Tie Helmet

Signature Imperial
Imperial Pilot (Tie)

Cast from the original 1976 moulds, the Imperial Pilot is the most accurate reproduction of the on screen character. Made with high-gloss, black 2 mm Acrylic Capped ABS.

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SUMMARY

TIE

“TWIN ICONC ENGINES...”

George Lucas considering using a black Stormtrooper, but he also showed Andrew a rear view concept sketch of just the back of a helmet, the pilot being seated in a gunner turret. George only asked for a piece of black plastic the shape of the back… I guess the budget was a bit tight.

Andrew considered what the rest of the character might look like and set about creating what was to become the “Tie-Pilot”
EXPANDED

“RE-USING THE X-WING CONCEPT...”

Andrew considered the look and feel of exiting characters for the film and without spending much money, he experimented with and repurposed what was already in production for the Tie Pilot.
The X-Wing helmet was symmetrical, that was a good place to start! A prototype X-Wing helmet had a face mask (visor), Andrew split this in half, expanded it and inserted the face from the Stormtrooper… The Tie-Pilot began to emerge.
EAR PIECE

“GETTING MIXED MESSAGES...”

The insertion of the Stormtrooper face was not a neat affair, in fact the tough ABS material was needed to hold the parts together in a reasonable structural format, so ear pieces were designed to cover the large gap created by the transition. Aluminium machined ‘greeblies” on the ears finished the detail in this area.
THE CROWN

“POWERFUL & THREATENING...”

The gap created by splitting the X wing helmet was quite wide, so Andrew designed a Tri- Pronged forehead piece, now the new dimensions of the helmet began to emerge large and fierce, so this soon became an exciting build.

After creating this impressive helmet he patiently waited for news from George - after a month or so of silence, it was John Mollo who unexpectedly ordered 12 of them! This marked the final character Andrew created for the film.
BLISTER EYES

“3D VISION, EVEN BEHIND...”

The dark Blister eyes from the Hero helmet were an obvious choice to complete the awesome menacing appearance. The helmet was made from black ABS and sometimes included painted grey stripes if the reflection from the black material was too onerous for filming. Current production of this character is made from Acrylic capped black ABS which creates a really spectacular gloss finish.
BREATHING

“TOTAL CLIMATIC CONTROL...”

The bare nostrils were crying out for extended breathing pipes which terminated in a control box mounted on the Tie Pilots chest. These were serrated PVC ducting pipes which passed over the chest piece (a modified Stormtrooper chest) and into the sides of the control box. Additional cogs and switches mounted on the control box along with more aluminium greeblies completed the character, as we only saw him from the waist upwards in the final battle scene of ANH.