E/S STAR WARS
The earliest recorded production document we have located to date is a turners workbook entry for components for a human like metal droid suit. Parts were needed to articulate arms, legs & neck joints. On Wednesday the 21st January 1976 our engineer started on "ITEM 1" spending a total of 9 hours spread over 2 days. This was just the start of a journey.
Lunch with Mr Reynolds
On Monday the 2nd Feb Rod took Mr Norman Reynolds to lunch (accompanied by property master, Frank Bruton) to discuss ongoing projects. This was the first of many lunch meetings and a relaxed way of discussing designs & ideas.
Our first invoice for components included VAT at just 8%
FEB
1976
1976-1977
A NEW HOPE
We contributed to many character suits & accessories for the first film, known to us as Star Wars.
These included:
Most, if not all turned components for C3PO suit, inc articulated joints & special armpit fan trims.
Knee pistons were used in the Millennium Falcon cockpit.
R2D2 data connector
Darth Vader chest plate turnings.
Handcuff (binders) parts
C3PO
Seen in this photo are neck, chest, throat & piston joint details we manufactured. Also seen are the rotating joints to support the shoulder mouldings.
R2D2
After hours of work by Rod, apparently he was rather upset by how little screen time the data probe received in the film.
Darth Vader
The 2 vertical posts in the chest plate were machined in our factory. We have reference sketches & data recorded.
JUN
1978
CHAPTER II PRODUCTIONS
Our next known production data dates to the 1st June 1978
(sometime after a recorded lunch meeting with Mr Reynolds in mid March)
In late July 1978, Mr Reynolds introduced Rod to Mr Michael D Ford.
Our initial orders were based on developing the joints for C3PO & especially re-designing the method of helmet fixing. Rod developed a use of Dzus connectors that dramatically sped up the fitting of the helmet worn by actor Anthony Daniels.
However. Much of the time we were engaged in producing parts for a new Super Trooper suit. Especially the helmet & arm laser. This Super Trooper soon became the bounty hunter, Boba Fett.
REVENGE OF THE JEDI
Renamed: RETURN OF THE JEDI
By the time Lucasfilm started work on Chapter III, they had a significantly larger budget & internal manufacturing facilities.
However, we have data that shows we made components throughout August 1981
Ref photos 1976-1981 LUCASFILM LTD ©
Workshop images.
ELSTREE PRECISION CO LIMITED ©
Reference Images.
LUCASFILM LTD ©
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