troopermaster wrote:
Doug, I hear what your saying but the photos tell me otherwise.
Jez, I can accept what you say about the HDPE helmets, but not about the Hero helmets or armour. I'm not saying your wrong or right, but you have never handled either as far as I am aware so again, just theory. If you can show me hard evidence of what you are sying then that would be great. I only want to find out for sure one way or the other, it doesn't really matter if they were painted or not, as long as I know for certain
Paul - sometimes its about the balance of probability.
In the case of the Hero helmet - we know that 6 were made by AA in 76 and the only one we have access to in the LFL archive (which can be matched against a known on-screen helmet as well as the promo pics) WAS 100% white ABS - not painted. Not only has it been photographed extensively but also having worked with MR on their Hero helmet, this was used as the basis so we can be 100% sure of that.
Now its possible I suppose that
some of the other Hero helmet's were painted white. However that goes against invoices raised by SDS to LFL in '76, notes in John Mollo's artbook made at the time (including the budgets), as well as some additional on-set photos from production.
IN fact the weight of probability points so much to them being plain ABS that I do not think you will find ANY indication that any Hero helmets were painted
As far as the armour its a similar story. Again the sets in the LFL archives do ot appear tohave been painted. This includes Hamills set with its tell-tale cut-down chest. The only areas where it looks like there is paint is on a few of the snaps (not all) and possibly a couple of additional fixtures like the knee plate. There is no indication that any part of the ABS has been painted - and remember we're not talking about fuzzy screen grabs here but hi res pics taken inches away from the plastic. Again, though John Mollo's diary spoke of sandblasting andf repainting the initial 50 (stunt) helmets - it did not mention this for the close-up helmets nor the armour.
Also remember that at the same time AA was also producing the XWing helmets - of which Ive handled a couple and these were vac formed from a shiny ABS. So I can be sure that he was using a shiny, potentially acrylic capped ABS for other helmets he was making for the project at that time. It would be unusual that AA would have used one type of shiny ABS for one helmet, yet a dull ABS for the armour - without a good reason. Remember he initially used HDPE for the Stunt as its flexability allowed him to more easily produce the complex undercuts of the back and cap. Such undercuts dont exist on the armour
Like I said unless we examined every one of the 50 sets we couldnt be totally sure. However the balance of probability is again far in favour of the suits being non-painted white ABS. If there was any evidence that pointed to the contrary then Id be interested in seeing it as its eluded me to date
I actually think we've more chance of finding an White ABS Stunt helmet
Cheers
Jez