Fictional MiG-31 and The Movie "Firefox"

[SOC]

Believe it or not, I actually have an RCS engineering book that
discusses the Firefox design.

The faceted nose was actually not too bad for pure speculation.

And Joe 90? No idea what that it, but Firefox was a Craig Thomas novel.

And Clint Eastwood's best movie was Kelly's Heroes, come on.

 

[Stargazer]

It was Honky-Tonk Man as far as I'm concerned... :

 

[saturncanuck]

However, the story is a rip-off the the "Joe 90" pilot.

for those who don't know Joe90

is Gerry Anderson Marionett Series
the Pilot is about Boy who steals a Soviet super fighter

[flash=200,200]http://www.veoh.com/collection/joe90/watch/v838613XPbaZYwa[/flash]

Yes, sorry, being a Gerry Anderson fan I assume everyone is.

Ok, so, the plot of the Joe 90 episode concerns the most advanced Soviet fighter, the MiG-242. It is the fastest fighter and nothing like it in the West. Joe is smuggled in to the testing facility where he steals the jet. Then, other MiG-242s are sent after him and he destroys them. He also destroys a Soviet missile base that has fired on him. He successfully takes the aircraft back to England.

The plot is very similar to that later used by Craig Thomas (Joe 90 came out in 1968 and the novel was published in 1977). Many elements are the same -- advanced Soviet MiG, the same aircraft sent after it which are destroyed, destroying a missile base (in the novel a russian ship). Although the Novel is more "adult" than a children's show, the basic plot elements remain.

Anyway, there it is.

Oh, although not mentioned in the script, the MiG-242 was named "Figment".

 

[Stargazer]

Thanks for the update on Joe 90. Although a Gerry Anderson fan from an early age, we only got to see TWO of his shows here in France when I was a kid: Thunderbirds (variously translated as "Les Sentinelles de l'Air" or "Lady Penelope"!) and Space 1999. I was a huge fan of both! UFO ended up being shown once in 1987 I think (I was abroad at the time), but I'm not aware of any re-runs other than maybe specialized channels.

 

[robunos]

If it's not too OT,
here's the 'MiG-242',

from 'ITC SF Mecha Graffiti', a japanese language book about the Gerry Anderson shows, that I picked up 20-odd years ago...
I think the 'MiG-242', looks really good, and very 'russian', considering it's just a re-built 'Angel Interceptor', from 'Captain Scarlet',

cheers,
Robin.

 

[saturncanuck]

Thanks for the update on Joe 90. Although a Gerry Anderson fan from an early age, we only got to see TWO of his shows here in France when I was a kid: Thunderbirds (variously translated as "Les Sentinelles de l'Air" or "Lady Penelope"!) and Space 1999. I was a huge fan of both! UFO ended up being shown once in 1987 I think (I was abroad at the time), but I'm not aware of any re-runs other than maybe specialized channels.

The first Gerry Anderson show I saw was Thunderbirds, but I have seen them all now -- except Fireball XL5 and Supercar.

If you are a fan, check out this site. You can watch the shows again.

http://www.andersontv.co.uk/

 

[Stargazer]

Will do... Thanks!

 

[saturncanuck]

If it's not too OT,
here's the 'MiG-242',

from 'ITC SF Mecha Graffiti', a japanese language book about the Gerry Anderson shows, that I picked up 20-odd years ago...
I think the 'MiG-242', looks really good, and very 'russian', considering it's just a re-built 'Angel Interceptor', from 'Captain Scarlet',

cheers,
Robin.

OMG I have this book too!

I got it at a Comic Store here in Toronto back in the early 80s.

Yes, the MiG-242 was a rebuilt Angel, but looks very Russian. The MiG was designed by Mike Trim and used the Angel Interceptor as they had spent a lot of money making a detailed cockpit for the Angel, and then used this (re-dressed) for many other aircraft over the years, which explains the re-use.

Check out, "The Future Was FAB -- The Art of Mike Trim" from Hermes Press. It has a lot of designs from Gerry Anderson and beyond.

 

[Triton]

Fans of Gerry Anderson television programs might also be interested in the website of special effects model maker Martin Bower, Martin Bower's Model World.
http://www.martinbowersmodelworld.com/

 

[saturncanuck]

Wow!

