Can you ID the following equipment? Melissa, a digital artist who has to reconstruct the set of the movie Aliens (a 1986 James Cameron sequel to the seminal 1979 Alien from Scott Ridley, has asked me to identify the large computer props that were used in the original set. She identified an Alto cabinet: that's how she originally contacted me, to get the exact dimensions. But for the rest shown here we came up empty. The only thing I could see is an upside down industrial CRT terminal and a keyboard that appears fake. The only clue I have is that this was filmed in the UK in 1985 and Melissa believes part of the equipment came from British Airways "Boadicea" ticket reservation system.
You can browse all the pictures at once here on Goolge Photos: https://goo.gl/photos/dZHzWM5ArvHjV9AN7 Or view the original full res pictures individually from my DropBox: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32371244/Aliens%20Set%20Equipment%20ID/Hypersleep-Ops%20Unkown%20Unit.png https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32371244/Aliens%20Set%20Equipment%20ID/Ops%20Standing%20units%201.png https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32371244/Aliens%20Set%20Equipment%20ID/Ops%20Standing%20units%202.png https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32371244/Aliens%20Set%20Equipment%20ID/Ops%20Standing%20units%203.png https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32371244/Aliens%20Set%20Equipment%20ID/Ops%20Standing%20units%204.png https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32371244/Aliens%20Set%20Equipment%20ID/Ops%20Standing%20units%205.png https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32371244/Aliens%20Set%20Equipment%20ID/Ops%20Standing%20units%206.png https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32371244/Aliens%20Set%20Equipment%20ID/Ops%20Standing%20units%207.png https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32371244/Aliens%20Set%20Equipment%20ID/Ops%20Standing%20units%208.png https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32371244/Aliens%20Set%20Equipment%20ID/Ops%20Standing%20units%209.png https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32371244/Aliens%20Set%20Equipment%20ID/Unknown%20Ops%20Console%20keyboards.png https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32371244/Aliens%20Set%20Equipment%20ID/Unknown%20Ops%20PC%20Terminal.png Here are Melissa's original comments on the screen shots: "- Hypersleep-Ops Unkown Unit: I am unsure what exactly this is. It appears to be similar in size to the Alto cabinet. - Unknown Ops Console keyboards: I had talked to Richard Thomson who I found through a Google search and he suggested maybe this isn't really a keyboard, but blank keys stuck on a sheet of metal, as it doesn't look to him like there's travel distance for the keys. - Unknown Ops PC Terminal: Richard also suggested that to him, it looks like a monitor placed upside down. He thinks the grid and circle pattern on the "top" is where rubber feet would have been. Also paired with this monitor appears to be a flat keypanel about the size of a standard keyboard. The surface is shiny. If I can find some better images I will include them in a reply. You may be able to make it out in a couple of these clippings Pictured in these photos are large units. I've brightened them up and removed the colour from some because they had a harsh red lighting that was hard on the eyes and washed out any colour anyway. The actress running alongside the units is Sigourney Weaver who stands about 5'11 tall. That should give an approximate size. It's been stated that somewhere in this scene, the setbuilders had used British Airways' old ticketing computer system as set dressing when they upgraded and were discarding the old units. They were called "Boadicea" but when I google search that, All I get for results is one black and white photo from the 1960s and nothing in that image is recognizable. So I have no idea which units these "Boadicea" units are. In the last image attached (Ops Standing units 9) I have boxed in the best shot of the opposite sides of the units that I have. Note the other units on the right side of that image. If you can help with these as well that would be so cool. It's possible these could be part of the Boadicea units too. I have NO idea what any of these are, so anything you can tell me is appreciated!" Marc
