Blue Thunder

Blue Thunder was a high tech helicopter (Sci-Fi really) that was in a 1980’s movie and then a campy television show. The helicopter used for Blue Thunder was a French-made Aérospatiale SA-341G Gazelle modified with bolt-on parts and an Apache-style canopy (BTW: I always keep this in Sci-Fi realm because the real copter did not fly well and they often had to use a model).

The box is a simple graphic with back page overview and Styrofoam tray.

There is some simple assembly required (put together rotor) and it comes with flat plain base (I put it away… looks like drink coaster).

The detailing and craftsmanship are wonderful and I am grateful I bought it when I did.

The cockpit snaps off and inside is some anonymous figure (can you tell if it is Roy Scheider??).

Great detail again, you even have seat belts and fire extinguisher inside.

The rear rotor spins (hard to do with finger), which could have easily been solid plastic and underlies the quality.

One weird thing i can’t recall if from the movie…the black paint on the die-cast parts is bubbly and rough looking. The paint does not flake off, it is universally textured on fuselage, and the non-black parts next to it look fine…so I will assume it is not a flaw in the paint.

Overall, I pre-ordered the TV version… which was cancelled and makes me even happier I bought this baby when I did. It goes right next to Airwolf in my collection and my 80’s Sci-Fi heart.

(BTW: you may have noticed the plastic wrap on my Flexi-stand version one. The black rubber toppers degrade and leave black marks on collectibles. Plastic wrapped taped down solves issue…one unwrapped, looks fine normally.)