Commando Cody Helmet (Rocketman) Movie Serial

TheCopperhead

New Member
For a while now I have been determined to construct an accurate Commando Cody helmet replica. Has anybody on this forum ever made one, share any tips on building one?
Shown in the photographs below is the original prop from the serial "KING OF THE ROCKETMEN" (1949).
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Never built one, but have a replica built by Don Coleman. He made the parts for the Capt Proton suit in Star Trek: Voyager. Just made payment on his rocketpack last nite , so should receive it soon. Have the leather jacket being made as well. Only parts I need are the control dial panel and the flash hider for the Luger.
 
I'm back. I abandoned this project a while ago but recently I've become interested in doing it again. Just finished a three year model making course at college last year, so I think I'm more experienced now. Would it be best to sculpt this first?
 
Glad you're back. This helmet has intrigued me for ages. If I can find some dimensions I'll have a go at sculpting a file for Pepakura.
 
OMG, my Dad would love this. Pretty sure he mentioned he used to watch this.

Gotta love that high tech control system

Up - Down On - Off
Slow? - Fast


I had a quick look online, and couldn't find many pictures of other angles of the helmet, especially the back.

The sides have an interesting shape

KING_OF_THE_ROCKETMEN_01.jpgKING_OF_THE_ROCKETMEN_02.jpg
 
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Glad you're back. This helmet has intrigued me for ages. If I can find some dimensions I'll have a go at sculpting a file for Pepakura.

That'd be cool! I've heard of using Pepakura for helmet projects, however I've never used it before. I did make a Commando Cody helmet when I was very young (about 14 maybe) out of cardboard and a plastic mixing bowl. It wasn't exactly accurate but it had a resemblance lol. I also made the Republic 'Water Heater' Robot which is a fun design!
 
Well, I spent the afternoon working on Blender and have come up with a pep file. It's in A4, but it's unlocked and easy to rearrange for Letter paper. I left out the eyes and mouth on the basis that it's easier to cut them out afterwards. It is sized for 10 inches wide, just a guess and probably not as large as the original.

Cody.png
There are two versions in the file - one with an edge rim and spacer bars to prevent warping. The other one is off to the side and won't print out on the pep.

Let us know how you get on.

Edit - link removed and will be replaced with a better file.
 
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Glad you like it, Nick! :)

But hang on for a day or so. I've removed the link because I've re-done the mesh to remove some faults I spotted. I should have it re-unfolded in a day or so and I'll get the new file back online.

Also, I'm finishing the build of the first one, even though I think it might be too small. At least I'll know and can resize it accordingly.
 
Thanks very much! Much appreciated! I'm going to find out the rough dimensions of the helmet and I'll post them on here.
 
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This is before trimming the face shield surround. From the other pictures you can see that this was a large helmet. Hopefully Copperhead can get some dimensions so I can scale it more accurately than just a guesstimate.

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Hi guys. Got the rough dimensions from a friend who owns a replica helmet: 113/4" tall by 9" wide.

The guy that owns the helmet, Gary Hughes has been making his own tribute to the character. Here is a trailer for his upcoming serial:
 
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Sorry I'm new to Pepakura. How are you holding all the pieces together? Is it tape and then once fully assembled, given a coat of resin? Also once rescaled, would it be possible to make it a PDF file so as I can print it off elsewhere (I don't own a printer)?
 
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Sorry I'm new to Pepakura. How are you holding all the pieces together? Is it tape and then once fully assembled, given a coat of resin? Also once rescaled, would it be possible to make it a PDF file so as I can print it off elsewhere (I don't own a printer)?

I use quick setting PVA glue - the expensive woodworking type, not the rubbish they use in schools. Resin the outside, then resin the inside and add a few layers of glass cloth.

I'll resize the file, then upload a copy in both A4 and Letter sizes, plus see if I can get a copy as a PDF in both Letter and A4. Might take me a day or so.

I'll finish my helmet, even though it now seems too large. It'll make a nice display piece, then have a go at the nine inch wide one.

I take it that the nine inches refers to the width of the helmet, not to the width of the faceplate, which is slightly wider?
 
Here are the files resized for Letter and A4. Haven't been able to convert them to PDF, but they will happily open in Pep Viewer or Designer, and you can print from both.

(File links removed for replacement with updated files)
Loving the trailer for Thirty Second Doom! Superb. :thumbsup

Now, after having made and fibreglassed my slightly-too-big helmet and face plate, what I recommend is to assemble and fibreglass the helmet, then assemble the face plate, but leaveg out the spacer bars and the thin rim that goes around the outside. Use string or thread to fit the face plate to the helmet, then stiffen it with two coats of resin. Remove the face plate when the resin is set, and then apply two coats of cloth to the inside. I think this will give a better fit for the face plate, and result in it looking thinner without any gaps. I can see I'll have to redo the face plate on mine.

If you are new to pep, this is a fairly high-polygon model, which should mean not much bondo work, but it will also be a test of your patience at scoring and cutting accurately. Have fun!
 
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