Aliens M56 Smartgun
- Thread starter Ultimate Badass
- Start date
SkunkonToast
New Member
Your attention to detail blows me away. I've just read through this whole thread and can't emphasize how impressive this is. What more can I say but keep up the good work dude.
Ultimate Badass
Well-Known Member
Hey guys!
I've been doing a lot of stuff...both related to the smartgun and the Ghostbusters gig...I'm hoping things ease up so I can start getting stuff under process in November.
One of the things I have been spending way too much time on is the front control switch panel (the front grip of the smartgun).
At some point I wanted to tackle figuring out if the switches had any labels on them during filming. I found a photo of the panel from filming (I can't recall where, but boy am I glad someone had this posted):
Initially, the photo was upside down I believe and I couldn't read what the heck it said. Well, I finally realized that I could rotate the image (what you see) and perhaps better determine what the buttons were labeled with. Low and behold, the switch panel had the Kawasaki labels still on it! You can see the 'TURN' decal, and one that says 'PASS'. Another that says 'HORN' is obscured from the angle of the photo. There is another decal along the side that says 'LO' right next to the guy's knuckle. At this point, surprised that there was no modification of any kind to the Kawasaki control panel, I searched and found these:
There they all are! Now, these are decals, while the original control panels had dry-rub transfers or something...these are merely replacement decals, but still good enough for me. I'd love to make dry-rub transfers, but that is not something I know how to do or where to go to have made. I also do not know the cost of having dry-rub transfers, especially when there won't be many others that would want them (I'm sure getting things made in bulk would be cost effective...but then I'd just have tons of transfers left over). If any of you smartgunners out there would like a set of these decals, please PM me and I'll send you a link where you can find them!
In the process of all of this, I took a good look at that photo of the screen-used control panel and with the help of some people, realized I had more work to do.
I posted photos of this before:
That's the control panel from a 1983 Kawasaki GPZ750. I have three of them of course...how many control panels does it take to find one that hopefully is correct? Apparently four. You can see in that GPZ750 control panel there is an upper red-colored switch next to the grey-colored switch. Well, looking at the photo of the screen-used panel it's pretty evident that there was no red-colored switch in this location! Bummer! Here's another shot:
Yep...I then realized that I needed to find the right control panel. A new friend of mine posted a photo of the panel that the prop store used to restore/fix up one of the smartguns that they sold a few years back. That control panel was essentially the same as the one that I have on the way, which you can see here:
There you can see that this control panel has a flat, rectangular black button in position along side of the grey-colored switch (right above the 'R' decal). Interestingly, this control panel came from a 1981 Kawasaki KZ750. It seems that a number of Kawasaki motorcycles in the 80's and early 90's had very similar control panels. I looked at about 100 panels, and all of the ones I saw with this design were from the KZ750 or KZ650. I do not know if this means anything...it's quite possible that the GPZ750 was also made with this control panel too. With the amount of awesome people on this forum and the Alien Legacy forums, I'm sure someone has fully looked into this before - I just never took the time to look through all of the previous threads to figure this all out. If anything that I posted is new and helpful to others then I'm happy to know that someone else may find it useful!
I also have the final rendition of the custom chestplate armor graffiti that I conceptualized. The artist did the most amazing job ever...I really wish I could share the image here, but I cannot as I do not want it to end up elsewhere. That being said, if I am fortunate enough to meet any of you in person at Dragon Con next year I hope that you love it as much as I do.
The great journey continues. I will also say that a good friend of mine pointed out that I may be coming off as a bit of a knucklehead at times, flaunting the amount of funds I'm throwing at the project. He made me realize that I could easily come off the wrong way, and for that I owe him one. I apologize completely if that is how I sound...this is absolutely NOT my intent. I am just so freaking excited (like when Indiana Jones was 'giddy as a schoolboy' finding the knight's tomb under the library in the Last Crusade).
Honestly, I can't even describe just how much excitement this project brings me. I am even more so excited that I am going to have a second smartgun for my friends to gear up with to enjoy with me. I really don't expect people to care how much funding I'm putting into it all...I merely mentioned those things so that people understood the scope of the project. All in all I just hope for people to appreciate both my commitment to the project, as well as my insanity for going through with all of this. Trust me, I'm really an OK guy...and I mean that. OK, I realize that Burke says that in the movie and turns out to be a $h!thead, but I promise I'd never ever sabotage anyone here with facehuggers!
Cheers!
I've been doing a lot of stuff...both related to the smartgun and the Ghostbusters gig...I'm hoping things ease up so I can start getting stuff under process in November.
