interceptor

Hi everyone,

I'm making a digital model of the interceptor and it has brought a
number of questions to mind. I have a lot of reference material and am
confident in the shape of the original model. However, the thing I can't
see is how the canopy opens and how the pilot enters the cockpit. I can
accept that the interceptor hangar is like an airlock and can be
pressurised while the pilot (not in a space suit) gets in and out.
Perhaps there's a ladder or gantry allowing access to the cockpit. My
guess is the cockpit hinges up allowing access from the front. There's
no way for it to slide forward.

Has anyone ever seen an illustration or read anything that refers to
this? I just have this nagging feeling that, this being a Gerry Anderson
production, the chute from the ready room might do something more than
deposit the rider on the floor of the hangar ready to run the last few
yards.

Also, has anybody ever commented on that inconvenient spar in the
canopy, right in front of the pilot's face? Slight design flaw, maybe?
See
http://www.goofyghouls.com/UFO/int_frnt.jpg


All ideas gratefully received.

Kevin Bulmer



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Kevin, this is just one of those "Trust in Gery Anderson & Team"
things that was never explained on the show. You see the pilots jump
into the chutes in the ready room, then they're in the Interceptors.
No clue as to how they get there. Same with SkyDiver.

Bill

--- In [hidden email], "Kevin Bulmer" <kevin@s...> wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> I'm making a digital model of the interceptor and it has brought a
> number of questions to mind. I have a lot of reference material and
am
> confident in the shape of the original model. However, the thing I
can't
> see is how the canopy opens and how the pilot enters the cockpit.
<snip>

> All ideas gratefully received.
>
> Kevin Bulmer
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

"Kevin Bulmer" wrote:
This comes up quite often, and actually it's a favourite topic of
mine :D

There is no definitive answer, unfortunately. It's left to the
viewer's imagination.

As I've commented before, I can't accept that the hangar is
pressurised, since it is relatively enormous compared to a Moonbase
sphere - consider the volume of air, surely a precious resource on
Moonbase, that would be vented each time an interceptor is
launched. Enough to keep the entire Moonbase personnel going for a
week, probably (I might do the arithmetic later :D)

Some of the earlier GA programmes, Thunderbirds, Stingray and
Captain Scarlet in particular - seem to take great pride in
presenting an intricate method of entry into the various vehicles -
Stingray's launch chute, the sofa that travels all the way into
TB3, the seats that insert the Angel girls upward into the
interceptor. But Gerry seemd to have tired of the minor details by
the time he came to make UFO.

The slides and chutes were used in Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet
and all the other other Supermarionation series for the simple reason that when
the puppets walked it was very unnatural looking. The reason they used the
say method of getting pilots to their craft in UFO was more likely to do with
saving time both for the pilot to get to the craft and also not having to film a
long series of actions of the pilot go thru a long corridors and up and down
steps and ladders to get into their cockpit.

Anyway that is just a thought on the whole thing.

James K.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I thought there was a shot of the pilot's head "rising up" in the Sky 1 canopy indicating a similar entry to the Angel pilots in Cpt Scarlet ie the seat rising up to lock into place with the pilot already installed. The Sky 1 fuselage is very deep around the cockpit so could allow this.
I always thought the Interceptors worked the same way, but have nothing to base that on.
At the end of the day it would be nice to think Derek Meddings thought of all this, but it's only sci-fi and probably not meant to be taken too seriously (sorry if that is sacrilege)
Cheers
Tania
> I'm making a digital model of the interceptor and it has brought a
> number of questions to mind. I have a lot of reference material and
am
> confident in the shape of the original model. However, the thing I
can't
> see is how the canopy opens and how the pilot enters the cockpit.
<snip>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the responses. I tend to favour the "magic chute"
approach as the most fitting with Gerry's other shows. I'm sure it was
budgetary considerations that prevented him showing the pilots entering
the cockpit. Also, in the scheme of things, it could really slow down
what should edit together as an urgent sequence.

