Screen Accurate & Budget Rocketeer Costume Tutorial

Hello fellow finheads, prop enthusiast and other people who are just bored and have nothing better to do

After a few requests, I decided put together a quick tutorial / costume guide to help fellow finheads to figure out what is the best option for them to fulfill their dream of becoming a hood ornament. Please pay close attention because I will be posting a few helpful links that will help you along your way

I will show basically two guides…..first guide will be a “close” to screen accurate rocketeer costume….this isn’t for the faint of heart and this is a very very costly process….Time to play lotto kids because this one is a doozey…..a close to screen accurate costume will run $3,000 to $6,000……..yes, the same price as a used car or even feed a small country for a few decades…….so be prepared to pay an arm and a leg….

I say “close” to screen accurate because I highly doubt a 100% screen accurate costume can be put together…………it’s just not going to happen….unless you ditch the replica route and pursue screen used props……If you already own screen-used costume pieces, remember one thing…………..I hate you with a passion………..

The second guide will consist of a budget rocketeer and give many different options on how to put together a decent looking costume without breaking the bank (aka the best way to not upset the significant other)

First off the screen accurate costume!!!!!!!

The helmet: There are many options out there. The Acme helmet is by far the most accurate helmet available to the general Public. The helmet kit runs about $200 not including shipping and handling. Remember the helmet is in kit form, so dremeling and painting are separate. You can either finish it off yourself or hire a fellow prop maker to complete the helmet for you. It is cheaper to do it yourself, so be prepared for some blood sweat and tears.

Helpful Links:
Rpf Member Dualedge is the best at turning acme helmets into screen accurate helmets. Check out his thread how to dremel and polish your own helmet.
http://www.therpf.com/f9/rocketeer-w...-helmet-77607/


Where to Buy: Contact me! The maker of the kits is not a rpf member and doesn’t have a website to reach him. I do not receive compensation or a percentage for how many people I refer to him. The same kits are offered through Monsters in Motion and another website, but I prefer you guys to skip the middle man and go straight to the source………….

Acme Helmet Kit estimate $200 not including shipping and handling


The Rocket: The next item on the list is the Cirrus x-3….This one will really make you cry because it is an expensive and long process. On record, the fastest time to put a pack together was less then 48 hours. Unfortunately, that was only one crazy and amazing finhead. Other packs estimation for completion range from a few months to a few years and counting……It really depends how motivated and dedicated you are……The best kit available is the Acme kit. The kit will run around $1,000 not including shipping and handling. Like the helmet, this is only a kit. Paint, dremeling, and other accessories are required for completion.

Helpful Links: A guide How to complete the rocketpack and places to find accessories:
http://www.evan.org/jetpack/

Where to Buy: Contact me. Same as above


Rocketpack kit estimate 1, 000 not including shipping (picture is of main shell only. There are a ton of other pieces that is included in the kit as well)


A finished rocketpack (mine)







The Jacket: Here is the tricky part. The best jacket on the market is the Predicta Jacket. After comparing it to other jackets and the hero jacket, this jacket is by far the most accurate jacket. It is the king of all jackets. Nothing comes close to it’s beauty. Unfortunately, the jacket is hard to come by. Finheads who own them refuse to sell them and the maker is no longer a member of the forum. The jacket cost $800 and it was definitely worth every penny. The jacket cost a lot of money to produce, so taking individual orders is too costly. They would have to be made in a few batches. Kinda difficult finding 5 or so people willing to pay $800 for a jacket, so I would consider this item retired. You can try looking on ebay, but they rarely ever pop up.


Predicta Jacket: I’ll Post more pics later


Other Jackets: Since the most accurate jacket is hard to come by and somewhat not available anymore, you have to look at the other options. Unfortunately, price doesn’t necessarily mean accuracy or quality.

My second recommendation is trying to find an abbyshot jacket. The jacket is no longer available on the site, so trying to find this jacket is difficult as well. There were two versions available: the rocketeer jacket ($675) and the jet jacket ($550). The jet jacket was their basic jacket that lack several details.

Helpful Links:
Jacket Pics
http://www.therpf.com/f24/abbyshot-r...-review-17621/
http://www.therpf.com/f9/abbyshot-s-...ic-heavy-5315/

Abbyshot website:
http://www.abbyshot.com/index.php33

Abbyshot Jacket:



Pants: Chances of finding old WW2 flame retardant jodphurs are slim……so there is a company that custom makes the pants for you. Most finheads use this company for their pants. However, the material they use does not match the screen used pants. The pants run about $100….Not sure if the price went up or not…..They even call them the rocketeer pants…..They are easy to work with and very friendly….

Where to Buy: http://www.1aiel.com/

Pants:


Boots: The rocketeer boots are Calvary riding boots/ german ww2 boots / equestrian boots/ etc etc other known as Dehners.
Be careful on which company you purchase these from.......I recommend purchasing the boots through Dehner. The boots are about $800-$1,000. These are the most accurate boots…..They receive great feedback.

I do not recommend Motorcowboy…..the coloring is off and the customer service isn’t that great. Sometimes, the boot is smaller than what you order. When you contact them with your concerns, they ignore you. Buyer Beware.

