The Flying Wing Cargo Space
- Thread starter jeff2178
- Start date
FedoraHead
New member
Could be wrong but I thought the plane they fought at was just one that was going to fly with it (guard it) and they had a cargo plane ready to go. that why it wasn't loaded on the plane the blow up.
I could be 100% wrong
I could be 100% wrong
Col. Jones
New member
The "Ultimate Guide" states that the prototype flying wing was supposed to carry the Ark. I had always assumed there was a cargo hold in or near the small crawl space Marion used.
Montana Smith
Active member
The Flying Wing was fatter than it appeared, it's just that camouflage stripes have a slimming effect. 
Montana Smith
Active member
VP said:
I've seen that drawing in the Star Wars Archives book, and at least it showed they were thinking seriously about the practicalities of transporting the Ark.
If it's a scale drawing it implies that the Ark wasn't going to go right inside, but hang through the loading hatch.
Exulted Unicron
New member
Doesn't seem very safe does it? Just hanging the Ark on the undercarriage, while the pilot prays to God that it doesn't fall off, or failing that, smashing to pieces on landing
Chewbacca Jones
New member
Well, don't forget, they thought God was on their side.
Anyhow, since the final design changed by the time it was built, the cargo space may have been moved or even eliminated in the process of building a practical set-piece. Still, the plane is larger than it seems in most shots.
Anyhow, since the final design changed by the time it was built, the cargo space may have been moved or even eliminated in the process of building a practical set-piece. Still, the plane is larger than it seems in most shots.
Exulted Unicron
New member
As it says in the Complete Making Of book, the final cost of both the model and the finished 4 propellor full size mock up was too much. So Lucas smashed off 2 propellors to cut down costs. One can only assume from that, it was rebuilt on a smaller scale
mattzilla2010
New member
I know this isn't right, but... the way I always used to see it was that they never intended to fly it out in the first place - the truck was always the plan. Indy just made the assumption when he saw the plane that they would be using it to transport the ark. I think I got that idea from Indy & Sallah's dialogue in the tent. It seemed to me like Sallah was saying, "Okay, I don't really know why you felt the need to blow up that plane, but do you still want the ark? Cuz they're putting it on a truck..." Followed by Indy's frustration, as if he's realizing that the plane actually wasn't for transporting the ark and everything he just did was basically useless.
Like I said, I know that's wrong. But that's how I saw it when I was younger and I still think it's pretty funny to look at the scene that way.
Like I said, I know that's wrong. But that's how I saw it when I was younger and I still think it's pretty funny to look at the scene that way.
mattzilla2010 said:I know this isn't right, but... the way I always used to see it was that they never intended to fly it out in the first place - the truck was always the plan. Indy just made the assumption when he saw the plane that they would be using it to transport the ark. I think I got that idea from Indy & Sallah's dialogue in the tent. It seemed to me like Sallah was saying, "Okay, I don't really know why you felt the need to blow up that plane, but do you still want the ark? Cuz they're putting it on a truck..." Followed by Indy's frustration, as if he's realizing that the plane actually wasn't for transporting the ark and everything he just did was basically useless.
Like I said, I know that's wrong. But that's how I saw it when I was younger and I still think it's pretty funny to look at the scene that way.
I'm watching Raiders now...the way you say it seems plausible. Indy made the assumption they were going to fly it out. Hence: "I don't know, I'm making this up as I go." Maybe the plane was intended to be an air escort for the truck.
Montana Smith
Active member
Walton said:
I think the Flying Wing was always meant to be the method of transporting the crated Ark, hence the scale diagram showing the crate next to the aircraft.
The convoy was a last resort. Destroying the aircraft meant that the Ark didn't go directly to Berlin, and allowed Belloq the chance to 'check the contents' before Hitler. So the blowing up of the Flying Wing becomes a pivotal moment - without which there would be no convoy chase, Bantu Wind, U-Boat, island or opening ceremony. And there would be no Ark in Area 51 as it would no doubt have been delivered to Hitler.
As I recall the Flying Wing was originally supposed to be seen flying into and landing on the Cairo airfield. This was another of the ideas (along with the extra engines) that got rejected to save money.
Here's a group of four of Dave Stevens' Raiders storyboards from the Flying Wing sequence. There's a blank panel where he'd intended to draw the Wing landing. The shot got dropped before he completed the panel, so Stevens scrapped the whole page, which never got handed over to the Lucasfilm Archives.
Anyways, the Wing was likely what the Nazis intended to use to ship the Ark to Germany--otherwise why fly it all the way to Cairo?
Here's a group of four of Dave Stevens' Raiders storyboards from the Flying Wing sequence. There's a blank panel where he'd intended to draw the Wing landing. The shot got dropped before he completed the panel, so Stevens scrapped the whole page, which never got handed over to the Lucasfilm Archives.
Anyways, the Wing was likely what the Nazis intended to use to ship the Ark to Germany--otherwise why fly it all the way to Cairo?
Montana Smith
Active member
Dr Bones said:
Based on the diagram it does look like the crate was intended to hang under the aircraft - but as Exulted wrote before, it doesn't look a very safe way of transporting such a precious object. On the other hand Indy wouldn't have been able to reach it by horse once it was airborne!
Dr Bones
New member
In all honesty I never thought about it that much but considered a small plane may have had room for a very small cargo and thus would be inconspicuous in carrying the ark as well as more able to land/take off from remote areas than a large cargo plane.
Thinking of the depth of the plane, is it possible there was some small cargo hold on the belly of the plane we don't see that could just about hold the crate? Perhaps sitting just behind the cockpit which has to be deep enough for a person? Bearing in mind we have no definitive point of referrence as it was not a real plane. It would only need to be four or five feet deep to house the crate comfortably.
Lashing it to the undercarriage does seem ludicrous.
From memory the plane was to be the mode of transport for the ark until it got destroyed.
Edit...just watched a clip and the plane is deep and wide enough...just looking at it I could see how small a hold in the undercarriage could work..just can't see how it would actualy fly with that fat fuselage short winged design!
Thinking of the depth of the plane, is it possible there was some small cargo hold on the belly of the plane we don't see that could just about hold the crate? Perhaps sitting just behind the cockpit which has to be deep enough for a person? Bearing in mind we have no definitive point of referrence as it was not a real plane. It would only need to be four or five feet deep to house the crate comfortably.
Lashing it to the undercarriage does seem ludicrous.
From memory the plane was to be the mode of transport for the ark until it got destroyed.
Edit...just watched a clip and the plane is deep and wide enough...just looking at it I could see how small a hold in the undercarriage could work..just can't see how it would actualy fly with that fat fuselage short winged design!
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AnythingGoes
New member
This is just an idea but the Flying Wing had two cockpits, one for the pilot and one for the gunner. There was a little passage between the two...why not put the crated Ark there?
