Miss Saigon Question

[Lauren2]

Hey guys! Just got out of Miss Saigon! It was great. Had a question about the helicopter. I know when it enters and leaves thats like a projection but does anyone know how it works on stage? Because the propellers spinning looked SO REAL! Just super curious.

[Lot666]

The helicopter itself is attached to an articulated arm that is mounted on the rear wall. There are no actual blades on the helicopter:

"It's not ideal to give actors buzz cuts while they're performing, so real rotors were out of the question. 'The original helicopter had tennis balls on ropes for its rotors,' Kinley says. The center piece would start to spin while the helicopter was offstage; by the time it arrived, the centrifugal force meant that the ropes were taut.

"'When we started on the new helicopter, we were looking at light solutions and laser solutions and all manner of effects,' Kinley says. 'We ended up going back to rope because it was physical' but would collapse for storage and not shred the scenery."

https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/A-new-spin-on-the-Miss-Saigon-chopper-13484431.php