One of the things I have been spending way too much time on is the front control switch panel (the front grip of the smartgun).
At some point I wanted to tackle figuring out if the switches had any labels on them during filming. I found a photo of the panel from filming (I can't recall where, but boy am I glad someone had this posted):
Initially, the photo was upside down I believe and I couldn't read what the heck it said. Well, I finally realized that I could rotate the image (what you see) and perhaps better determine what the buttons were labeled with. Low and behold, the switch panel had the Kawasaki labels still on it! You can see the 'TURN' decal, and one that says 'PASS'. Another that says 'HORN' is obscured from the angle of the photo. There is another decal along the side that says 'LO' right next to the guy's knuckle. At this point, surprised that there was no modification of any kind to the Kawasaki control panel, I searched and found these:
There they all are! Now, these are decals, while the original control panels had dry-rub transfers or something...these are merely replacement decals, but still good enough for me. I'd love to make dry-rub transfers, but that is not something I know how to do or where to go to have made. I also do not know the cost of having dry-rub transfers, especially when there won't be many others that would want them (I'm sure getting things made in bulk would be cost effective...but then I'd just have tons of transfers left over). If any of you smartgunners out there would like a set of these decals, please PM me and I'll send you a link where you can find them!
In the process of all of this, I took a good look at that photo of the screen-used control panel and with the help of some people, realized I had more work to do.
I posted photos of this before:
That's the control panel from a 1983 Kawasaki GPZ750. I have three of them of course...how many control panels does it take to find one that hopefully is correct? Apparently four. You can see in that GPZ750 control panel there is an upper red-colored switch next to the grey-colored switch. Well, looking at the photo of the screen-used panel it's pretty evident that there was no red-colored switch in this location! Bummer! Here's another shot:
Yep...I then realized that I needed to find the right control panel. A new friend of mine posted a photo of the panel that the prop store used to restore/fix up one of the smartguns that they sold a few years back. That control panel was essentially the same as the one that I have on the way, which you can see here:
There you can see that this control panel has a flat, rectangular black button in position along side of the grey-colored switch (right above the 'R' decal). Interestingly, this control panel came from a 1981 Kawasaki KZ750. It seems that a number of Kawasaki motorcycles in the 80's and early 90's had very similar control panels. I looked at about 100 panels, and all of the ones I saw with this design were from the KZ750 or KZ650. I do not know if this means anything...it's quite possible that the GPZ750 was also made with this control panel too. With the amount of awesome people on this forum and the Alien Legacy forums, I'm sure someone has fully looked into this before - I just never took the time to look through all of the previous threads to figure this all out. If anything that I posted is new and helpful to others then I'm happy to know that someone else may find it useful!
I also have the final rendition of the custom chestplate armor graffiti that I conceptualized. The artist did the most amazing job ever...I really wish I could share the image here, but I cannot as I do not want it to end up elsewhere. That being said, if I am fortunate enough to meet any of you in person at Dragon Con next year I hope that you love it as much as I do.
The great journey continues. I will also say that a good friend of mine pointed out that I may be coming off as a bit of a knucklehead at times, flaunting the amount of funds I'm throwing at the project. He made me realize that I could easily come off the wrong way, and for that I owe him one. I apologize completely if that is how I sound...this is absolutely NOT my intent. I am just so freaking excited (like when Indiana Jones was 'giddy as a schoolboy' finding the knight's tomb under the library in the Last Crusade).
Honestly, I can't even describe just how much excitement this project brings me. I am even more so excited that I am going to have a second smartgun for my friends to gear up with to enjoy with me. I really don't expect people to care how much funding I'm putting into it all...I merely mentioned those things so that people understood the scope of the project. All in all I just hope for people to appreciate both my commitment to the project, as well as my insanity for going through with all of this. Trust me, I'm really an OK guy...and I mean that. OK, I realize that Burke says that in the movie and turns out to be a $h!thead, but I promise I'd never ever sabotage anyone here with facehuggers!
Cheers!
Last edited:
ed-209
Sr Member
LOL....I like that you spelled the S in '$hithead' with a dollar sign considering you're referencing the amount of funds you're putting into this project.....which, by the way, is AMAZING!!! You are truly devoted to this project ...and it shows. Keep 'em coming. "We 'Po' folk are likin' it"
Ultimate Badass
Well-Known Member
I honestly never even thought about the dollar sign in that context...just trying to get around the profanity constraints!
OldSkoolEffects
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a good friend to have!
