James Cameron built ALIENS Dropship Concept Model

[nick daring]

"The drop-ship was something that I could see very clearly in my mind," Cameron explained, "but for some reason I couldn't seem to draw it... Finally what I did was drive in to the studio one weekend and build a model of it."
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Are there any other pics of this model out there?

I love these kind of early concept stuff. Cameron was his own Colin Cantwell.

 

[Mike Rush]

Re: James Cameron built Dropship Concept Model

I was privileged to have that model in my hands for a time, and do some restoration on it. Sadly this was long before the days of digital cameras, or I would have taken photos by the score!

While I was cleaning it up I removed a piece of stray hot-glue and discovered that the model had a working ramp. I don't think anyone had noticed that before.

 

[Lee S]

Re: James Cameron built Dropship Concept Model

This would be a great one to make a replica of, I'm guessing the first part is a AH-64 cockpit, but what scale?

 

[joewhite]

Re: James Cameron built Dropship Concept Model

James Cameron is a bad-a-s-s!

Joe

 

[breen2057]

Re: James Cameron built Dropship Concept Model

i read some where that he used a Cobra helicopter model.

 

[nick daring]

Re: James Cameron built Dropship Concept Model

I was privileged to have that model in my hands for a time, and do some restoration on it. Sadly this was long before the days of digital cameras, or I would have taken photos by the score!

While I was cleaning it up I removed a piece of stray hot-glue and discovered that the model had a working ramp. I don't think anyone had noticed that before.

Oh man that's awesome!

Was this work done for Fox or a private collector?

Any other tidbits of info that come to mind about the model?

Was it pretty rough overall?

 

[Mike Rush]

Re: James Cameron built Dropship Concept Model

Thanks. No, it was just a favour for a friend who had bought it recently (I think) and wanted it to look its best. I'm not sure if who owns it now.

Sorry I don't remember many specifics except that it was foamcore, card and kit parts, sprayed with grey primer. It didn't weigh much at all. It was rough though. The cockpit was not any kit part, just two pieces or foamcore which had been crudely trimmed and contoured with a blade.

 

[nick daring]

Re: James Cameron built Dropship Concept Model

A photo just came up for auction of the Cameron built ship!

 

[Junk Pilot]

I'm seeing a number of F-14 parts there, just not sure of the scales but most likely 1/72 and 1/48 as the model doesn't appear to be too big.

 

[TazMan2000]

I'm seeing a number of F-14 parts there, just not sure of the scales but most likely 1/72 and 1/48 as the model doesn't appear to be too big.

Yes, it's difficult to tell the scale from the model without a size reference, but to me it looks as if they used a 1/32 scale model of the F-14 parts.

TazMan2000

 

[Junk Pilot]

The original images shows what I take to be a 30cm ruler with each colour being measured in inches making the body of the model only 12in. The Phoenix missiles would then be 1/72 as just behind the lower missile is the forward launch rail that attaches to the underside of the F-14 and is in another scale. Apart from the missiles all the parts appear to have come from a Monogram 1/48 Tomcat.

 

[ghostryder]

Re: James Cameron built Dropship Concept Model

A photo just came up for auction of the Cameron built ship!

View attachment 630860

Nick, do you know which auction? Tks!

 

[nick daring]

The current profiles in History Auction going on.

 

[Lee S]