Did this thread change topics or what?

 

[Hammer Birchgrove]

Thanks for the update on Joe 90. Although a Gerry Anderson fan from an early age, we only got to see TWO of his shows here in France when I was a kid: Thunderbirds (variously translated as "Les Sentinelles de l'Air" or "Lady Penelope"!) and Space 1999. I was a huge fan of both! UFO ended up being shown once in 1987 I think (I was abroad at the time), but I'm not aware of any re-runs other than maybe specialized channels.

I've only seen those two shows as well. Bought the first season of Space:1999 half a year ago, and re-seen those episodes.

 

[saturncanuck]

Thanks for the update on Joe 90. Although a Gerry Anderson fan from an early age, we only got to see TWO of his shows here in France when I was a kid: Thunderbirds (variously translated as "Les Sentinelles de l'Air" or "Lady Penelope"!) and Space 1999. I was a huge fan of both! UFO ended up being shown once in 1987 I think (I was abroad at the time), but I'm not aware of any re-runs other than maybe specialized channels.

I've only seen those two shows as well. Bought the first season of Space:1999 half a year ago, and re-seen those episodes.

Another good one is Doppelganger (Journey to the Far Side of the Sun). They travel to a planet on the other side of the sun and its a duplicate, mirror image of Earth. Not a great movie overall, but awesome aircraft/spacecraft.

 

[robunos]

We,ve got some more 'Doppelganger' stuff here :-

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,2250.msg60421/highlight,doppelganger.html#msg60421


http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,7459.msg65003/highlight,doppelganger.html#msg65003


cheers,
Robin.

 

[Hammer Birchgrove]

Thanks for the update on Joe 90. Although a Gerry Anderson fan from an early age, we only got to see TWO of his shows here in France when I was a kid: Thunderbirds (variously translated as "Les Sentinelles de l'Air" or "Lady Penelope"!) and Space 1999. I was a huge fan of both! UFO ended up being shown once in 1987 I think (I was abroad at the time), but I'm not aware of any re-runs other than maybe specialized channels.

I've only seen those two shows as well. Bought the first season of Space:1999 half a year ago, and re-seen those episodes.

Another good one is Doppelganger (Journey to the Far Side of the Sun). They travel to a planet on the other side of the sun and its a duplicate, mirror image of Earth. Not a great movie overall, but awesome aircraft/spacecraft.

A plot that seems to be relatively common. There's a Canadian novel, a Swedish "pulp" style series of novels (by Olof Möller) and an adventure strip that, respectively, deals with a twin Earth, which is more or less similar to "our" Earth. Was there some serious thoughts among astronomers that a twin Earth would be possible, or at least a pseudo-science theory like "The Hollow Earth" concept?

 

[Stargazer]

Not to mention the whole counter-earth plot in Marvel Comics, which has been going on since the late 1960s... with interesting stuff like the early Warlock series and lots of cameo stories with the High Evolutionary, an earthman who has elected the counter-earth to make animals evolve into superior beings to rule over humans...
At DC there was no counter-earth, but a series of parallel Earths that existed in the same place of the universe but vibrating in a slightly different time/space continuum (if that means anything!). I grew up with these concepts of parallel earths and they are a great way to fictionize alternate realities and "what ifs" of our existing world.

 

[saturncanuck]

Wow, this thread is now way off topic!

Recap -- The movie Firefox; comparing the novel and movie; comparing Firefox to Joe 90; Joe 90 and other Gerry Anderson shows, like Thunderbirds; Doppelganger; mirror Earths.

Wow.

It's like playing "telephone".

 

[elmayerle]

However, the story is a rip-off the the "Joe 90" pilot.

for those who don't know Joe90

is Gerry Anderson Marionett Series
the Pilot is about Boy who steals a Soviet super fighter

[flash=200,200]http://www.veoh.com/collection/joe90/watch/v838613XPbaZYwa[/flash]

As SOC said, Firefos was based on a novel by Craig Thomas of the same name and, surprisingly for Hollywood, was fairly close to the book. I've heard, but can't prove, that Northrop's Bob Sandusky was involved in drawing up the Firefox configuration used in the movie.

