With the arrival of my TB League S22A body yesterday, I was finally able to combine it with my SDH018A head sculpt and start working on my first bash. I decided to do a fictional fighter pilot uniform in the modern jet age. I cannibalized the parts from three different BBi kits that I've owned for many years (after removing pounds of dust from each and washing them 
). For a base uniform, I chose a set of "Desert Battle Dress Uniform- 6 Color Desert", used by US forces in the 80's and early 90's. I grew up a stone's throw from USMCAS El Toro, a Marine Corps air station that is long since gone (made famous as the base in the movie "Independence Day"). This camouflage pattern brings back memories of my childhood, and to us it was always known as "Chocolate Chip Camo". To my knowledge no fighter pilots ever wore chocolate chip camo as a flight suit, but that didn't stop me from choosing it, since this character doesn't have to be historically accurate. The pilot equipment came from an action figure that included the standard sage green "CWU-27/P" nomex flight suit, but I figured a contrasting uniform would stand out and add more visual interest to the bash.
The SIG P226 pistol has nothing to do with the character impression, but since Arcata had a free hand, I figured why not. And the P226 is very similar to the P228, which was carried by fighter pilots in all branches of the service as the "M11".
The BDU's went on without incident. Even though the shirt and pants were meant for a larger, male figure, the shirt was a close fit since the S22A is quite busty, even as a "medium" chest size. Where I ran into the first struggle was when it came time to zip up the poop suit. S22/S23 have very muscular thighs, and the poop suit is already supposed to be a tight fit, as they are in real life. The suit fit on, but just barely. For those who may not be familiar with military aviation, the G-suit (affectionately known as the "poop suit") is a pair of leggings that go over the legs and abdomen. The best way to describe it is as a body sized blood pressure cuff, which basically is what it is. The hose coming from the suit attaches to a compressed air system in the jet. When the jet performs a high-G maneuver, the suit inflates with air, preventing blood from pooling in the legs and abdomen, and keeping it in the chest and head, where it is most needed for the pilot to remain conscious. When the aircraft levels out, the suit deflates. My understanding is that the poop suit reduces the physiological effects by approximately 1 G.
Next to go on was a pair of Danner boots that I scavenged from a USAF Combat Controller figure. The boots fit too large for Arcata's female feet, but they still worked passably. The biggest problem was they made standing quite difficult, since they are many sizes too large. After that I put on the parachute harness with integrated survival vest. The last part to go on was the inflatable life preserver. If you look closely you'll notice the MBU-12/P oxygen mask is attached to a regulator mounted on the survival vest. I took front and back photos of the completed figure, minus the helmet.
The next two photos I took were with the HGU-55/P flight helmet on, first with the visor up, and then with the visor down...
And finally, the completed figure with the oxygen mask attached, with both a front and side profile.
That's it for the creation post. Next up I'll include some photos in poses that I took, so check back shortly if you're not seeing anything in Post#2.
To be continued...
). For a base uniform, I chose a set of "Desert Battle Dress Uniform- 6 Color Desert", used by US forces in the 80's and early 90's. I grew up a stone's throw from USMCAS El Toro, a Marine Corps air station that is long since gone (made famous as the base in the movie "Independence Day"). This camouflage pattern brings back memories of my childhood, and to us it was always known as "Chocolate Chip Camo". To my knowledge no fighter pilots ever wore chocolate chip camo as a flight suit, but that didn't stop me from choosing it, since this character doesn't have to be historically accurate. The pilot equipment came from an action figure that included the standard sage green "CWU-27/P" nomex flight suit, but I figured a contrasting uniform would stand out and add more visual interest to the bash.The SIG P226 pistol has nothing to do with the character impression, but since Arcata had a free hand, I figured why not. And the P226 is very similar to the P228, which was carried by fighter pilots in all branches of the service as the "M11".
The BDU's went on without incident. Even though the shirt and pants were meant for a larger, male figure, the shirt was a close fit since the S22A is quite busty, even as a "medium" chest size. Where I ran into the first struggle was when it came time to zip up the poop suit. S22/S23 have very muscular thighs, and the poop suit is already supposed to be a tight fit, as they are in real life. The suit fit on, but just barely. For those who may not be familiar with military aviation, the G-suit (affectionately known as the "poop suit") is a pair of leggings that go over the legs and abdomen. The best way to describe it is as a body sized blood pressure cuff, which basically is what it is. The hose coming from the suit attaches to a compressed air system in the jet. When the jet performs a high-G maneuver, the suit inflates with air, preventing blood from pooling in the legs and abdomen, and keeping it in the chest and head, where it is most needed for the pilot to remain conscious. When the aircraft levels out, the suit deflates. My understanding is that the poop suit reduces the physiological effects by approximately 1 G.
Next to go on was a pair of Danner boots that I scavenged from a USAF Combat Controller figure. The boots fit too large for Arcata's female feet, but they still worked passably. The biggest problem was they made standing quite difficult, since they are many sizes too large. After that I put on the parachute harness with integrated survival vest. The last part to go on was the inflatable life preserver. If you look closely you'll notice the MBU-12/P oxygen mask is attached to a regulator mounted on the survival vest. I took front and back photos of the completed figure, minus the helmet.
The next two photos I took were with the HGU-55/P flight helmet on, first with the visor up, and then with the visor down...
And finally, the completed figure with the oxygen mask attached, with both a front and side profile.
That's it for the creation post. Next up I'll include some photos in poses that I took, so check back shortly if you're not seeing anything in Post#2.
To be continued...
Hosted on Fotki
)
