The Ultimate X-Wing Pilot Thread

[Rawktrooper]

I just finished my Red Leader Galaxys Edge Luke Skywalker helmet repaint.

I kept up with progress on another thread here, but thought I would repost to this one.
I am loving doing these repaint projects. I think the next one is a Jaina Solo from the un-canon novels.
Enjoy!

Rebel X-Wing Pilot helmet Paint Projects - OT, Rogue One, Mandalorian

I did a disassemble and repaint of the Black Series Luke helmet and I'll show some photos here. Any questions please ask. I'll do my best to explain how it works. you will have to forgive the mess this was. and I didn't take photos in the first part of disassembly of the interior of the shell...

www.therpf.com

 

[Detaleader]

I just finished my Red Leader Galaxys Edge Luke Skywalker helmet repaint.

I kept up with progress on another thread here, but thought I would repost to this one.
I am loving doing these repaint projects. I think the next one is a Jaina Solo from the un-canon novels.
Enjoy!

Rebel X-Wing Pilot helmet Paint Projects - OT, Rogue One, Mandalorian

I did a disassemble and repaint of the Black Series Luke helmet and I'll show some photos here. Any questions please ask. I'll do my best to explain how it works. you will have to forgive the mess this was. and I didn't take photos in the first part of disassembly of the interior of the shell...

www.therpf.com

Looks great!

 

[Detaleader]

For my next X-Wing build I figured I'd go with Far Away Creations, since they are the ones who built the X-Wings used on the production of Rogue One.

It's a very well made helmet and the quality is great.

I plucked this image from the forums here - it shows the interior of the R1 helmets pretty clearly

This is the FAC helmet (the overspray on the inside is from me of course). The chin strap is mounted to this cap placed on the inside. The cap is screwed in place at three points in the helmet and can be taken out.

If you take out the little cap on the inside you can see the visor is on this really long strip of plastic and slides into place.

I hope this helps anyone who has been wondering about the FAC helmet

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

Detaleader, can you clarify the differences you're pointing out? The one pilot helmet we can see inside in the production photo looks exactly like what Cal is offering currently. The inner "cap" is there, foam the same size in the same spot, the slits where the chincup straps are supposed to be anchored are visible (why they are attached elsewhere in the production helmet, I don't know). About the only thing I can't see clearly is the lower back interior. Something's been done to that area, but I can't tell what.

Remember that he delivered raw assembled helmets to Anovos to deliver to LFL. The "donuts" were added somewhere else along the way. Apparently, they also fiddled with the chincup straps. I could see them doing something around the back interior between the donuts, but pics like that are all I've ever had to go on. Original flight helmets had a padded strip across the back the same color as the donuts, so it might be something similar (or the actual item)...

 

[Detaleader]

Detaleader, can you clarify the differences you're pointing out? The one pilot helmet we can see inside in the production photo looks exactly like what Cal is offering currently. The inner "cap" is there, foam the same size in the same spot, the slits where the chincup straps are supposed to be anchored are visible (why they are attached elsewhere in the production helmet, I don't know). About the only thing I can't see clearly is the lower back interior. Something's been done to that area, but I can't tell what.

You're right and I probably simply jumped to conclusions too quick in all fairness!

I must have been thrown off by the fact that the upper cap inside hid the visor being on the long lip for a slider.

I'll edit my original post to amend that.

I believe the lower bottom is simply a a different foam cushion put in place.

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

I always want more eyes on when it comes to what was used for production. Between all the helmets and related accessories FAC made for the film, I know how he made them as shipped... But precious little showing what was done downstream before they ended up on-screen.

 

[AtomicToybox]

I was having a good look at the weekend at all the different chest boxes on the OT costumes. I stumbled across this image which has a really clear shot of a Snowspeeder/ESB chest box. Looks like they just stuck red and green vinyl over the blue squares to make it different. Go figure!

Fascinating. What was the character/source this is cropped from? You can get some pretty good quality images of Rogue Two (Zev) from higher-rez screen captures, but at least in this shot I'm not seeing the same blue edges. The color does seem to be "top face only" though.

(In the interest of greater X/Y/SS pilot research, this shot confirms the flak vest ribs had tubing - visible here slightly protruding at the open end).

 

[Detaleader]

Fascinating. What was the character/source this is cropped from? You can get some pretty good quality images of Rogue Two (Zev) from higher-rez screen captures, but at least in this shot I'm not seeing the same blue edges. The color does seem to be "top face only" though.