I wonder if that grip assembly changed midway through production run of the motorcycle, or if there was some strange variation on the model, like cars have basic and luxury editions.
I wonder if that grip assembly changed midway through production run of the motorcycle, or if there was some strange variation on the model, like cars have basic and luxury editions.
Ultimate Badass
Well-Known Member
I also finally found a pair of these in a size that isn't tiny...
I was under the impression that nobody made repro Vietnam jungle boots with the vibram sole, but these all about refute that sentiment. They are brand new and from what my buddies on the legacy forums have pointed out, are indeed repro. I'm happy about this because I'd feel pretty bad ruining a pair of true Vietnam-era jungle boots in this condition (there are a lot of Vietnam war enthusiasts that would probably trade a pair of broken in ones for these if that were the case). They're size 11R, and they're quite big...I usually wear a 10.5 or so, so if anyone is looking for these for their USCM outfit, keep in mind that they run a little big it seems and don't get a larger pair unless you must. That said, if anyone sees a pair in size 10.5 please let me know!
Oh, and the other day I finally caved in and did one of those 'Throwback Thursday' Facebook posts and it led to a friend creating this:
Yes, it's ridiculously stupid...but awesome at the same time. I'm not sure, but I think I prefer it over the locked heart...
I was under the impression that nobody made repro Vietnam jungle boots with the vibram sole, but these all about refute that sentiment. They are brand new and from what my buddies on the legacy forums have pointed out, are indeed repro. I'm happy about this because I'd feel pretty bad ruining a pair of true Vietnam-era jungle boots in this condition (there are a lot of Vietnam war enthusiasts that would probably trade a pair of broken in ones for these if that were the case). They're size 11R, and they're quite big...I usually wear a 10.5 or so, so if anyone is looking for these for their USCM outfit, keep in mind that they run a little big it seems and don't get a larger pair unless you must. That said, if anyone sees a pair in size 10.5 please let me know!
Oh, and the other day I finally caved in and did one of those 'Throwback Thursday' Facebook posts and it led to a friend creating this:
Yes, it's ridiculously stupid...but awesome at the same time. I'm not sure, but I think I prefer it over the locked heart...
Ultimate Badass
Well-Known Member
As I am looking to kill some time I figured I'd post a few photos of the back of the vest as some people over on the Legacy forums had requested...
Here's a look at the quick release mechanism:
For all of you who try to make your vests, if you were wondering how the over-the-shoulder straps connect to the chest piece of the vest, these next two photos may be of use to you...
On the strap:
On the chestplate:
And now the vest is going to be put into storage until I am ready to tackle its modification...
Here's a look at the quick release mechanism:
For all of you who try to make your vests, if you were wondering how the over-the-shoulder straps connect to the chest piece of the vest, these next two photos may be of use to you...
On the strap:
On the chestplate:
And now the vest is going to be put into storage until I am ready to tackle its modification...
Ultimate Badass
Well-Known Member
Hey guys, it's been WAY too long. I am almost done paying off the steadicam arm. The last few months have been busy (actually, every month is), but I have a lot odds and ends to share here. Sadly, few of them will actually pertain to the smartgun, so I apologize in advance if it's boring.
First off, I went to a toy convention in September called Retro Con. Two very good friends run the convention, so I had to go. I was literally just walking around in costume (Rick Vaughn from 'Major League'), and was literally saying how awesome it would be if my Vasquez gear were complete when I looked over and saw this:
The seller had them on sale for $30 (he had three of them). I really wanted to buy all three because I realized that this is the true US version, which was never actually released in the USA before the line was cancelled. I did, however, refrain from getting them all and thought someone else would realize the treasure like I did, but nobody else did. There is a UK version of this figure (you can tell by the collector card that comes with it) that is far more common and less valuable.
OK, the story continues. I went to Disney World in October and figured I'd have something awesome made for the trip:
I wore this awesome shirt just hoping that someone would recognize it. I became very doubtful, but I was literally walking into Star Tours at Disney's MGM (now called Hollywood) Studios, and the line attendant said: "Aliens?! You're an Aliens fan right?!". Yeah, that guy made my day...the only props I got for the shirt, but fitting for it to happen on that ride I suppose.
I nearly took another shirt that I can't find anywhere anymore...I wish I had bought two of them. Check this out:
Now, as for actual smartgun parts, I have sourced these:
These are the compatible inputs for the Neutrik plugs from the smartcam headset.
Finally, I felt compelled to look for Aliens photos as I'm always searching for reference, and I came across two awesome Aliens 8x10 photos that I have never seen anywhere prior, and they feature characters I never thought I'd see promo photos of...
