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A short talk with Airwolfs mechanic |
Article by
Haakon Kjole  33 /
Published 17 Nov 2003, 14:05
Last updated 18 Nov 2003, 03:46
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Bruce McWhorter was one of the mechanics on Airwolf. He worked on the 222, but has not worked on one since Airwolf. He is currently working for Trans Alaska Helicopters in Anchorage.
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Bruce recap how they shot the missile-chases on Airwolf. We had a small missile section built
maybe 2 foot long at the most and only the nose part. We mounted it to a frame and bolted it to the rear door frame with the door off, of a Hughes 500D. The camera man shot the picture from the other rear door area as the helicopter was flying. It made the missile look like it was in flight.
The guns and missile pod were made by a company in Van Nuys. The missile pod had to be mounted under the fuselage when required for a shot, but
actually did nothing. The guns however really did something. Don Belisario wanted actual fire coming out of them.
This was a real headache at any speed. We ended up using a mixture of propane (or maybe butane) and air, with and ignitor. It was really a can of worms and fouled easily. The guns didnīt actually retract and extend. I had to mount them on and hook them up as needed for a shot.
There were 2 Airwolf machines. One that you saw from the outside and sometimes the inside... and one that you only saw from the inside. Belisario
or Universal bought one of the original prototypes of the 222 that probably ever flew and cut it in half kinda.
It was in the studio, and that is where the shots of the tactical stuff were shot. The actual cave didnīt exist. Many of the opening shots were done in Monument Valley, Utah. We found a monument/mountain that was "U" shaped inside. When shot from the side, it appeared the hlicopter was descending into a hole in the mountain. From there the scene would switch to the studio shots.
W rented many helicopters from a friend of mine named Harold Rosenbrugh in Westlake Village. We frequently rented helicopters from businessīs and private people, sprayed the with a paint called spraylat, then shot enamel over it for colors. The spraylat would wash off and be able to return the helo in itīs original color without damage."
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