Two Birds of a Feather (3.20)

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IslandHopper · #11 Post by **IslandHopper** » Mon May 05, 2008 4:39 pm

Thanks for posting that screen shot James.

It's been a while since I've seen the episode, but that plane looks real to me. It does not look like a model. I don't know if there is a difference between that shot and the plane as it lies in the water.

#12 Post by **J.J. Walters** » Mon May 05, 2008 5:04 pm

IH, the plane in the screenshot looks real to you?

IslandHopper · #13 Post by **IslandHopper** » Mon May 05, 2008 10:14 pm

Yeah, it does look real. What looks fake about it? I know you believe it looks fake, but maybe it's one of those things that is so obvious it's difficult to see it for what it really is. The problem with the screen shot is that it does not provide much perspective. The rocks alone don't lend much to the perspective thing because I don't know how big the rocks are supposed to be in relation to the plane.

Again, it has been a while since I have seen this episode, but when I watched it the first couple of times I looked for inconsistencies in the plane where William Lucking is seen in the cockpit and as it flies over Magnum's head and crashes into the tidal pool. I didn't see any inconsistencies, but it has been a while. I will watch the episode again tonight and see if I can get a better perspective on it. Maybe a screen shot of the plane as it is resting in the water would help. The plane resting in the water seemed to scale and looked real. Maybe we could compare that shot with the first screen shot in relation to the rocks.

Logically, I'm sure the plane is not real, because why would they destroy a perfectly good and expensive airplane for a single shot for a television show, even a show as great as MPI? Real or not, my point with all of this is that I thought the scene was well done, especially considering some of the other stunts in other episodes that didn't come out so well. Maybe it's so obvious, I should be embarrassed.

Anyway, I'll see what I can find tonight.

IslandHopper · #14 Post by **IslandHopper** » Tue May 06, 2008 4:07 am

Okay, upon further review I did see two flubs regarding the airplane that crashes into the tidal pool. As the plane crashes it dips its left wing into the water and cartwheels on its left wing and lands on the other side (ocean side) of the tidal pool on its belly (wheels down). The camera cuts to Magnum looking at the plane and then running into the water to rescue the pilot. However, as he runs out into the water you can see the plane is now belly up (wheels up) and now on the other side (beach side) of the tidal pool. So, the first flub is that the plane is now on its back (inverted) rather than on its belly, and the second flub is that the plane is now inside the tidal pool. I don't believe the plane could have rolled over onto its back after landing in the water as the water is much too shallow. Nor do I believe it's possible that the plane was washed over the wall into the tidal pool by a wave.

#15 Post by **J.J. Walters** » Tue May 06, 2008 2:01 pm

IH, I wasn't trying to give you a hard time about it. I just wasn't sure which part of the sequence you were referring to.

I believe the tidal pool rocks do provide scale in regards to the size of the plane that crashes in the water. Take a look at this photo. Look at the screenshot again at the end of Page 1. Now, imagine yourself sitting on the tidal pool rocks next to the plane. The plane is too small.

Also, practically speaking, how would they go about crashing a real airplane (the way we see it crash) from the air? It would be a logistical, and costly, nightmare.

By the way, nice flub spot on the plane - being outside, then inside the tidal pool!

IslandHopper · #16 Post by **IslandHopper** » Tue May 06, 2008 7:30 pm

James, I knew you weren't trying to give me a hard time.

As I have said previously, I also agree that some type of model must have been used, as it would not have been practical or logical to risk the life of a pilot, or an expensive airplane.

I believe that this stunt involving the plane crash was one of the better stunts of the show when considering realism and continuity. The continuity regarding the plane that was seen flying and the plane that crashed was particularly good. The paint scheme on the plane/model was identical to the plane that we see flying before it reaches Oahu. As we all know, continuity was never a strong suit of the show. As we have seen in dozens of episodes, TC's chopper often changed in mid-flight supposedly during the same flight sequence, i.e., skinny skids vs. fat skids; "V" Tail vs. "Y" Tail; tail rotor on the wrong side of the chopper; "MARINES" reversed on TC's Kiowa and Loach, etc.

Speaking of stunts that weren't as well done are the Ferrari explosion in "Did You See The Sunrise" and the car explosion in "Paradise Blues." The explosion in "DYSTS" was great in of itself, but you can clearly see that the car that was blown up was not a Ferrari. In the final scene of "PB" you see the car with the bad guy and Alex go over the cliff, and I'm sure it was set to explode on impact when it hit the bottom of the cliff. However, the problem with this sequence was that the car goes over, and as it's falling you see the car ignite and begin to detonate well before it hits the bottom. It makes me laugh every time I see it, because the car begins to explode in midair.

