Icarus
From The Sacred Scrolls
The Icarus was the name of the ANSA space vessel piloted by Colonel George Taylor, Lieutenant John Landon, Lieutenant Thomas Dodge and Lieutenant Maryann Stewart. Other names have been offered for the craft as well, which is now officially known as the Liberty 1.
[edit] Notes
- The ship was designed by Bill Creber, production designer on Planet of the Apes, and Holdereed Maxy, set designer on the film. A large full-scale model as well as a 4 ft miniature were built, of which the nose-cone is brass unlike the full-size version.
- The inspiration for the ship was the McDonnell Douglas Winged Gemini or a re-entry vehicle called the Dyno-soar.
- The original spaceship model was 12" tall and built by Constantine Moros.
- The full size prop was anchored into position with 455-gallon drums filled with cement and filmed in water over 300 ft deep (see also Pictures from the Set).
- The prop model of the ship was recycled as the space vessel that brought Brent into the future in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. The prop was used again in the pilot episode of the Planet of the Apes television series, 'Escape from Tomorrow'. [1]
- The original miniature ship now (2001) rests in Bob Burns movie museum, the original ship having long since rotted away on the Fox back-lot.[2]
- The name Icarus was never used in the orignal movie. The name was developed by Planet of the Apes researcher, Larry Evans, in honor of the tragic greek hero, Icarus. [3] Then name was given semi-official status when used on a toy model, and was later used in MR Comics' Revolution on the Planet of the Apes. In light of the other suggested names for the craft, it's probably worth noting that the doomed flight of Icarus would be a very odd inspiration for the name of a spaceship.
- The ship was also called Air Force One in a set of Topps trading cards, and Immigrant-One in an early draft of the first film's script.
- The 'ANSA Public Service Announcement' bonus feature from the Blu-Ray Planet of the Apes Box-Set (released November 2008) included a new name: "This is the Liberty 1 - a winged chariot that will propel man into the greatest adventure ever conceived. Built to withstand the pressures of near-light speed travel, the Liberty represents the technological crown jewel of the ANSA fleet." You can view the video online, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv9mZqb99Vw.
[edit] Appearances
[edit] References
- ↑ Behind the Planet of the Apes (documentary)
- ↑ 'Simian Scrolls #4' at Hunter's Planet of the Apes Archive
- ↑ The Last Flight of the Icarus
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