My websites were always targeted primarily for the hardcore fans who almost know it all. The purpose of my sites was too shine light on some very obscure interviews and facts that aren't accessible in well known books or extras that are still available for purchase. However, times change, and new generations and fans come along - and I realized that a lot of my audience consist of fans who aren't diehards who know every book and interview by memory for decades (like all the fans at the Terminator Files Forum years ago), or just never went outside the films. So this is the first part of a different type of FAQ section, for those less initiated in Cameronverse.
Let's continue with "Did The T-1000 Have Four Hands In The Helicopter?"
I'm one of those viewers/fans who didn't notice it the first few times I watched Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Perhaps it was the quality of the VHS tape, perhaps it was so fast I didn't catch it at first. I'm talking about four arms that the T-1000 sprouted in the helicopter.
I was surprised the first time I noticed it (and now I’m surprised that I didn’t notice it right away), or it was pointed out to me, more so because I missed such a cool bit for quite some time, than because of the actual transformation of the T-1000 into this spidery man for a brief moment. I knew from his molten steel bath that he can create multiple limbs, he had two heads briefly, plus it was just logical that he could do it.
Now, if I had access to "Terminator 2: Judgment Day The Book of Film: An Illustrated Screenplay" from 1991 (See HERE) back in '91/'92, I would have noticed it much sooner, because it's in this book, (which was the Screenplay with notes, written before the movie hit the theaters) that you can both read about it, see a screenshot, and read an explanation for it, which was
The 4 armed T-1000 is a version of the character that didn't get discussed by the Stan Winston Studio, and was not included in their Winston Effect book or in any DVD/Blu Ray Extras (other than the mention and the explanation for the Spider T-1000 on the Ultimate DVD chapter and on Extreme DVD text commentary). The gag, while explained and pointed in the Screenplay Book, is not in the screenplay itself. Now, the reason behind all that is that the decision to make the T-1000 grow extra limbs originated on the set and the suit was made nearly on the spot, in a rush, in the middle of the night. The story is recounted in James Cameron's Official Biography The Futurist:
Brief clip of the suit can be seen on Ultimate DVD extras (see the collage photo on the top of the page) as well as in the Interactive mode on T2 Extreme DVD, on which the text commentary also talks about it.
The four arm suit was later reused for a brief tanker sequence as well. Its a bit hard to see in a static screenshot but here it is - two arms driving, two arms up
Now, I remember few years back, probably by mid 2000's, someone online pointed it out, thinking no one knew about it, and, hilariously, that it is a movie mistake and the helicopter pilot's arms are visible mending controls. I still chuckle when I type this. It's gone for many years now, but I thought it is so funny that someone would think that, that it's worth a mention. I mean, this person not only assumed that someone would: A)fly a helicopter, hunched down behind controls and behind a person (!) B) with a principle actor with him there risking his life while someone controls a helicopter crouching with limited visibility ; C) sharing a four armed suit while controlling a helicopter D) fly like this into another helicopter - a second chopper was filming all the scenes of the flying Police chopper in the film, and there is a swooping closeup shot that shows the camera is right next to the canopy and on its path at some point. Each of these would result in murder-suicide since the pilot would crash both himself and the actor there, obviously.
Chuck Tamburro was the pilot in the actual flying helicopter, the same guy who played the actual pilot to whom the T-1000 says "Get Out". For the shots with Robert Patrick inside (and the closeup shots which couldn't be achieved with another flying helicopter with a camera because it would have been too close or in its path) a mobile mockup helicopter was used, in some cases on location, in some against rear projected background