Carmen · #17 Post by **Carmen** » Tue May 06, 2008 7:51 pm

Who can blow up a real Ferrari? Not only it`s too expensive, it would be such a cruel thing to do. Even if the 308 is one of the cheaper Ferraris it would bad.
I never gave the plane a second thought, but now as you mentioned it, it looked very small in the first shot.
Have to go and try how many episodes of season 5 I can watch in one night

#18 Post by **Doc Ibold** » Tue May 06, 2008 8:08 pm

IslandHopper wrote:James, I knew you weren't trying to give me a hard time.

As I have said previously, I also agree that some type of model must have been used, as it would not have been practical or logical to risk the life of a pilot, or an expensive airplane.

I believe that this stunt involving the plane crash was one of the better stunts of the show when considering realism and continuity. The continuity regarding the plane that was seen flying and the plane that crashed was particularly good. The paint scheme on the plane/model was identical to the plane that we see flying before it reaches Oahu. As we all know, continuity was never a strong suit of the show. As we have seen in dozens of episodes, TC's chopper often changed in mid-flight supposedly during the same flight sequence, i.e., skinny skids vs. fat skids; "V" Tail vs. "Y" Tail; tail rotor on the wrong side of the chopper; "MARINES" reversed on TC's Kiowa and Loach, etc.

Speaking of stunts that weren't as well done are the Ferrari explosion in "Did You See The Sunrise" and the car explosion in "Paradise Blues." The explosion in "DYSTS" was great in of itself, but you can clearly see that the car that was blown up was not a Ferrari. In the final scene of "PB" you see the car with the bad guy and Alex go over the cliff, and I'm sure it was set to explode on impact when it hit the bottom of the cliff. However, the problem with this sequence was that the car goes over, and as it's falling you see the car ignite and begin to detonate well before it hits the bottom. It makes me laugh every time I see it, because the car begins to explode in midair.

I get a kick out of that one too.

#19 Post by **J.J. Walters** » Tue May 06, 2008 8:14 pm

IslandHopper wrote:As I have said previously, I also agree that some type of model must have been used, as it would not have been practical or logical to risk the life of a pilot, or an expensive airplane.

Oh! But before you said...

IslandHopper wrote:but that plane looks real to me. It does not look like a model.

I'm so confused now. I need some more coffee.....

In any event, I'm glad we're all in agreement that they didn't crash a real plane!

IslandHopper · #20 Post by **IslandHopper** » Tue May 06, 2008 8:21 pm

It still looks real to me.

I still can't get the perspective right, even with the photo of the wahine in the tidal pool. Maybe that explains why I can never see the hidden image in those "magic pictures/posters." I'm like Mr. Pitt of Seinfeld when it comes to those darn things.

#21 Post by **Doc Ibold** » Tue May 06, 2008 10:25 pm

IslandHopper wrote:It still looks real to me. I still can't get the perspective right, even with the photo of the wahine in the tidal pool. Maybe that explains why I can never see the hidden image in those "magic pictures/posters." I'm like Mr. Pitt of Seinfeld when it comes to those darn things.

Or Willem from "Mallrats"

"Its not a sailboat, its a schooner!"

A P Leyland · #22 Post by **A P Leyland** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:19 am

"The explosion in "DYSTS" was great in of itself, but you can clearly see that the car that was blown up was not a Ferrari."

There was an episode of Starsky & Hutch were they blew up the Torino and it quite clearly weasn't a Torino. They duplicate paint job (the NIKE stripe) was really bad as well.

This is a terrible episode. I hate it when they try to pilot another show within a established shows framework. It barely worked on STAR TREK (although they really had to stretch the plot to make it work) and there was an episode of KNIGHT RIDER that was all about some other guy! If I'm watching Magnum I want to see Magnum!. Although the Magnum/Higgins stuff is comedy gold.

Andy

#23 Post by **Doc Ibold** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:33 pm

A P Leyland wrote:
This is a terrible episode. I hate it when they try to pilot another show within a established shows framework. It barely worked on STAR TREK (although they really had to stretch the plot to make it work) and there was an episode of KNIGHT RIDER that was all about some other guy! If I'm watching Magnum I want to see Magnum!. Although the Magnum/Higgins stuff is comedy gold.

Ahhh

David Dalton.

lutherhgillis · #24 Post by **lutherhgillis** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:19 pm

Is it true that this epi was planned to be a spin off for the texan pilot and his family to be on a show?

#25 Post by **Doc Ibold** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:02 pm

lutherhgillis wrote:Is it true that this epi was planned to be a spin off for the texan pilot and his family to be on a show?

yessir!

He was supposed to be a treasure hunting pilot (which I assume would have some aspects of family). Never got picked up and Bellisario turned the concept into "Airwolf"

Two Birds of a Feather (3.20)

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