Blue Thunder (helicopter)

To film Blue Thunder, the producers employed two examples of the French-made Aérospatiale SA-341G Gazelle light utility helicopter, serial numbers 1066 and 1075, both built in 1973.

After the film and TV series was made, both helicopters were sold to Michael E. Grube, an aviation salvage collector in Clovis, New Mexico.

[1] Grube then leased s/n 1066 (ex-N51BT[2]) to a film company that was shooting Amerika, an ABC television mini-series about Soviet occupation of the United States; the helicopters were painted black with red tail stripe and numbering, missile launchers were installed on the pylons, and the surveillance microphones were removed on both.

[3] (This aircraft was built and flown by modeller and RC helicopter manufacturer John Simone Jr.)[3] Described in the film as having 1 in (25 mm) "NORDOC-NATO armor".

Blue Thunder had a chin turret with an electric 20 mm (0.79 in) six-barrel rotary cannon capable of a rate of fire of 4,000 rounds per minute.