APH 6 helmet size help please

[oota goota]

Hey all I recently bought an APH 6A from fellow rpf-er Blaxmyth. I am planning to create a couple of vac form bucks for an x wing pilot helmet by moulding and casting this helmet in two halves in the usual fashion

I'm trying to figure out whether this helmet is a large size or medium size one. My knowledge of x wing helmets and these flight helmets is limited so any help anyone could give me would be most appreciated.

So far the only marking I can find are a label saying it's a dual visor APH 6A and a small circular stamp at the back saying 'SH28'. I wonder if that stamp is a size thing or a makers stamp

Anyone got a large size APH with a similar stamp on it?




Cheers

Oota

 

[oota goota]

Happy times! I was able to bring my helmet round to a mates place who owns an efx helmet. A quick measure and size comparison shows that they are identical once you factor in the thickness of what would have been the vac formed plastic.

I'm beginning to think that the large/ medium sizes have little to do with the helmet size but more to do with the helmet liner.

 

[scottjua]

Man if you get an accurate size vac pull with an accurate mohawk (most are WAY too big), I'd be down to buy one or two from you.

 

[Darth Lars]

Indeed. The EFX' mohawk looks like it has an accurate width.

Are you going to make the sideburns asymmetrical (like in the movie) or symmetrical?

 

[oota goota]

Man if you get an accurate size vac pull with an accurate mohawk (most are WAY too big), I'd be down to buy one or two from you.

Hey scottjua yeah I was surprised as the look of the Mohawk it's more bevelled than I was expecting and the centre joining strip is thinner and not a uniform width. I'll post progress pics on this thread as I go but it might be a wee while before I start in on this (competing projects )

 

[oota goota]

Indeed. The EFX' mohawk looks like it has an accurate width.

Are you going to make the sideburns asymmetrical (like in the movie) or symmetrical?

Eek! I'm not sure Darth my knowledge of these helmets is very limited at this stage so I had no idea they were not symmetrical. Mind you that doesn't surprise me but thanks for the heads up I'll make sure I look into the dimensions a bit more.

Are there any other quirks to this bucket?

 

[Darth Lars]

Yeah there are a few.
* The X-wing helmet is like if the APH-6 helmet was moulded with the original edge trim still attached. Look especially at the neck, where the end of the mohawk stretches forward - that was probably a thicker type of edge trim on the original APH-6 that was blended into the mohawk.
* Below each "rams horn" on the visor cover, below the "kills" symbols, the wall is sloping. Different fan-made helmets tend to be slightly different here as well.
* It is believed that all visors in the movies were fixed. Some fan-made helmets include a separate dome inside the helmet that sliding-visor mechanism is mounted to. It is also used for mounting rivets for chin strap and makes it easier to mount soft helmet-pads in the very top under the hollow mohawk.
* The chin cup on the chin strap is not from the APH-6. I have seen that style on several different motorcycle helmets from the 1960's and 70's though.

There are some very good pictures of a couple of original helmets over at StarWarsHelmets.com where you can see some of these details.
When you look at movie still, do be aware that quite a few shots in the movies were mirrored so asymmetric details could be on the left in one shot or on the right in another.
BTW. In ANH, the boom microphone was not part of the helmet but part of a separate Racal Minilite headset worn under the helmet - also worn by Han and Luke on the Falcon and by Rebel flight control on Yavin. (also by USMC in Aliens BTW). The real headset or even a resin replica could be costly, not to mention that a real headset's ear plug could be a bit icky.. so having a boom mounted to the helmet would be nice.

 

[oota goota]

Yeah there are a few.
* The X-wing helmet is like if the APH-6 helmet was moulded with the original edge trim still attached. Look especially at the neck, where the end of the mohawk stretches forward - that was probably a thicker type of edge trim on the original APH-6 that was blended into the mohawk.
* Below each "rams horn" on the visor cover, below the "kills" symbols, the wall is sloping. Different fan-made helmets tend to be slightly different here as well.
* It is believed that all visors in the movies were fixed. Some fan-made helmets include a separate dome inside the helmet that sliding-visor mechanism is mounted to. It is also used for mounting rivets for chin strap and makes it easier to mount soft helmet-pads in the very top under the hollow mohawk.
* The chin cup on the chin strap is not from the APH-6. I have seen that style on several different motorcycle helmets from the 1960's and 70's though.

There are some very good pictures of a couple of original helmets over at StarWarsHelmets.com where you can see some of these details.
When you look at movie still, do be aware that quite a few shots in the movies were mirrored so asymmetric details could be on the left in one shot or on the right in another.
BTW. In ANH, the boom microphone was not part of the helmet but part of a separate Racal Minilite headset worn under the helmet - also worn by Han and Luke on the Falcon and by Rebel flight control on Yavin. (also by USMC in Aliens BTW). The real headset or even a resin replica could be costly, not to mention that a real headset's ear plug could be a bit icky.. so having a boom mounted to the helmet would be nice.

Thanks for all that info Darth Lars! I will go back to starwarshelmets it's a great site. It might be a case of small steps for me. Get the helmet cast up and working, then add visor and dome after.

copy that on the slopes at the bottom of the Rams horns. I did a quick measure from the bottom of the slope to the bottom of the helmet. It's roughly 180mm so I should be able to add an accurate bevel.

I've got a mate looking into ear pieces, no idea about the chin cup thing yet or the mic so that's useful info

 

[Blaxmyth]

View attachment 717420

Oota - is there a jawa looking in the window?

 

[oota goota]

ha ha holy sith I think you're right Funny there was stuff missing out of my car when I went home that must explain it......

 

[division 6]

IIRC the chin cup was from a hockey helmet or some other sports equipment.

 

[TooMuchBBQ]

Yeah, I think I read - likely on Star wars helmets - that the chin cup was from a kayaking or mountain climbing helmet that Ainsworth also produced, ie, he already had them lying around the shop.

 

[Treadwell]

Good summary, Darth Lars.
I would add that, what looks like on the idealized MR the head of a snap fastener, there is a bump that was created when the originals were vacuformed over a large domed screw head. (It held on a support strap that goes behind the neck on the APH.) If modifying a real APH, just putty over the screw to make a gradual bump.

 

[oota goota]

Thanks everyone for this extra info it's very useful. I'll be sure to post pics of my progress. I plan on taking a cast of each half of the helmet and then doing all my modifications on the cast rather than the original pieces. I'll probably fabricate a Mohawk and glue the bugger on. It should work well and not leave any unwanted lines in the pulls cheers!

 

[Blaxmyth]

I'm so excited to see how this project goes! :thumbsup

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

The first x-wing helmet I had was build on top of an aph-6 helmet size medium. The medium is undersized when compared to any other known accurate build rebel flight helmet. You need a size large. Which was my second helmet. The medium is also to small to wear on most adult size heads even with all padding stripped out.

The medium became my son's helmet because it worked well for a child. But when he got to his early teens, it was too small.

 

[KF6SVJ]

When you start disassembly the visor cover should have the size on the underside.

 

[oota goota]

The first x-wing helmet I had was build on top of an aph-6 helmet size medium. The medium is undersized when compared to any other known accurate build rebel flight helmet. You need a size large. Which was my second helmet. The medium is also to small to wear on most adult size heads even with all padding stripped out.

The medium became my son's helmet because it worked well for a child. But when he got to his early teens, it was too small.

Thanks MJF if that's the case then I'm sure my helmet is large sized. that coupled with the efx pics I think make it fairly conclusive

- - - Updated - - -

When you start disassembly the visor cover should have the size on the underside.

Thanks KF6SVJ I'll take a look when I get there and post some pics!