Gallery: The Awesomest Props From Inside ILM's Vault (And Your Childhood)
Dan Winters01prop-gal-green-headshot
Boba Fett helmet, *The Empire Strikes Back* (1980)
Dan Winters02prop-gal-storm-side
Imperial stormtrooper helmet, *A New Hope* (1977)
Dan Winters03prop-gal-whip
Indy's leather whip, *Indiana Jones* movies
Dan Winters04prop-gal-silver-bot
All Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST) model (aka "chicken walker"), *Return of the Jedi* (1983)
Dan Winters05prop-gal-green-cannon
This model of the Death Star turbolaser turret was used in the very first shot at ILM.
Dan Winters06prop-gal-blue-ship
The TIE fighters from *Star Wars* got their name for a very simple reason: The crew thought they looked like bow ties. The models were actually spray-painted a light blue (a Pactra color called "stormy sea"), despite appearing white or grey in the movies.
Dan Winters07prop-gal-silver-car
DeLorean DMC-12 time machine 1:5-scale model, *Back to the Future* (1985)
Dan Winters08prop-gal-death-star
The reason the "under construction" section of the Death Star II from *Return of the Jedi* (1983) looks so impossibly thin? ILM model makers used a roll of paper-thin stainless steel purchased from a mini-mall next door to the original building.
Dan Winters09prop-gal-ray-gun
Luke Skywalker's lightsaber hilt, *Return of the Jedi* (1983)
Dan Winters10prop-gal-white-headshot
Snowtrooper helmet, *Return of the Jedi* (1983)
Dan Winters11prop-gal-tan-ship
Snowspeeder model, *The Empire Strikes Back* (1980)
Dan Winters12prop-gal-brown-thing-side
This Sandcrawler model from *A New Hope* was so strong the ILM guys could ride it around the warehouse.
Dan Winters13prop-gal-silver-dino
All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT) model, *The Empire Strikes Back* (1980)
Dan Winters14prop-gal-ark-covenant
The Ark of the Covenant, *Raiders of the Lost Ark* (1981)
Dan Winters15prop-gal-star-ship
Originally, George Lucas wanted the *Millennium Falcon* to fly as a sunfish swims. He dropped the idea after he saw the finished model.
Dan Winters16prop-gal-r2d2
R2-D2, all *Star Wars* movies
Dan Winters17prop-gal-silver-metal
Model maker Lorne Peterson refers to this escape pod model from *A New Hope* (1977) as "the one-week wonder" because it was made so fast—out of two paint buckets covered with plastic sheeting.
Dan Winters18prop-gal-ray-gun2
Darth Vader's lightsaber hilt, *A New Hope* (1977)
Dan Winters19prop-gal-circle-ship
Alien spacecraft miniature, *Cocoon* (1985)
Dan Winters20prop-gal-vader-profile
Darth Vader's helmet, original *Star Wars* trilogy
Dan Winters21prop-gal-metal-push
Han Solo frozen in carbonite, *The Empire Strikes Back* (1980) and *Return of the Jedi* (1983)
Dan Winters22prop-gal-space-ship
*Messiah* command module 1:7-scale miniature, *Deep Impact* (1998)
Dan Winters23prop-gal-blue-ship2
TIE Interceptor model, *Return of the Jedi* (1983)
Dan Winters24prop-gal-space-suit
Igoe's pod from *Innerspace* (1987) was created using Formula 1 model kit bodies, with the grabber arms and thruster legs attached.
Dan Winters25prop-gal-yellow-ship
Y-wing miniature, *A New Hope* (1977)
Dan Winters26prop-gal-blueblack-satellite
Darth Vader's TIE Advanced x1 model, *A New Hope* (1977)
Dan Winters27prop-gal-bike
Kuwahara BMX bicycle miniature, *E.T. The Extraterrestrial* (1982)
