Check out the scene when the humans try to make contact with the aliens using three helicopter's. The alien ship fires upon the helicopter's, blowing up the first two. When it comes to the third, flames can clearly be seen within the body of the helicopter before it is even hit by the aliens.
i'm not sure you are currect
the aliens first shoot at the first heli which STARTS to explode then quickly we see the other 2 helis go boom and then the first one completely explode