Star Tours: RX-24 Captain "Rex" build

[haakesack]

Hi folks,
I know this is probably your first thread and it's mine too...haha.

I'm brand spanking new here and I'd like to start a thread on a build that's been in my head for a few months now. Star tours was one of my all time favorite rides and now with the phasing out of the old ride, I'd like to build me a Disneyland version Captain Rex. I'm starting to amass reference photography and I'm reaching out to some imagineer buddies to see what I can pull together, but if any of you have any information or even recognize parts on rex that would help me with scale or sources especially for the eyes, mouth and face parts, that would be great.

I'll most likely start with a head/neck build followed by the rest of the torso with the eventual goal being a fully operational Rex.

Wish me luck... I'll need it!



UPDATE 1: 3D Model Finished, check it out on page 7!






Good Reference (but wrong mouth):
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6127/6017034510_92498c9698_o.jpg
DisneyWorld version (different mouth/eye position, paint colors, face plate shape and top arm actuator):http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6073/6047809192_d2994534d0_o.jpg

 

[Jodo]

This was perhaps hands down the best part of my childhood, going to Star Tours as a kid. I can't wait to see this build!

 

[joez2391]

Good luck! this guy has been on my list for a while now, not enough time or space unfortunately. The best way to scale the build is to measure it to his mouth. They used a C-3P0 eye for it, not sure about any other parts there seems to be a lot of found item greeblies on him. I'm sure you could find a lot of that stuff at home depot. If you need any help with anything specific let me know

 

[haakesack]

Good luck! this guy has been on my list for a while now, not enough time or space unfortunately. The best way to scale the build is to measure it to his mouth. They used a C-3P0 eye for it, not sure about any other parts there seems to be a lot of found item greeblies on him. I'm sure you could find a lot of that stuff at home depot. If you need any help with anything specific let me know

Excellent, thank you sir! Makes sense seeing the mouth all by itself. That is actually the mouth from the Florida version and I'm going to do the California version. Hopefully it's the same eye without the grill. Also as he spoke his mouth was somewhat a VU meter. I'll do some searching for threepio bits.

Any info you have would've colossally helpful. My first imagineer buddy didn't really pull through for me unfortunately. I was hoping he'd let me in before park open to take some pictures with a ruler but no dice (I was a cast member for a number of years so its not that difficult). I've got another lead on a higher up cast member so we'll see what I can find.

I'll probably be building a solidworks model of Rex so II can start piecing him together. If anybody has a bead on a 3d file of him, that'd be great too. I know the guy who did the star tours origins (st45 project) has at least a rudimentary one.

 

[Mattonymy]

Awesome haakesack, can't wait to see what you come up with.

I don't have much experience in solidworks or 3D modeling, but I have been interested in starting my own RX-24 for quite some time. Currently I've just been scouring the Internet for reference images and purchased the Hasbro toy model, which I plan on using as a base model for scaling up.

 

[DocNewborn]

Whatever you create, make it duplicable!

I would love to own a lifesize Rex.

Here's a shot of the prototype green-foam Rex and his sculptor Chris Runco.

Here's the photo as it originally appeared in a 1987 Starlog article written by three of the Imagineers who worked on the ride.

Alex

 

[Mattonymy]

I was actually thinking of building one out of foam originally, before I do any heavy plans with resin/fiberglass/aluminum.

Does anyone know what kind of foam might work best for simple modeling? I know planter foam might work from experience, but it's limitations are that it's way too brittle for what I want and the porous texture doesn't lend itself to acute shaping.

 

[DocNewborn]

Here's a video that I edited together a LONG time ago from every scrap of Star Tours video I could lay hands to.

There's not a lot of Rex in there, but these are the highlights...

unpainted aluminum Rex (head profile):

unpainted aluminum Rex (facing forward):

aluminum Rex head (visor up):

aluminum Rex head (visor down):

Rex as he looked in 1986/1987 (press kit video from what had to be Disneyland, as the Orlando one was not yet functional):

closeup of Rex's hand moving the throttle forward:

Hope this helps, I'll see what else I can find.

Alex (one of the contributors for EndorExpress)

 

[Mattonymy]

Woah, awesome edits Alex, thanks for the vids and screen shots! I was just looking at EndorExpress during my Rex Research excursion.

I'm really excited about this build. My initial plan is, after collecting enough reference images, to see if I can do a very rudimentary model based on the toy's dimensions. I have a laser scanner at my disposal and plan to scan in the model into my computer.

 

[DocNewborn]

Few more pics I've uncovered...