The second boot I recommend is the magnoliclothiers field boots. They are $595.00. They are not as nice as the Dehners, but they are still great.


Where to buy: The Dehner Boot Company
Field Boots

Helpful Link: One of our member’s purchased the dehner boots. Checkout his thread for pictures and his 1:1 scale rocketeer costume display
http://www.therpf.com/f9/1-1-rockete...t-26-a-114776/



Harness: Probably the biggest pain out of the entire costume. The leather can get costly and trying to commission some-one to make one is costly as well. I been quoted from $800 to $2,000. Insane prices, but the harness is time consuming. I recommend trying to do this one yourself. I see several finheads make there own, and they turned out great.

Helpful Links: Leather Company
Tandy Leather Factory - Leathercraft and Leather Craft Supplies

Check out a fellow finhead's leather harness. Absolutely amazing!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...7933852&type=1

Gauntlets: too much to write on these, but check this thread for information. Utinni did an amazing job crafting the gauntlets. There is a ton of helpful information to help you out. This thread comes in handy because Utinni shows off his completed Rocketeer Costume: One of the best costumes in the finhead community.

http://www.therpf.com/f24/my-rockete...-buckle-29351/

Budget Rocketeer Time!!!!!!

I’m pretty sure most of you guys are interested in the budget rocketeer costume instead of the screen accurate costume or interested in finding a middle ground between the two evils.


The Helmet: I still recommend the Acme kit. In the end, you can always display your helmet. It doesn’t require much work, and having the most accurate kit for $200 is a steal. However, if you really want to save money. I recommend the OZ helmet. It is a decent helmet, but great for the price. The fin is the best part of the helmet. Oz did a great job on constructing the fin. The helmet does require a lot of work.

Helpful links to complete the Oz Helmet: http://www.therpf.com/f9/rocketeer-h...ishing-115862/

Where to Buy Oz Helmet: Check the Junkyard….Unfortunately, his mold has kicked the bucket so a new mold has to be created. Plus, he mentioned in raising the price. TBA

Oz Helmet:



Rocketpack: This is the tricky part for a budget Rocketeer Costume. The rocketpack can make or break your costume. It really depends on your budget, but there are several tutorials online about scratch building your own pack. A fellow Rpf member named Hikz has made one of the best scratch build rocketpacks to date. It is a stunning pack. I am truly amazed at his craftsmanship and how well he crafted the pack. Other tutorials and threads are available.

Plus, if prepakura is your thing, then you can try doing that as well.

Helpful Links:

Hikz thread:
http://www.therpf.com/f9/rocketeer-p...35/index2.html

Few other tutorials:
http://www.therpf.com/f9/my-rocketee...-thread-84463/

same as above just more pics
This is KOKW calling. KOKW calling!: Rocketeer Project Pt. 2: The Jet Pack

another pack made out of crab floats
Rocketeer Jetpack - Construction Details


The jacket: There are several budget jackets available. However, most are made in india or in the uk. This item is definitely a Buyer Beware item. Be careful who you are purchasing from.

First Jacket is from a company called “all overagain”. The jacket is 140.00 and can be found on ebay by entering “rocketeer jacket” into search engine. The jacket is produced in india

Picture:



Second Jacket is from a company called South Beach Leather. The jacket is $175.20 and can be found on their website : New Page 1

The jacket is produce in india as well. SBL leather is known for stealing pictures from other sites and using them as their own. The pictures below are taken of my jacket that I received from them.

Pictures:







The Third jacket is the Wested Jacket. It used to be one of the top contenders back in the day, but I think they had dropped the price to compete with the other lower end jackets. The jacket costs $360.45. The jacket is produce in the UK. You can purchase it from their website:
Rocketeer Jacket

I am not sure if the jacket is the same quality as the original wested jackets. Since they are trying to compete with other companies, I am not sure if they cut out a few details to lower costs. Previously, the jacket was over $500.

Picture:



Pants: Khaki or tan pants work perfectly. I recommend getting the pants a little baggy to give off a little jodphur look. You can find these in department stores or local walmart stores.


Boots: Jedi Boots!!!!!!!! Cheap Halloween Jedi Boots are your best bet. They range from $30-$70 dollars. You can find them on ebay and different Halloween websites

Picture:




Harness: I used a construction worker harness that you can find at a home depot. I’ll post pictures later





Here is a budget costume I slapped together at last minute.
It includes wolf morgan helmet, south beach leather jacket, 1aeil pants, jedi boots, construction worker harness and a scratchbuild rocketpack.







I slapped this thread together, so I WILL be making few updates and edits throughout the week to add more thread tutorials and pictures.

Grahh Im not even finished with my Fett and I have a sudden urge to make a "close 2" Screen accurate Rocketeer costume
It must be some thing about the helmet and jet pack and a gun Im drawn to

Thanks for posting this itl be a great help

Just an FYI,You for got to add pics of theinterior of the screen used helmet

Also does the Acme lid come with the fin attached,
and apart from the casting flaws and warbles in the OZ helmet how much difference is there between the 2 I,ve spent quite a while scrutinzing the welds and they seem to have simler shapes though Im only looking at the pics of the Acme