Aliens M577APC Full size build discussion thread
- Thread starter Rick H
- Start date
Spudb
New Member
Just stumbled across this thread. I toyed with the idea of building a (near to) full size replica over 10 years ago. My plans back then involved using an "optare solo" a small bus we use in U.K. as a donor vehicle. I intended to build my own chassis (as it is a really simple shape) and use the bus running gear to make it rear wheel drive and only the front wheels would steer. Over the years my engineering and mechanical experience has expanded somewhat, and now think I'd do things differently. I'd still build my own chassis, but I think I'd use a agriculteral self propelled crop sprayer as the donor vehicle. Those crop sprayers have a Diesel engine connected to a big hydraulic pump, they then have four hydraulic drive motors on each wheel, and the steering is hydraulic, making the manufacture of a good replica easier. Also hydraulic drive motors can handle the vehicle weight and large wheels better. Another positive is if you intended to use the vehicle on the road here in the U.K. if you use an agriculteral vehicle as the donor vehicle it will be tax and mot exempt as keeping it registered as an agricultural vehicle means it does not have to conform to all the usual "construction and use" regulations
Spudb
New Member
Well I’ve never built something quite as big from scratch. But I’m a body painter/fabricator by trade, and spend a lot of my time working on lorry’s and agricultural machinery (due to where I’m located in the uk) when I look at the shape and size of the APC, it’s a pretty simple shape to build. Around £1000 in metal work materials, and £5000 for a decent hydrostatic crop sprayer, would see a lot of the big stuff done. I think £10,000 would have you a driving replica that would look 100% from the outside. The question is how far do you go with the interior?!? If you want a decent replica, with screens and seating, with similar restraints, and weapons holders, you could double the budget and maybe loose half of your life looking for all the correct materials and props. But the exterior is not that complicated. I’ve got two old land rovers i’m just finishing rebuilding them im project free
Spudb
New Member
My biggest question surrounding building one, has always been. What can you do with it once you’ve built it? It’s too big and specialist to use for a business, and I don’t like the idea of building one just to sell on for profit? If it was a more usable shape/size I’d turn the inside into a camper van/ motorhome to use with the family
joberg
Legendary Member
That would be a F.A.B. idea mate
I can see the scene already: you driving that beast onto the camping ground with the Lass and the kids
Spudb
New Member
I’ve built a horse box recently based on a 7.5t lorry, and the box body on that was 8 feet 2 inches wide. In the UK you can go up to 2.5metres without much issues. But if you based the vehicle on a agricultural crop sprayed, and used the crop sprayers log book to make it “road legal” you could go wider, as your exempt from the construction and use laws, but anything over 2.5m wide gets awkward to use on the road. I think if you went 2.5m wide it would look alright, the difficult bit would be finding tyres from something like a “loading shovel” that would look the right size. I once spotted some 20.5R25 tyres with the exact tread pattern at a farm sale, I was so tempted to buy them and just keep them, just in case!
kruleworld
Well-Known Member
I'd imagine most people would just use it for car shows. those were a thing we did before lock-down...
joberg
Legendary Member
Comi-Cons
Car/truck shows, Comic-con conventions, etc. You couldn't drive it on the road because to have it proper scale it would be 12' wide, not really practical. But at a car show in a parking lot, or if they block off the street, no problem.
And for the really big conventions like Dragon-con in Atlanta, Georgia, they close the street and have a parade. You could drive along slowly, big fake tires rolling along on the pavement, Colonial Marine infantry escort!
This is my design, i have it worked out alot more than this, but this drawing will give you the basic idea.
I have a nasty wound on my ankle, no skin 3/4 around. No skin on top of 2nd toes of feet either. Doctors blame poor circulation. Constant pain, hurts to walk, doctors won't prescribe effective pain meds. I spend most of my time sitting in comfy chair in garage with feet elevated, trying to minimize pain. None of my projects are getting done, but i have worked out the designs to the Nth degree...nothing else to do.
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I would love to make my own mock-up of the Aliens APC, non-functioning, just for display, my own Aliens Experience themed attraction. They had Alien Wars in Glasgow and London, same idea, but with simulators too, "it's game time". Just an idea at the moment, the APC would only be a metal frame, with plywood, but real Aviation Tug wheels and an actual walk-in interior. Well, that's the plan anyway, otherwise "game over man".
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skiffy
Sr Member
I love the idea of this - much more achievable than a rolling replica. I would suggest designing the interior first - then fitting the exterior around it. The interior set was a lot bigger than the practical vehicle (as you probably know). In that respect, real tug wheels might be too small and since they're not moving, building them might be easier and cheaper?
Anyways - great idea.
I want a life size Alien Queen attacking it, (and a warrior crushed under the wheels). A great photo opportunity to stand in front of this life size prop, the Alien Queen would probably be fibreglass and possibly some Papier mache parts, over a metal tubular skeleton. Right now, just an idea, but the film came out in 1986 and new fans are joining the "Bug Stompers".I love the idea of this - much more achievable than a rolling replica. I would suggest designing the interior first - then fitting the exterior around it. The interior set was a lot bigger than the practical vehicle (as you probably know). In that respect, real tug wheels might be too small and since they're not moving, building them might be easier and cheaper?
Anyways - great idea.
skiffy
Sr Member
Cool. My 1:18 build might provide some reference for the interior.
An idea keeps going through my head, it's "Bug Stomping" me now, I want a life size mock-up of the APC, but how about going a step further with a "simulator" built inside the Drop Ship? Visitors would walk up the ramp, get into their seats, ramp closes and if possible, depending on licensing rights, get permission to use the "Alien Ride" (the Planet Coaster version) footage with motion movement seats. Just an idea at the moment, keeps me motivated, to take that "leap of faith" and make it a reality.
joberg
Legendary Member
^^
No need to say that your project will be an expensive one...unless there's enough interest on a GoFundMe proposal. The mock-up seems to be a viable idea. I think that a first step (that's my two cents here) would be asking for the rights...I wouldn't want to build all of those and receiving a C&D from their lawyers.
No need to say that your project will be an expensive one...unless there's enough interest on a GoFundMe proposal. The mock-up seems to be a viable idea. I think that a first step (that's my two cents here
) would be asking for the rights...I wouldn't want to build all of those and receiving a C&D from their lawyers.
