Flight helmet

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Wedge Antilles wearing his flight helmet

Flight helmets were headgear worn by starfighter pilots. The helmets often included a visor with a special computer projection for targeting. The helmets of pilots of the Alliance to Restore the Republic were often decorated with a red or blue Alliance Starbird^[1], though some pilots customized them to include symbols of personal significance or emblems from specific squadrons. Their craft's life support systems negated the need for a self-contained helmet such as those used by the Empire's TIE pilots,^[2] but such masks could be attached in emergency situations. Many of the helmet designs continued to be used into the era of the New Republic and Galactic Federation of Free Alliances.

Details

RiddellXWPBP — X-wing flight helmet blueprint

The Rebels' X-wing flight helmets were made of a plasteel hull and included a Dysonic motivator housing on the ridges of the helmet and customized heat diffusion plating on the sides; AerTech atmospheric conversion regulators on the edges of the helmet on the dorsal facial edges; a localized atmospheric field generator on the edge of the central ridge; a retractable polarizing visor; Reifflex adaptable foam lining the inside of the helmet; a ComTech sensa-mic for reporting to mission control and issuing commands to wingmates; and a flexfit chin pad with an adjustable strap lock. The X-wing helmet was the most seen in the Alliance, and many pilots -- such as the Y-wing pilots during the Battle of Yavin -- wore them no matter the starfighter model. The variations were more common by the time of the Battle of Endor.

The standard Y-wing pilot helmet was equipped with an identichip, protective eye lenses, comlink, flight systems input jack, and an audio receiver. The helmet was much like that of a standard X-wing pilot helmet, but with a few minor differences. The helmet itself was much more rounded and elongated, with smoother curves. Also, the chin support bar was built into the actual helmet, as opposed to the X-Wing helmet, where it was merely a strap.

A-wing pilot helmets came in two variations. One was similar to a Y-wing helmet, and the other was smaller and worn in conjunction with cloth headgear. It included a microphone that extended outward in front of the pilot's face.

Dllr Nep helmet — X-wing pilot Sullustan variant - Dllr Nep

Like those of A-wing pilots, B-wing pilot helmets were worn with cloth headgear underneath. The smaller wraparound helmet also included a microphone like the A-wing helmets did.

Species variants

The most widely used helmet designs in the Alliance were those used by Human and Near-Human species. To accommodate the variety of body types among the various non-human races that served as Rebel pilots, many helmets differed in configuration. Some were slight variations of the typical helmet with added openings or compartments to accommodate a race's body types, while others were vastly different.

Behind the scenes

A-wing helmet — A-wing pilot variant - Tycho Celchu

The helmets worn by Alliance X-wing pilots were made from modified plastic copies of real United States Navy APH-6B flight helmets.^[3]

Many of the unique helmets used by pilots in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope were reused in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, even though many of the pilots in the first film were killed. In one example, an article in Star Wars Insider 146 reveals that Nichos Panib, a pilot seen in The Empire Strikes Back, is wearing a helmet with the same design as Garven Dreis' in A New Hope to honor the deceased Dreis, an old family friend.

Some of the helmets from the original trilogy were used once again many years later in 1995 for the video game Star Wars: Rebel Assault II, which included live action elements and many props and costumes from the movies.

X-wing and Y-wing pilots in A New Hope used the same style of helmet, but three new designs were introduced in Return of the Jedi. Two were created for the movie's new A-wing and B-wing starfighters, while the Y-wing pilots no longer wore the same helmet as X-wing pilots. The A-wing pilot extra in the Return of the Jedi briefing room scene later identified as Tycho Celchu can be seen carrying a helmet similar to the new Y-wing pilots'. That helmet was given to the Celchu action figure^[4], and is referred to as an A-wing helmet in the Star Wars: Chronicles book.