"CONDORMAN" Wings?!

Anyone remember the movie, "Condorman" Starring Michael Crawford? I was always fascinated with the wings he had in that movie. At one point (believe it or not) I was actually in touch with Colin Chilvers, who worked on the effects for that movie and also such movies as Superman, etc....We emailed back and forth for a while and I tried to pick his brain as to how they were made. It had been a while for him and he tried his best to remember, but didn't give much info. Anyone here ever attempted to make the wings? I'd love to get going on a set, but have no idea where to even begin with them. Thoughts? Here's a pic to jog memories. Thanks Guys!
-Johnny C

Such a wonderfully bad move... I look forward to your making the wings. And the costume. And the gypsy-looking truck with the spy car inside...

Ohhhhh... such a great bit of vintage 80's cheese!

Barbara Carerra was exceptionally hot in that, and I loved the Russian Porsche attack "squadron"

Good luck with the wings!

-Sarge

SmilingOtter said:

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Such a wonderfully bad move... I look forward to your making the wings. And the costume. And the gypsy-looking truck with the spy car inside...

Ah yes....VERY wonderfully bad movie....but how can you not love it? I actually made a custom action figure once. It's tucked away somewhere....

But a gypsy-truck sure would be sweet....

-Johnny C

WOUld prob be ali bar mixed with tent pole type material. The design of the mechanics of opening could be taken from an umbrella - not operated by cable but the way the poles hinge together form the way the bars open out into the wingspan.........................?
I like dthe speedboat. Shot in Bristol Docks, methinks.

Heres a clip of the wings unfolding...man this is funny. Old times.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jkJqjwrjZU4

Every time I get in my Porsche, I can't help but think of the Prognoviach... I just need that little radar antenna on top.


_Mike

CustomCreations said:

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WOUld prob be ali bar mixed with tent pole type material. The design of the mechanics of opening could be taken from an umbrella - not operated by cable but the way the poles hinge together form the way the bars open out into the wingspan.........................?
I like dthe speedboat. Shot in Bristol Docks, methinks.

Hmmmm.....what exactly is "ali bar"? Yeah, the umbrella theory seems about right....I'm really going to have to start analyzing this more closely....Would copper plumbing pipe be too heavy for this sort of thing do you think? What's lighter?

-Johnny C

Sorry- ali=aluminium...........thought steel would be very heavy, wood too weak?
Copper pipe would be heavy- but strong enough. I guess the way to find out is go to the local store and gather a bunch of tubing together that would be enough to make the skeleton from!

eaviii said:

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Easy enough to fabricate that puppy then mount it to the roof of the Porsche with wood screws- Post pics- Very cool indeed-

Doc

Wood Screws? GAH!!!

Magnetic plate. Battery operated!

You then need to have the black helmet and the silver scleral contact lens. In the novel, which I have around here somewhere, Morovitch, who had a stainless steel ball bearing as an artificial eye, would take it out and polish it.

Guess they thought it was just a little too gruesome for a Disney movie.

Good luck with the wings!

-Dan

eaviii said:

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I hope people knew that I was kidding with the wood screws for mounting a prop on a Porsche. Usually, I rely on a nail gun or superglue for that.

Doc

Yeah, I'd have to go with the wood screws or nailgun myself, as the magnet setup effects that metal plate in my head.

If young kids can make retractable wings with wood and duct tape,...I'm sure WE CAN,....and much improved.

How to make folding wings for cosplay: Part I - YouTube

I can't believe anyone else remembers that movie!

Hokie movie, but I liked it.

Right now, this will be my ((not so anymore) SECRET costume for next year's DRAGON*CON... to include the retractable wings. I did this one when I saw the movie with some fabric, wood dowels, some string and tape., and they worked... at least in the "wing spreading" sense.

But that was back in 1981-1982, and it's my task now to tackle this project with actual materials (ahem, Home Depot) to make it happen. They won't be as accurate as the ones in the movie, made to swing up and down (too much wires and metal things in there), but rather looking from the front as accurate as I can, I will post progress pics of the armature for the wings once I find the best way to do it. I already have some plans traced, and will start within a month or two, when weather is more favorable.

-UPDATE-

Just to let you know, I've already started this project; made some research, looking for options from back since early '80's up to this day. I'm based and concentrating my design on the "UPGRADED" CONDORMAN costume by the last 1/4 of the movie, not from the beginning of the movie, which IMO looks "trailer-trashy".

I've already ordered the unitard to be airbrushed with "feathers" pattern later on, and the racing harness that holds the "wing pack"... not accurate, but I'll make it as close as in the movie. Waiting for brown spandex material for the "trunks". and I've started on the flight goggles and the belt. Also not accurate since the whole unitard was done as a single piece in the movie, but I want it to make it more "useful" and "today's day" reasons.

I got screen grabs from the DVD, and made partial designs for the frame of the wing skeleton. Right now I'm just puzzling my mind on just how to put it together, basically which materials (kind of screws, thickness of tubing, etc.).

More updates and pics to come soon.

oh goodness. I may have to bow down to you sir if you make this look as good as I think it could.

I met James Hampton a few weeks ago...and basically told him my love for this film and his fellow actors. He actually looked very touched and didn't look at me as if I were insane.

Truly a wonderful meeting.

I dearly loved this film as a kid (and still do!) I've been wanting to do this costume (either the early or finished one) for ages but happy to let someone else go first to see who you work out the bugs. Keep us posted. Condorman! - One of the great movie themes of all time. "Condorman's American. his word is his bond."

Here’s my latest update for this project:

I've being researching and getting lots of screen grabs from the movie lately.

Right now, I have probably like 70% of the whole costume materials available / handy. I’m just going to post now a TEASER of what’s going on in the background… I’ll post a tutorial later once the project is finished.

First, I got the first thing handy… lenses for the GOGGLES.



A few weeks ago, I’ve got these set of cheap sunglasses from the Dollar Store, which have BIG lenses… perfect in size, and carefully I’ve popped them out of the frames. Creation of the lenses will come first really soon.




Today, I received in the mail one of the (almost) ACCURATE items used on the original wings/glider… OLD SCHOOL Bicycle Grips, to be used to grab the glider and open the wings with. Good thing about them, they only cost me about $3.00 for the pair... not bad at all!



More to come soon.

this is the reason i love this site. i'm just so happy that other people remember this movie and love it like I do. most people just look at me like im insane and im making things up that never existed. but you folks never let me down. I will be following this thread and wish you all the best of luck. just resist the urge to jump of a building to see if it realy works like the guy in the movie. lol

Strapping and D-rings just came in. These will substitute the black harness I got for the wing pack. Not accurate, but the closest and CHEAPER I could find...




This is a close up of the harness, I have to paint the contact points black now:

Awwww man...I loved that movie as a kid! I watched it more than Howard the Duck.