TIE Fighter Pilot

Click on images for descriptions

Star Wars TIE Fighter Pilot which I wore to Tampa Bay MegaCon. 
References to the Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens.
Plastic, craft foam, leather, cardboard, camera parts, tubing, paint, magnets.
I bought all materials used to create this costume. 
1. To get the plastic for the chest armour of the pilot, I cut a small trashcan in half with a box cutter. Because the plastic was curved at this point, I ironed the plastic flat through a towel so as to not melt the plastic. I cut the desired shape for the breastplate and backplate with industrial scissors. Using a burner, I created two slits in both the front and back plate to slip the shoulder straps of the suit through. To secure the sides of the armour, I hot glued two wide pieces of black felt to the backpiece and connected it to the breastplate with velcro so it would easily open when worn. For the shoulder pieces, I cut long ovals of craft foam and lined the pieces with felt to make them thicker. I cut an angle out of the top of the shoulder pieces and pushed the newly cut edges underneath each other, hot glueing them together to create the curve of the shoulder. I hot glued the band around the arm and added velcro to the ends to bind around the arm.
1. To get the plastic for the chest armour of the pilot, I cut a small trashcan in half with a box cutter. Because the plastic was curved at this point, I ironed the plastic flat through a towel so as to not melt the plastic. I cut the desired shape for the breastplate and backplate with industrial scissors. Using a burner, I created two slits in both the front and back plate to slip the shoulder straps of the suit through. To secure the sides of the armour, I hot glued two wide pieces of black felt to the backpiece and connected it to the breastplate with velcro so it would easily open when worn. For the shoulder pieces, I cut long ovals of craft foam and lined the pieces with felt to make them thicker. I cut an angle out of the top of the shoulder pieces and pushed the newly cut edges underneath each other, hot glueing them together to create the curve of the shoulder. I hot glued the band around the arm and added velcro to the ends to bind around the arm.
2. I printed out the First Order symbol and used modge podge to stick the symbol onto the shoulder pieces. The digital boxes at the front of the breastplate were board jewelry boxes which I painted black and glued small strips and squares of craft foam as the buttons. Because the velcro was too stiff to stick around the thin edges of the boxes, I glued tiny magnets to the edges of the boxes and added magnets to the front of the breastplate where the boxes would attach. In one of the boxes I cut a hole where the tube would go through when the costume would be put together.
2. I printed out the First Order symbol and used modge podge to stick the symbol onto the shoulder pieces. The digital boxes at the front of the breastplate were board jewelry boxes which I painted black and glued small strips and squares of craft foam as the buttons. Because the velcro was too stiff to stick around the thin edges of the boxes, I glued tiny magnets to the edges of the boxes and added magnets to the front of the breastplate where the boxes would attach. In one of the boxes I cut a hole where the tube would go through when the costume would be put together.
3. I bought the helmet offline from the official Disney store. This plastic helmet was originally a Stormtrooper piggy bank. I cut out the bottom of the piggy bank and fit the new helmet over my small head. Because the pilot helmet is different to the stormtrooper's, I needed to add the two oxygen tubes to the face. I took apart a small, broken family camera and hot glued the outer and inner lenses to the front of the face. Then using craft foam and a burner, I glued down and blended the craft foam around the two lenses so the face shape would be accurate to the movie model.
3. I bought the helmet offline from the official Disney store. This plastic helmet was originally a Stormtrooper piggy bank. I cut out the bottom of the piggy bank and fit the new helmet over my small head. Because the pilot helmet is different to the stormtrooper's, I needed to add the two oxygen tubes to the face. I took apart a small, broken family camera and hot glued the outer and inner lenses to the front of the face. Then using craft foam and a burner, I glued down and blended the craft foam around the two lenses so the face shape would be accurate to the movie model.
4. Using the burner, I created new ridges and lines in the plastic of the helmet face. Because this helmet used to be a piggy bank, I was unable to see out of the eyes until I cut two small slits in the bottom of the helmet eyes, so I would be able to see out of it. To prepare for spray painting, I primed the helmet and protected the oxygen tubes. I then coated the helmet with black spray paint and painted the two symmetrical red stripes with acrylic paint after the spray had dried.
4. Using the burner, I created new ridges and lines in the plastic of the helmet face. Because this helmet used to be a piggy bank, I was unable to see out of the eyes until I cut two small slits in the bottom of the helmet eyes, so I would be able to see out of it. To prepare for spray painting, I primed the helmet and protected the oxygen tubes. I then coated the helmet with black spray paint and painted the two symmetrical red stripes with acrylic paint after the spray had dried.
↑Back to Top