I noticed that you see Carlin's head raise into position inside Sky 1 in
a very mechanical way. I always assumed a mechanical system was implied
with this which, I suppose, could imply something similar for the
interceptor. Rob on the FAB-CGI group suggested that the entire cockpit
could be physically attached to the interceptor with the pilot already
inside.

I only ask because the digital model I'm making will stand up to closer
scrutiny than any model I've seen before. I'm just finishing
articulating the suspension on the landing skids. I intend to animate a
sequence with an interceptor landing on the rough, uneven surface of the
moon and the legs, which I originally thought looked odd, should handle
it very well with the hydraulics moving.

At some point I intend to formalise my UFO web pages to display the set
of models as I complete them.

Thanks again for all the input. It's great to have the opportunity to
throw ideas around!

Cheers,

Kevin

I know it's always going to be a matter of conjecture, but I've always
believed the Interceptor pilots used pressurised cockpit pods (there are
examples used in other Anderson productions). I say this as there are a
number of clues:

- The Interceptor pilots do not wear space suits, or indeed even protective
suits.
- The launch bay is open to 'atmosphere', it is clear that the Interceptors
are 'parked' in the open to atmosphere area, so the Interceptor pilot could
not climb into their respective Interceptors.
- The design of the Interceptor leads me to believe that no delivery chute
could delivery the pilot right into the body of the Interceptor (as with say
Thunderbirds). Could not go in through the front, and the engines appear to
start right behind the pilot - no access.
- Gerry Anderson states in his commentary and in a number of other places,
that he always wanted to have the vehicles in all his shows to be ready for
takeoff in the shortest time possible (these shows were made during the
'cold war', and emphasised the attitudes of the time), so to have the pilots
launch themselves down a chute leads me to believe that there must be a
mechanism that delivers them to the Interceptor in as short as time
possible, otherwise why bother?

I think the chutes deliver each pilot into a complete Interceptor cockpit
that is somehow then bodily delivered complete, aligned and attached to the
Interceptor, the reverse delivery system employed on return of the mission,
except of course using the chute back to the sphere - but by then of course,
the urgency would be over, and I presume there would then some kind of
medical de-brief before resuming stand-by status on Moonbase.

On either side of the Interceptor cockpit appears to be a standard red eject
warning triangle as used in the 60's and 70's, on the F-111, the same
warning triangles were used even though that airplane used an escape pod for
both pilots...

...so it all makes sense to me :)

Best to all, Griff

-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin Bulmer [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 10:16 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [SHADO] interceptor


<snip> However, the thing I can't see is how the canopy opens and how the
pilot enters the cockpit. I can accept that the interceptor hangar is like
an airlock and can be pressurised while the pilot (not in a space suit) gets
in and out. Perhaps there's a ladder or gantry allowing access to the
cockpit. My guess is the cockpit hinges up allowing access from the front.
There's
no way for it to slide forward.
<snip>

"Kevin Bulmer" wrote:

> I noticed that you see Carlin's head raise into position inside
> Sky 1 in a very mechanical way. I always assumed a mechanical
> system was implied with this which, I suppose, could imply
> something similar for the interceptor. Rob on the FAB-CGI group
> suggested that the entire cockpit could be physically attached to
> the interceptor with the pilot already inside.

That's the nicest solution I've yet heard - very elegant. So
the astonaut chute leads to a cockpit module, which is sealed
behind the pilot as he arrives in the seat. Then the entire
pressurised cockpit module is extended into the Interceptor
chassis in the airless hangar, it's clamped into place, the roof
slides away, and off we go. I bet Gerry Anderson would have
incorporated this into the series if he'd thought of it (using
a model astronaut, of course).

Top stuff!

I wonder if today's computer graphics could help on this sequence.

BTW, does anybody have any update on the "new UFO series" by Trilogy
Entertainment?

Thanks,
teresa
----- Original Message -----
Rob on the FAB-CGI group
> > suggested that the entire cockpit could be physically attached to
> > the interceptor with the pilot already inside.