This magazine came out in Spring '87, but the photo shoot must have been in 1986 because the Rex animatronics seen in the background of the pics were installed for the soft opening in December '86, if I recall correctly.

Another pic from presumably the same photo shoot.

Again, same day, printed in a 1987 Starlog. From this angle you see that there were multiple Rexes in the room with them. I don't think it occurred to me for a long time that there were four identical Rexes in Anaheim, and six each in Orlando, Tokyo, etc.

We know Lucas was beardless in 1986 thanks to this Captain EO television special.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8okWQS6A_Fo

Also, we can definitively date the no-beard Lucas pics to 1986, because by early January 1987, he had grown the beard back.

Alex

 

[Mattonymy]

So right now I'm in the process of figuring out his height dimensions. From the pictures I could gather online, I think he's around 3.5 to 4 feet, but I don't have accurate dimensions yet. Does anyone know if there's a 3D model or something available online?

 

[DocNewborn]

I once ballparked Rex's height using that photo of him with George, since I've seen GL in person in the corridors of CV and we were approximately the same height. I leaned in the same pose against a yardstick and compared the two photos, and came up with approximately 3 feet tall with his head retracted to the lowest, and 3.5 feet tall with his head fully extended. (Rex's head, not GL's.)

But that's a really crude system. Who's close to a Disney Park and can go get us a measurement or decent height estimate of one of the Rexes in the queue?

Alex

 

[haakesack]

Holy Crap, I have spent far too much time away from this thread! Thank you everyone who has contributed!! The pictures are amazing and are really what I'm after for the authentic Disneyland RX-24.

I'm close to Disneyland, I'll see if I can hop down there in the next couple of weeks and Ride star tours with a ruler a few dozen times. My Imagineer friend seemed unwilling to help out so I'll have to see if I can find another sneaky way to hang around the ride longer than I'm supposed to. I'll also upload my image cache when I get off of work.

You guys rock!

 

[haakesack]

Does anyone know if there's a 3D model or something available online?

I have searched far and wide but have been unable to come up with anything CAD wise. The only model I know of is the ST-45 video project. The model doesn't seem too detailed but who knows.

EDIT: also I'd be more than willing to start modeling with dimensions and start throwing the models up here. The laser Scanner is going to spit out a mesh which is hard for me to work with ( engineering modeler not FX/artistic) but It may help us with more accurate dimensions.

 

[Mattonymy]

Finally got my RX-124 figure! It is a very impressive model, very close to the actual droid. It's going to be hard for me to push myself to ruin it's MIB value, LOL.

Will post more pics later tonight!

 

[DocNewborn]

The sculpt on that figure is really good. I've actually disassembled a couple of them to customize a few details.

The main drawback (aside from the fact that it wasn't to scale with other Star Wars figures) is that the 'snout' on the face seems too long, so be careful to correct that.

Plus they made the visor transparent, when it should be opaque. It is, after all, made of aluminum on the Audio-Animatronic character, and there's no such thing as transparent aluminum, amIright?

The action figure is also missing the 'pitot tube' warning label, the strip of red transparent plastic that says 'REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT'.

Alex

 

[DocNewborn]

I'm close to Disneyland, I'll see if I can hop down there in the next couple of weeks and Ride star tours with a ruler a few dozen times. My Imagineer friend seemed unwilling to help out so I'll have to see if I can find another sneaky way to hang around the ride longer than I'm supposed to. I'll also upload my image cache when I get off of work.

Image cache? Do tell!

And you won't need to hang around the simulator itself with a ruler anymore... Rex is now in the queue only.

Alex

 

[haakesack]

Image cache? Do tell!

And you won't need to hang around the simulator itself with a ruler anymore... Rex is now in the queue only.

Alex

So it's nothing too special but it's all of the images I could pull from the sources I know of. There's a couple of good shots including a blurry but useful shot while the ride is operating giving a good idea of lighting used, and an alternately painted RX giving a good profile shot. Check em out and see what you think: RX-24 - Imgur

The wife and I are thinking about getting Disneyland passes so I hope to be able to produce some images of my own.

 

[haakesack]

Btw, Does anyone know the exact size of any of the components on REX? For example, it does look like a threepio eye as the mouth. Does anyone have that diameter? or even the spacing between the slats?

 

[Eli Vernon]

The star tours droids have always been fascinating to me, i don't have any exact measurements, but i found some CAD files from a blog by a Mr. Gordon Tarpley...


I am C3PO: Eye Options

I've already emailed him for the original files, i'll put them up when i get them.