Hi!

Im working on finishing a highly unofficial Aliens essay and I’m currently trying to track down what kind of aircraft tow truck was used when creating the APC. Do you have any pictures or other technical figures on it? Problem is that the weight figures of 77 or 74 tons given by Gale A. Hurd and others of the film crew don’t match vehicles used in the UK in the early eighties as the heaviest (Douglas Tug Master DC-14) just reaches 70 tons (70.308kg).

Thanks
Jonsey

Hi,

Welcome to the AL.

What a cool user name!

Cheers,

Andy

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A72/TQ6.6.95356E8





"I plan to live forever.........or die trying!"

You have access to data about aircraft tugs? Cool!
The name of the manufacturer is on the blueprints. I think it was Hunslet. Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Stefan

The Douglas DC14 certainly looks the part:



http://www.aerogse.com/aircraft-pushback-a566-p-42.html

So I've emailed them to ask:

http://www.douglas-equipment.co.uk/

But I found a company called Hallam that also make airport tugs:

http://buysellgse.com/pages/dir_details.cfm?ID=521

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."

Thanks every one, its a pleasure being around.

They have done a great job masking the Tug. As it was a professional car firm that did it I don't expect to find anything visually to confirm the Tug model on the APC except maybe the groves (tire-patterns) in the tires, and even these they have tried to mask. Problems are also finding a tug that is old enough.

Do anyone have authentic measurements of the APC as length and width?



Stefan, could you confirm the name on the blueprint is Hunslet?

Meow
/ Jonsey

I'm pretty sure it was Hunslet as a search for the name turned up lot's of locomotives but no aircraft tug

Anyone with the plans at hand to confirm this?

Cheers,
Stefan

PS: Only the name Hunslet was give for the base vehicle - so it could be the name of the manufacturer, the vehicle-type or even some other reference to the vehicle.

There is one mention of "Hunslet" that I can see. A small annotation says "Height line- Hunslet body"

Cheers

Darren

Maybe they got Hunslet to design and/or fabricate the body panels of the APC?

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Steve
Corporal in 69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homer’s Heroes.

"I'd like to die at the age of 80 in my own bed, with a belly full of wine and a girl's mouth around my c**k."

THIS suggests that Hunslet did make airport vehicles at some point. Not that helpful though.

If I recall correctly, it was an Ex British Airways tug.

That might help narrow it down a bit if you can find some BA aficionado.

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Sgt A. Richardson CMD A04/TQ1.0.02151E1

That’s just in line of what I my info points at. The only tug (at the moment) big enough for weight figures given was the Douglas DC 14 and British airways (+ Brit. Caledonian and KLM) had these at least in around 1983.

Also sorry for repeating my self just so it isn’t bypassed in the thread:

Anyone have the authentic measurements of the APC used in the movie as the length and width?

It would help a lot .

Many Meows /Jonsey

According to the Cinefex article the tug was sourced from Heathrow and weighed 72 tons. The studio metalwork shop was too busy to mod it and they sent it to an outside company that works in ferrous and non-ferrous building materials...

That's all they say - but every bit of info might help.

I seem to recall Mercedes being mentioned somewhere but a lot of large vehicles use Mercedes diesel engines...

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Jon

'Do not go where the path may lead: go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.'

Anyone up for a group buy and refit when we find out what it was made from? :p

Who gets to keep it?

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

Whoever has the most space to store it?

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F*%&! I got It. I got it. OMG I GOT IT BIG. I CANT BELIEVE IT. Im actually in shock!!!!

1.000 000 Thanks to everyone for your help.

Once I finish the essay you will jump out of your chairs. I promise, best stuff ever seen. JEsus!!! Interior plans - EVERY THING.

// Jonsey * passed out on his way to the sanatorium.

I look forward to it.

I remember going to Heathrow once and getting slightly excited when I saw one of those jumbo jet towing vehicles (I think it was one used for Jumbos that was used for Aliens - you probably know for sure now).

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The Colony - My collection and current prop projects.
My YouTube Videos

This is what I have on it:


The A.P.C. was built over an old airport tug.
It was built by a firm on "Slough Trading Estate" (industrial park) who the SFX department recommended, and the outside shell was dropped over the top of the tug.

The working APC was stripped down from 72 tons to 28 tons
(getting rid of 4 inch steel plating and the lead lined wheels).
Then they put 1/4 inch steel around it and dressed it up.
It had four wheel drive and four wheel steering.

The base aircraft tug was loaned to the production from
Heathrow International Airport.
The airport also provided a driver, trained in operating the vechicle.
----------------------------


I've always figured that if a list can be found showing the companies that were located in the Slough Trading Estate,
during the time of the production, it would just be a matter of contacting each of them to find out if they know anything.

If companies can repro WWII vehicles, they can probably do something like this, and a lot lighter than 28 tons.

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Rob Slater
A08/TQ2.0.42136E1

Ok! As I already love you all here who likes Aliens Ill tell you. Here is what happened. I talked to friend of mine who is a railway specialist. He thought it was interesting and mailed the Hunslet Railway company just as Stefan Bug Stomper said.

Guess What!!

Quote:
"We can confirm that we did at one time produce Air Towing tractors for airports in the UK. These were known as " Air Tugs" but their proper name was Air Towing Tractor, Model ATT77...

...The last time we saw one of these machines was when it was converted to an armoured personnel vehicle for use at Pinewood Studios for the blockbuster "Aliens"

We trust this clarifies the situation for you.
Best regards,

John Bywater

Hunslet Engine Company - Leeds"

It sure did!! So here he is plus a very nice cut away view of it for all the modellers and fans. Its big and I hope it fits. I got all the stats too if anyone is interested in measurements. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post the pics here but the Hunslet guys where just wonderful so we have to be very thankful (also I think the Aliens community needed them since 1986). Plz dont shoot me (any way my friend will if he finds out).

Sooo Purrrrrrrrrrrfect
/ Jonsey

Nice bit of detective work! Thanks for sharing the information and images!

Russ

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"A writer needs a pen, a painter a brush, and a filmmaker an army." - Orson Wells.

http://www.rookscastle.com
http://www.alchemyarms.com

Great Work Jonsey! Would love to have those measurements if you wouldnt mind.

No problem. Hmmm I do it like this if its ok:


/Jonsey

There's a pic of the APC somewhere which show the wheels before they had the covers and armour plates added...


Oh... here it is:



So those wheels and tyres look like a match...

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Jon

'Do not go where the path may lead: go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.'

That worked perrrrfectly Jonsey.

Thanks