> That's the nicest solution I've yet heard - very elegant. So
> the astonaut chute leads to a cockpit module, which is sealed
> behind the pilot as he arrives in the seat. Then the entire
> pressurised cockpit module is extended into the Interceptor
> chassis in the airless hangar, it's clamped into place, the roof
> slides away, and off we go.

Hi Tania,

Thanks for your previous comments about my UFO model BTW.

You are completely correct, of course, that for the viewer it should
never matter. However, I intend to address this on my model and wanted
to make sure I didn't contradict any existing documentation.

Besides, a bit of sacrilege never hurt anyone. Well ... leaving aside
the Spanish Inquisition, and certain over-zealous fundamentalist ..
<<perhaps I should just shut up>>

Cheers,

Kevin

-----Original Message-----
From: Tania Woodbury [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: 04 February 2004 06:05
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [SHADO] Re: interceptor

I thought there was a shot of the pilot's head "rising up" in the Sky 1
canopy indicating a similar entry to the Angel pilots in Cpt Scarlet ie
the seat rising up to lock into place with the pilot already installed.
The Sky 1 fuselage is very deep around the cockpit so could allow this.
I always thought the Interceptors worked the same way, but have nothing
to base that on.
At the end of the day it would be nice to think Derek Meddings thought
of all this, but it's only sci-fi and probably not meant to be taken too
seriously (sorry if that is sacrilege)
Cheers
Tania
> I'm making a digital model of the interceptor and it has brought a
> number of questions to mind. I have a lot of reference material and
am
> confident in the shape of the original model. However, the thing I
can't
> see is how the canopy opens and how the pilot enters the cockpit.
<snip>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





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My theory is that the chutes for the Interceptor pilots led down into
a pressurized chamber BENEATH the interceptors and the pilots are
then carried up from below into the cockpit (much like the Angel
Interceptors in Captain Scarlet). At least it sounds GOOD! :-D

Kevin, good luck with your project! Sounds impressive!

BTW, are you aware that SID was designed to with a docking port for
an Interceptor? If you look at the front of SID under the lettering,
there is an access port. And under that are a pair of retractable
clamps for securing the nose missile of an Interceptor.

A friend of mine who built his own SID pointed that out to me.

Doug

If you have the pilot episode you can see the head rise to its station if you
press the slow button at the right time. scott


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

please disregard previous post. i thought they were talking about sky one not
the interceptor. long day. scott


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 8:08 PM
Subject: [SHADO] Re: interceptor


> My theory is that the chutes for the Interceptor pilots led down into
> a pressurized chamber BENEATH the interceptors and the pilots are
> then carried up from below into the cockpit (much like the Angel
> Interceptors in Captain Scarlet). At least it sounds GOOD! :-D
>

-----------------------------------------------------

Still doesn't deal with the issue of exposure to vacuum discussed so
much here. Besides, a bottom entry is so much more difficult given that the
belly of those things appear to be continuous fuselage. You would have to
swing open the bottom, move the flooring out of the way, including all
linkages, bellcranks, pressure bottles, avionics, piping, wiring, and rudder
pedals out of the way. Much simpler just to swing the canopy up and drop
them in from the top....but then again, the vacuum problem w/out the space
suits

Aside all of that, the plattens that those beasts sit on appear
seamless, *and* they raise up, making an airtight linkage to them a positive
engineering nightmare. Then you have all the changes in direction and
circuitous track the pilot's slide/chair/whatever has to follow to dip under
the moving platform and the rise up again to meet the bottom.

Now that I've heard it mentioned here, the F-111 type crew pod seems the
only practical and realistic idea.

Say, wasn't that also used in Space: Above and Beyond?
Those guys were thinking!

Seems to me the reason why we are struggling with this dilemma is
because the producers designed the set with that old World War II and Cold
War mentality of the interceptors on strip alert, where pilots would run out
of the ready shack, hop into their fighters, and take off to meet the enemy.

Also a bit rediculous to require 90 second liftoff times to intercept an
inbound vehicle as far out as the orbit of Mars....

Dave H.