I'm REALLY psyched to have the Frost photo (I know Dietrich is in the background, but I don't like her for obvious reasons...as in what she did to the highlight of the photo shortly after this snapshot was taken).
I am waiting to hear from my source for the aluminum smartgun pieces I need fabricated. Oh, and I must also say that if any of you haven't played Alien: Isolation, YOU HAVE TO. It is the best survival horror game ever made in my opinion...FANTASTIC effort by Sega for once.
First off, I went to a toy convention in September called Retro Con. Two very good friends run the convention, so I had to go. I was literally just walking around in costume (Rick Vaughn from 'Major League'), and was literally saying how awesome it would be if my Vasquez gear were complete when I looked over and saw this:
The seller had them on sale for $30 (he had three of them). I really wanted to buy all three because I realized that this is the true US version, which was never actually released in the USA before the line was cancelled. I did, however, refrain from getting them all and thought someone else would realize the treasure like I did, but nobody else did. There is a UK version of this figure (you can tell by the collector card that comes with it) that is far more common and less valuable.
OK, the story continues. I went to Disney World in October and figured I'd have something awesome made for the trip:
I wore this awesome shirt just hoping that someone would recognize it. I became very doubtful, but I was literally walking into Star Tours at Disney's MGM (now called Hollywood) Studios, and the line attendant said: "Aliens?! You're an Aliens fan right?!". Yeah, that guy made my day...the only props I got for the shirt, but fitting for it to happen on that ride I suppose.
I nearly took another shirt that I can't find anywhere anymore...I wish I had bought two of them. Check this out:
Now, as for actual smartgun parts, I have sourced these:
These are the compatible inputs for the Neutrik plugs from the smartcam headset.
Finally, I felt compelled to look for Aliens photos as I'm always searching for reference, and I came across two awesome Aliens 8x10 photos that I have never seen anywhere prior, and they feature characters I never thought I'd see promo photos of...
I'm REALLY psyched to have the Frost photo (I know Dietrich is in the background, but I don't like her for obvious reasons...as in what she did to the highlight of the photo shortly after this snapshot was taken).
I am waiting to hear from my source for the aluminum smartgun pieces I need fabricated. Oh, and I must also say that if any of you haven't played Alien: Isolation, YOU HAVE TO. It is the best survival horror game ever made in my opinion...FANTASTIC effort by Sega for once.
TOS
Active Member
Amazing projects! As I posted in a recent thread by a member who's building a screen accurate motion tracker, Aliens is one of my all time favorite movies too. Definitely my favorite of the entire series. It's funny I dont remember the Smartgun - only the Pulse Rifles, I'm gonna have to watch it again soon and keep an eye out for those. That movie had such great tension, it still freaks me out watching it today. 
PearlJeremyJam
New Member
Fantastic thread! I've been a huge fan of Aliens since my first viewing back in the 80s and have to say I've thoroughly enjoyed each and every comment on this build. Very inspiring. I regret that I probably won't be able to attend Dragon*Con 2015 even moreso now knowing you'll have your finished gun on display!
![Aliens.Extended.Cut.1986.DTS.1080p[07-30-18].JPG](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/163/163543-844944ba13f0a9e6d64a88809d382d4d.jpg "Aliens.Extended.Cut.1986.DTS.1080p[07-30-18].JPG")
![Aliens.Extended.Cut.1986.DTS.1080p[07-37-56].JPG](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/163/163544-0d7b5897d0221fabc6f474e2048072cd.jpg "Aliens.Extended.Cut.1986.DTS.1080p[07-37-56].JPG")
![Aliens.Extended.Cut.1986.DTS.1080p[07-39-21].JPG](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/163/163545-90829cd20b321e5c498052299b10126a.jpg "Aliens.Extended.Cut.1986.DTS.1080p[07-39-21].JPG")
![Aliens.Extended.Cut.1986.DTS.1080p[07-40-15].JPG](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/163/163546-ff2c6c33d5e3f92d02fa860f6be27356.jpg "Aliens.Extended.Cut.1986.DTS.1080p[07-40-15].JPG")
Ultimate Badass
Well-Known Member
Dude, thanks a ton for sharing those! I don't have a way to pull screen caps from the blu-ray, which is pretty disappointing, but those are awesome and will be helpful!
Ultimate Badass
Well-Known Member
Happy Thanksgiving guys!
I'm bored as I anxiously wait for dinner, so I figured I'd post a few more photos.
First, I managed to find another Beyerdynamic headset! Well...not entirely...
