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Rocketeer Helmet:
Experience the exhilaration
of Cliff Secord's first flight on the Cirrus X-3 with this authentic metal
helmet straight out of the Disney classic The Rocketeer! Featuring a beautiful
antique gold finish, soft cotton liner, leather chin strap, and dark lenses,
this exquisitely detailed helmet is based on a hero helmet casting and includes
a sturdy wooden base for 360 degree viewing. Be sure to get your order in soon -
these exciting limited edition pieces won't last long!
Approximate Product Dimensions 16"x9"x9"
Approximate Display Dimensions 6"x6"x15"
*Product specifications, pricing and shipping dates are subject to change.
Collectible Story
The year is 1938. The place is Los Angeles California. A
wave of optimism washes over tinsel town. You could be a Hollywood starlet in
her first big picture, or a flyboy pilot competing for the prize in a local air
show, but L.A. is "rocketing into the future". The rocket pack, thought to be a
thing only mentioned in pulp comic books, has become a reality. Famed aviator
and inventor Howard Hughes has built a machine you can strap on your back and
fly without wings. Dubbed the Cirrus X-3, it was only in the testing phase when
gangsters were able to steal it. Cliff Secord and Ambrose Peabody stumble on the
Cirrus X-3 which has been hidden before the fight between the mob and the FBI.
Cliff unknowingly becomes the first successful test pilot of the experimental
rocket. Many test pilots had tried to fly it and perished in the attempts. What
made Cliff's flight successful where others had failed? Peabody's specially
designed helmet with a built in rudder. Fashioned from a simple bronze space
heater, the rudder added the necessary stability and control.
For Disney, bringing The Rocketeer to life on the big screen was an enormous
undertaking. At the time, it had the largest budget of any live action Disney
feature. Crucial to the film was the look of Dave Stevens' popular comic book
character, and pivotal to that was the helmet. Several versions of the helmet
were created, but they all fell short of the streamlined look captured in the
comic. Only a few weeks before shooting was to begin, Rocketeer's director Joe
Johnston gave creator Dave Stevens the daunting task of taking his drawing to
the big screen. Taking a casting of the stuntman's head and then photographing
it from all sides, Stevens drew the helmet right on top of the photos. With
Stevens' supervision, sculptor Kent Melton sculpted tightly over the life
casting and created a helmet that worked from every angle, looking as if it was
straight out of the comic book.
Many versions of the Rocketeer helmet were made for the film. There was a
special tear off helmet for sky diving scenes, airtight versions of the helmet
for wing walking scenes, general stunt helmets, and of course the hero helmet.
The helmet was fiberglass and had a removable fin. There were several different
lenses used in the helmets depending on the scene: dark tinted to hide the stunt
mans eyes and lighter versions so the audience could see that actor Billy
Campbell was actually inside. Billy Campbell says this about his experience
wearing the helmet: "It was not always comfortable wearing the helmet. There
were two bolts that kept the eye lenses in place and sort of pressed into my
frontal lobes. But aside from being incredibly painful, it was a real joy to
wear."
Master Replicas and Walt Disney Showcase Collection are proud to offer this
special replica of the Rocketeer Helmet. An actual hero prop was carefully
studied and painstakingly copied to create this special collectible.
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