasn't slept since they all woke from hypersleep, then there's another 10 hours or so to get back to the colony and barricade themselves in. However shortly before Hicks mentions the 24 hour thing, Bishop says there's 4 hours until the AP blows.

So if we say it was 28 hours - give or take - from waking till AP explosion, minus 9 hours on the Sulaco, minus nearly an hour flight time from the Sulaco to Hadley gives us about 18 hours on the ground.

Approximately.

Not long at all... It makes you wonder why they didn't think about remote piloting the ship sooner...

Perhaps just basic instinct to get back and shut themselves in... Thinking the sentries and barricades would hold... Then thinking more out of the box later when it came to light they needed to get off the planet ASAP and awaiting rescue wasn't an option...

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A02/TQ2.0.52141E1

"Errr... Roger that's a 2-1-6..."

Yeah, you'd think they'd factor in remote piloting the ship down as part of their survival plans. Barricade themselves in, then work out how to escape.

For all Hudson's whining, I think they knew he was right when he said they wouldn't last seventeen hours.