The one on the right in the picture is an Opus 56 headset. The actual headset portion is screen accurate, and the same kind used with the HM 560. The great thing I found out was that I could easily slide the Opus 56 microphone off of the side and exchange it with the M560 microphone from my original headset. Why is this a big deal? Well, because the HM 560 headset I found lacked the foam padding on the inside of the head pieces. As you can hopefully see, the Opus 56 headset head pieces have the padding...SCORE!
Also, I decided to pick up this:
Lance Henriksen's new autobiography autographed by the man himself. I haven't started reading it yet, but I'm damn sure it'll be interesting considering his overall line of work.
OK guys, be safe and eat well!
I'm bored as I anxiously wait for dinner, so I figured I'd post a few more photos.
First, I managed to find another Beyerdynamic headset! Well...not entirely...
The one on the right in the picture is an Opus 56 headset. The actual headset portion is screen accurate, and the same kind used with the HM 560. The great thing I found out was that I could easily slide the Opus 56 microphone off of the side and exchange it with the M560 microphone from my original headset. Why is this a big deal? Well, because the HM 560 headset I found lacked the foam padding on the inside of the head pieces. As you can hopefully see, the Opus 56 headset head pieces have the padding...SCORE!
Also, I decided to pick up this:
Lance Henriksen's new autobiography autographed by the man himself. I haven't started reading it yet, but I'm damn sure it'll be interesting considering his overall line of work.
OK guys, be safe and eat well!
Ultimate Badass
Well-Known Member
Hey everyone,
First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all. I hope 2015 is going better than 2014 for everybody. So far it is for me. I kicked things off by hanging out with a long-time friend from Australia while he was visiting NYC on January 1st and treated him to legendary pizza. As soon as I got home, something AWESOME was waiting for me:
This was listed for sale on here and on the Alien Legacy Forum and I'm glad I saw it quickly. It is immaculate. I don't plan on actually doing anything to this baby...it's simply going into my collection - I'd rather have a resin replica if I'm going for the Operations-Showdown look.
I have also tracked down another Neutrik NCLNEFC connector...
So now I've got four, which I think is enough for now. I need to look into it more, but I suspect that one is needed to connect the headset into the side of the chest plate and another may be used to connect the wires from the chest plate to the actual smartgun battery. Again, I'll try to figure this out.
I actually thought that the headset connected directly to a female connector attached to the chest plate, but Drake's definitely didn't:
I need to look at screen caps of Vasquez...I really hope hers wasn't the same, because taping the connecting mechanism to the steadicam vest pad looks like crap I think. Perhaps this has been investigated on here already, but as always, I haven't checked.
I also may never have posted it before, but I strongly suggest those of you hardcore fans purchase one of these if you can find it:
It's an excellent read and it delves into how everything was filmed to get every single specific effect that James Cameron wanted. The man was a genius and really wanted everything to look a very specific way. I bought this a while ago but just recently had time to start reading through it.
Finally, I may be on the verge of ANOTHER BIG acquisition. Pictures will come of that when I have it in hand.
First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all. I hope 2015 is going better than 2014 for everybody. So far it is for me. I kicked things off by hanging out with a long-time friend from Australia while he was visiting NYC on January 1st and treated him to legendary pizza. As soon as I got home, something AWESOME was waiting for me:
This was listed for sale on here and on the Alien Legacy Forum and I'm glad I saw it quickly. It is immaculate. I don't plan on actually doing anything to this baby...it's simply going into my collection - I'd rather have a resin replica if I'm going for the Operations-Showdown look.
I have also tracked down another Neutrik NCLNEFC connector...
So now I've got four, which I think is enough for now. I need to look into it more, but I suspect that one is needed to connect the headset into the side of the chest plate and another may be used to connect the wires from the chest plate to the actual smartgun battery. Again, I'll try to figure this out.
I actually thought that the headset connected directly to a female connector attached to the chest plate, but Drake's definitely didn't:
I need to look at screen caps of Vasquez...I really hope hers wasn't the same, because taping the connecting mechanism to the steadicam vest pad looks like crap I think. Perhaps this has been investigated on here already, but as always, I haven't checked.
I also may never have posted it before, but I strongly suggest those of you hardcore fans purchase one of these if you can find it:
It's an excellent read and it delves into how everything was filmed to get every single specific effect that James Cameron wanted. The man was a genius and really wanted everything to look a very specific way. I bought this a while ago but just recently had time to start reading through it.
Finally, I may be on the verge of ANOTHER BIG acquisition. Pictures will come of that when I have it in hand.
