I have got an open motorcycle helmet, and I have been thinking about Star Wars-ing it, by attaching pieces onto it from an X-wing pilot helmet kit.
In order to do this, I need to know if a kit (accurately cast from a APH-6 helmet) would fit or not.
How wide is an accurate X-wing/Y-wing/TIE/AT-AT pilot's helmet?
I need the width measured behind, not including the thing the visor goes into when it is up.
Anyone who would be able to give me this measurement?
Thanks in advance
/ Johan
Define behind. Not sure exactly the measurement you're requesting.
Width is just one issue. There's also shape. I've never seen a motorcycle helmet with the complex contours of an APH. No matter what, you're going to have to do some customization, whether it's the width of the mowhawk or the way ram's horn meets the surface, etc.
That's the thing. I am trying to find out if it would be doable. I have done some reshaping and customization of other ABS pieces before, so there does not have to be a perfect fit.
Just so that I know that it is within the same ballpark. As long as the size difference is small enough, I think I could reshape the front of the helmet to fit. I am prepared to scratch-build a completely new mohawk.
By "behind", I mean behind the thing on the forehead which the visor would slide up into on a real APH-6 helmet. In other words, the ear-to-ear measurement. I looks as if the visor-cover-thing is wider than this.
Last edited by Darth Lars; Jul 16, 2007 at 6:23 PM.
Okay, ear to ear of my size large APH is ~10".
This was measured inside but the helmet material thickness is less than 1/64".
Of course, the ears is a place where the helmet bulges out but is not where any add-ons go.
Anyway...
Instead of adding a styrene kit onto the helmet, I decided to make a new sculpt. I know, I am crazy, but I want a fiberglass helmet.
First, I drew the outline for a visor cover onto the helmet.
Then I sculpt a visor cover on the helmet shell in oil-based clay. I forgot to take pictures of that stage.
Then I laid fiberglass onto the clay. Here's after the first layer:
I made the rams horns be parallel onto the contour of my motorcycle helmet, which is why they look a little bit different from rams horns on a real APH-6B.
I laid the second layer yesterday. Next will come a whole lot of sanding, putty and more sanding.
Unfortunately, I have only my bedroom and bathroom to lay fiberglass in. It is in the middle of winter and temperatures are almost freezing, so I can not work outdoors.
So, instead I worked quickly beside an open window and then I placed the helmet in a large cardboard box together with a few candles and placed the box outdoors on the balcony. The box kept a room temperature for several hours. The polyester cured well, and it took only an hour or two to vent the fumes from the room.
Last edited by Darth Lars; Feb 19, 2008 at 7:21 AM.
I have an APH im working on but need the mohawk. I will be wathing your progress. Looks good.
Wow, that's really cool! That helmet is a good base.
That looks like a great start! I'm trying a similar project myself, but I don't have the sculpting skills that you do. I was going to make a scratch built TIE helmet, but decided to try an X-Wing version instead. I may have to start over - I cut and sectioned the helmet to accomodate the wider TIE Mohawk,
so the proportions may not be proper. I've cut an APH visor to add to the exterior as I progress. These are some early test fits of my efforts. I look forward to seeing how this goes!
Good Luck!
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j4.../MohawkCk1.jpg
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j4...hawkGapRef.jpg
A lot of work remains. I am going to wait a while before I build the mohawk. First, it will be made into a custom design, for use in a fan-film set a few decades after the movies.
Only after filming is complete, will I start on the mohawk. The idea I have for sculpting the mohawk is to cut trapezoids out of construction foam and tape these onto the helmet shell. Then lay fiberglass on these.
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