The image with the blue edges is the Hobbie promo(?) shot

 

[Rawktrooper]

Thanks for sharing! I have my own RO FAC helmet as well and i love it.
I also restore flight helmets in general and am working on one currently.. not the same model as the older APHs that the films used, but a newer, next gen model HGU from the late 90s to modern.
The flight helmets in a general sense are missing a few things for the films from the original real helmet.
1 mic and headphone cables that protruded from below the right ear area
2 the 2 visors, one clear and one shaded, which were flat and both fit in the visor cover which is the raised portion in the front. Also the visor
levers which allowed the pilot to switch from one to the other or to raise both into the cover and leave the helmet open at the eyes.
3 the neck and chin strap system, which did not go over the chin, but under it.. leather and a bit padded.. because they also utilized an oxygen mask that would go over the chin.
4 the oxygen mask clips that would clip into the helmet, which is what the square boxes are on the film helmets
5 the internal padding and ear cups consisted of 2 layers and the ear cups were leather ovals with speakers inside. Those were attached
to the helmet by a small round head bolt which showed up about the domed part where the ear is.. these were removed for the film helmets.
The internal padding consists very simply of about 1" foam around the entire dome of the head and covered by a velcroed in 3/8" padding
the shape of the head but only about 9 inches across and did not cover where the ear cups would be. I can post some photos of this if needed.

My guess is the extra padding they added is to cover the original helmet dimensions inside the vacu-formed helmet shell created for the films so the helmet sits on the head in the proper place, and for comfort.

I always felt like my helmet sat a bit high so i took out the foam disk on the top and added in a thinner foam liner and ear cups. The color of the ear cups changed over time as well.. the newer cups are leather, as the older cups, but now black instead of a blond leather which they used in the 70s thru the end of those models. Newer helmets got a little tighter to the skull and more compact. some even removing the visor cover altogether and opting for a leather cover for the exposed visor lens.

Incidentally, did you ever notice that Rogue 2s mic is on the right side and not the left? i always found that interesting.. and its not a flipped photo as i have heard some say, because the chest box is correct. Interesting.

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

I like that, with the SPH-4 helmets they used for the U-Wing pilots in Rogue One, they retained the liner:

 

[RBJ]

Are there any really good pics of the Rogue One X-Wing Commpads out there?

 

[Rawktrooper]

looks like there are some great images in the Rogue One Ultimate Visual Dictionary.. Also the Making of Rogue One guide has a few images, as well as the Topps website made Rogue One cards which have some fairly high definition images of the comm pads..
Rogue One pilots wore both the sleeve comm pad and the glove comm pad we see in Empire. They are not exactly like the original trilogy pads but have slight variations.
I will attach the best of what i have seen of movie production stills here.

You can also go to page 37 thru 39 (ish) in this thread and see what the.rebel.agent posted about his creation of the glove compad.

 

[fraaank]

I was having a good look at the weekend at all the different chest boxes on the OT costumes. I stumbled across this image which has a really clear shot of a Snowspeeder/ESB chest box. Looks like they just stuck red and green vinyl over the blue squares to make it different. Go figure!

 

[RBJ]

looks like there are some great images in the Rogue One Ultimate Visual Dictionary.. Also the Making of Rogue One guide has a few images, as well as the Topps website made Rogue One cards which have some fairly high definition images of the comm pads..
Rogue One pilots wore both the sleeve comm pad and the glove comm pad we see in Empire. They are not exactly like the original trilogy pads but have slight variations.
I will attach the best of what i have seen of movie production stills here.

You can also go to page 37 thru 39 (ish) in this thread and see what the.rebel.agent posted about his creation of the glove compad.

Thanks for those! I've see most of the official ones and the details aren't very clear ( talking about the big arm one not glove) was hoping there were some BTS images floating around

 

[Rawktrooper]

Thanks for those! I've see most of the official ones and the details aren't very clear ( talking about the big arm one not glove) was hoping there were some BTS images floating around

I have not seen many BTS images.. but i continue to look... hopefully more surface and it clears things up!
Ill keep asking around for any that others have as well.

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

I think Rinzler's deep delves on the OT and his similar manuscript for TFA scared Lucasfilm into overreacting. Like how Gene Roddenberry used to take the Star Trek blooper reels around ot conventions with him in the '70s and '80s -- but the show had been off the ear for a decade and more by then. When he did the same with TNG season one bloopers, the cast were furious. It was a currently-in-production show, it would impact how people saw and respected them in context, and he hadn't even asked or gotten their permission. And that's why so few TNG bloopers existed for years. After the season one set, I saw maybe one or two takes from later in the series max until the TNG Remastered box set. I saw bloopers from DS9 and Voyager and Enterprise before I ever saw more from TNG.

So, while there are "Ultimate Visual Guides" and the Visual Dictionaries, and the Art-of books, there haven't been any Making-of books for any of the post-Disney-sale content. Not even a superficial 1980s "The Making of Star Wars" take. That's really hindered us in identifying, referencing, or being able to source anything. We've gotten lucky with a lot, but many more things remain undisclosed/elusive.

 

[division 6]

 

[Rawktrooper]

heres a couple pics of my personal X-Wing Rogue One compad weathered and complete.
Its a bit dirty looking, but thats easily backed off if needed.

 

[Darth Lars]

heres a couple pics of my personal X-Wing Rogue One compad weathered and complete.

What is the lineage of your comm pad?

 

[Rawktrooper]

this compad is a DHPFX resin Rogue One