 

[bagera3005]

i did firefox from movie an version if it was mead know a days

 

[fightingirish]

Re: Mig-31 "Firefox" / Craig Thomas RIP

Craig Thomas, who wrote the novel Firefox, has passed away at the age of 69.


Link: BBC News - Techno thriller writer Craig Thomas died

 

[Grey Havoc]

RIP.

 

[quellish]

As SOC said, Firefos was based on a novel by Craig Thomas of the same name and, surprisingly for Hollywood, was fairly close to the book. I've heard, but can't prove, that Northrop's Bob Sandusky was involved in drawing up the Firefox configuration used in the movie.

The Fuhs Radar Cross Section Lectures actually take a look at Firefox:
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a125576.pdf

 

[Archibald]

What did happened to Elmayerle, anyway ? it's a long time he didn't posted anywhere (here, the whatif modelers board)... :-[

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

He's still around, posting on "Beyond The Sprues" forum. He still logs on here but hasn't posted in ages.

 

[AeroFranz]

Too bad. His contributions have always been most informative.

 

[Boxman]

Images of the "MiG-31 Firefox" prop aircraft were recently posted by the San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) Archives on the Flickr Commons, as part of the Robert Kemp Collection.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/albums/72157691203954561

Here it is under construction (appears to be the color photo of the image previously posted by Triton).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/47010448852

The finished article.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/47062738751

What appears to be a small-scale model for bluescreen chroma key footage.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/47062739691

 

[Graham1973]

Here is a gallery of the covers for the novel down the years, from the MiG-25 like 'Firefox' on the original paperback to the films now iconic creation and a 1990 cover that became the first since the '70s to not depict that aircraft.

Firefox – Craig Thomas Companion

 

[rooster]

I can't believe there are not more photos of the prop in existence. I read they built a flying rc model for the movie. No pics of that either? What a shame!

That movie nearly inspired me to be a mechanical engineer but I went into physics instead.

 

[Graham1973]

Just found on a blog specializing in paperback covers a very MiG-25 looking 'Firefox' drawn by artist Lou Feck...

 

[archipeppe]

Just found on a blog specializing in paperback covers a very MiG-25 looking 'Firefox' drawn by artist Lou Feck...

Indeed the real MiG-31 is derived from the MiG-25.....

 

[robunos]

. . . and here's the picture it was drawn from . . .

Image:Mig25.682pix.jpg - Academic Kids

academickids.com

cheers,
Robin.

 

[Michel Van]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a31zPv5bljg

 

[Dynoman]

Another early design concept of the Firefox.

 

[The K2]

Here is some trivia. Ever wonder what happened to the full scale Mig-31 Firefox? It became the F-19 from the film Deal of the Century. This was related to me many years ago from an FX crew member who worked on both films. You can look at the landing gear and the wing planform.

 

[flateric]

Here is some trivia. Ever wonder what happened to the full scale Mig-31 Firefox? It became the F-19 from the film Deal of the Century. This was related to me many years ago from an FX crew member who worked on both films. You can look at the landing gear and the wing planform.

HGU-20/P Flight Helmet

Hi! I know this is an old thread, but I'm hoping y'all might be able to help. I managed to get one of these helmets without the visor or face shield assembly: As you can see, it's got a few parts changed out and a few more missing. So I thought I'd ask- how has your project to build one of...

www.therpf.com

 

[Hicks]

One of my favorite movies....

At that time I was a kid but really amazed by the "Firefox", I also remember (back in 1984) of a really hot arcade based upon the movie and utilizing the scenes with a techique called "laser-film" (anything would mean.....).

The arcade game used a laserdisc player (the big ones 30cm - 1ft) for the background video footage piloted by a small "computer" that run the game and generated the rest of the graphics.
Nowadays you can play it at home using MAME emulator since original laserdisc have been preserved and digitized.

Firefox at Arcade Museum
Atari arcade Firefox laserdisc game (pt. 1 of 2)
Atari arcade Firefox laserdisc game (pt. 2 of 2)
Firefox in Mame

 

[Dynoman]

Another early variant of the Foxbat.

 

[Dynoman]

Helmet used in the movie was a modified HGU-20P. How the thought control weapons system worked is beyond me, however I remember you had to think in Russian.

 

[bagera3005]

flight suits fire fox