According to my UFO anniversary diary, today is Stuart M. Damon's
(originally Zonis) 67th birthday. He played Howard Byrne in Mindbender.
Also, well known as playing Craig Stirling in The Champions TV series (Just
as well he didn't have his 'Champions' special powers when he was up against
Commander Straker! On second thoughts, I think Straker would still have
managed to win the day...

Happy Birthday, Stuart

Best, Griff

Mmm... there are many references to the UFO's travelling at or exceeding the
speed of light (I won't get onto that subject :) so...

If the UFO was travelling at the speed of light (SOL 186,300 miles per
second), and given that the:

Earth - mean distance from Sun = 93,000,000 miles
Mars - mean distance from Sun = 141,500,000 miles
Pluto - mean distance from Sun = 3,9663,800,000 miles

(Mars) 141,500,000 - (Earth) 93,000,000 = 48,500,000 / 186,300 = 260.33
seconds (or 4.3 minutes)

So, a UFO travelling at SOL would take (on mean average - yes, I know this
is drastically affected by the positions of the Earth and Mars in their
respective orbits) 4.3 minutes to travel from Mars to the Earth...

or, from the mean orbit of Pluto (our solar systems most outer planet)

(Pluto) 3,663,800,000 - (Earth) 93,000,000 = 3570800000 / 186,300 = 19,166.9
seconds (or 319 minutes) or 5.3 hours

So, a UFO travelling at SOL would take (on mean average) 5.3 hours to travel
from the outer reaches of Pluto to the Earth... (think of Reflections in the
Water), the mass UFO force detected by NML12 gave SHADO HQ quite a few hours
notice of the impending attack force - good time to plan an attack strategy.

UFO's arriving from Mars in just over 4 minutes... from Pluto in a number of
hours....

So, all I am trying to say is that seconds/minutes DO count ;)

Best to all, Griff

<snip> Also a bit rediculous to require 90 second liftoff times to intercept
an
inbound vehicle as far out as the orbit of Mars....

Dave H. <snip>

Whoa! Now there's an interesting idea, clamp 2 vessels together by a
single high explosive charge. A recipe for disaster? Of course we are
then left with the problem of the pilot getting from the interceptor and
into SID. In fairness, I suppose if they knew they were going to visit
SID they'd go suited up.

I increasingly favour the idea of the complete cockpit being lowered
into the interceptor as a sealed and pressurised unit. The straight
vertical behind the cockpit would make this possible. The canopy would
still be ringed by explosive charges so that the "rescue" handle could
still blow it in an emergency (leaving the body of the cockpit still
docked with the interceptor).

I know this must seem very pedantic, but I want to get very close to the
ship and, whilst the original models were beautifully detailed and
dripping with markings, to make this look completely believable I need
some extra subtleties.

Thanks again everyone for all of your input.

Kevin

-----Original Message-----
From: Doug [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: 05 February 2004 01:21
To: [hidden email]
Subject: [SHADO] Re: interceptor (and SID connection)

Kevin, good luck with your project! Sounds impressive!

BTW, are you aware that SID was designed to with a docking port for
an Interceptor? If you look at the front of SID under the lettering,
there is an access port. And under that are a pair of retractable
clamps for securing the nose missile of an Interceptor.

A friend of mine who built his own SID pointed that out to me.

Doug

Check out the UFO episode "The man who came back"

Griff

<snip> Of course we are then left with the problem of the pilot getting from
the interceptor and
into SID. In fairness, I suppose if they knew they were going to visit SID
they'd go suited up. <snip>

In a message dated 2/4/2004 10:03:10 AM Eastern Standard Time, [hidden email] writes:

Todays computer graphics CGI could easily illustrate the process. I would think that the Interceptor pilots would be in a "capsule" since it would likely have the ability to eject the pilot in case of emergency. The cockpit would also likely contain an emergency spacesuit in case the integrity of the pilot compartment was compromised.

Is there any web site that has information on a NEW UFO series? I seem to be coming in on the end of a conversation about the new series.