Blue Thunder

Blue Thunder is a 1983 action film starring Roy Scheider as a Los Angeles police helicopter pilot who is assigned to be involved in a secret military helicopter program. There is a title card at the beginning of the film that states all of the technology portrayed in the film is real and currently in use in the United States military.

The following weapons were used in the movie Blue Thunder:

M61A1 20mm Vulcan Cannon

The main offensive weapon of the Blue Thunder helicopter. It is chin-mounted on a turret in the front and is able to be guided by pilot's helmet movements.

The army weapons officer states that Blue Thunder's six barrels are capable of firing 4000 rounds a minute.

Closeup of the Vulcan cannon firing.

The turret shows that the Vulcan can be fired at a 90 degree angle.

Smith & Wesson Model 27

Carried by the LA police officer that stops Kate on the bridge.

Kate (Candy Clark) is stopped by police officers carrying the S&W Model 27.

Smith & Wesson Model 10 .38 Snubnose

Colonel Cochrane(Malcolm McDowell) takes out his snubnose and fires at Murphy as he takes off with Blue Thunder.

Officer Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider)points his .38 snub at an angry mechanic while he sits in Blue Thunder.

"You talkin' to me?" Murphy aims his .38 at a helicopter mechanic.

M230 Chain Gun

The Hughes M230 30mm Chain Gun is typically mounted on the AH-64 Apache, but two are mounted on Col. Cochrane's Hughes 500 helicopter.

Twin chainguns are seen mounted on the Cochrane's Hughes helicopter.

M60 Machine Gun

SWAT officers try to knock down Blue Thunder with their M60 machine guns.

SWAT officer fires his M60 at Blue Thunder. The M60 appears to have a brass catcher.

Another SWAT officer with his M60.

M16A1

SWAT officers use M16's to take down Blue Thunder during the chase in the Los Angeles river.

Ithaca 37

Seen being fired by police officers and carried by SWAT officers.

Trivia Section

The "Blue Thunder" chopper in reality is a French Aerospatiale Gazelle with the cockpit section modded. This cockpit section was also used as part of a Mil-24 Hind in the movie Firefox.

The Blue Thunder cockpit as seen in Firefox.