Rocket Trooper

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Model TX-14166, Photo by Paloma Valdez
Description: Rocket Trooper
Prefix: TX
Detachment: Spec Ops Detachment
Context: Rocket Troopers were specialized stormtroopers utilized by the Galactic Empire prior to and during the Galactic Civil War. They were equipped with a jump “rocket” pack that could propel them through air or maneuver through space environments.

They also served several roles in combat. Such roles included being used to clear walls to attack enemy fortifications directly, tactical aerial combat insertion intended on attacking enemies in positions that may not be readily accessible via ground movement, and general reinforcement with weapons that allowed high rates of fire and suppression.

This is a visual guide used for 501st costume approval, not a how-to for construction. Construction details are found at the costume's Detachment website. Measurements provided here are are generalized, and not criteria for approval. All 501st costumes are proportionate to the wearer in terms of size, fit, and scale. During evaluation, both text and images (CRL and Reference) must be considered. When in doubt about a feature of a submitted costume, GMLs should post questions in the Legion forum's DL/GML peer review section.

Required Costume Components

The following costume components are present and appear as described below. For 501st membership only the requirements in black need to be met. This Detachment defines additional, optional costuming details listed in blue and red. Please visit the Detachment website for more details on these options.

• Lenses must be sufficiently dark enough to obscure the costumer’s eyes. They are either flat or bubbled. Acceptable colors are black, smoke, or dark green.
• Rubber black trim runs the length of the brow from the left to right front helmet traps. The brow shall go under the widows peak of mohawk.
• The “ear” bars have three or four bumps, and are gray or painted gray, with a black outline.
• Painting the bumps with rank stripes (Highlighted) in black is optional.
• The frown must have 8 teeth cut out and the coloring must not leave the indented area.
• The frown must be black.
• Black mesh must be used to obscure the face of the wearer.
• Tube stripes are medium blue and can be between 9 and 16 per side with the curve bends extending backwards. These can be either hand painted or decals.
• Vocoder (vertically ribbed chin detail) is painted black or gray.
• Two hoses are attached to the helmet, one on each side of the vocoder in the indentation where the aerators would be.
• Traps (trapezoids on dome of helmet) and tears (area beneath the corners of eye lenses) can be hand painted or decals.
• The tears must be gray with black outlines and have 5 vertical black lines.
• Note: The helmet is accurate in detail and proportion to official references.
• A mohawk runs across the top of the helmet from the brow to just before the curve at the rear bottom of the helmet.
• Width of the mohawk is approximately 1.5" (38mm) and tapers slightly towards the base.
• At the front of the mohawk is a widows peak approximately ½" (12mm) and matches reference photos.
• The bottom of the widows peak overlaps a portion of the brow trim.
• A solid orange line approximately ⅜" (10mm) in width runs the length of the mohawk matching the reference photo.
• The line terminates near the rear of the mohawk and is followed by two squares of the same width and color.
• The color of the line matches or is similar to the orange used on the left shoulder bell.
• Gray stripes run parallel to the mohawk and end at the base of the rear traps and are approximately 1" (25mm).
• Two long triangles protrude from each stripe matching reference photos and are approximately 2" (50mm) in length.
• A gray rectangle is painted on the rear of the helmet below the mohawk and is approximately 1.5" x ½" (38mm x 12mm).

• Gray ribbed hoses with a 1.25" (30mm) diameter on each end and 15" to 21" (38-51cm) of length from the helmet hose ports to the upper chest box hose ports.
• Hose from the 1st to 5th rib from the helmet is white in color.

• Black with horizontal ribs, fitted to the wearer, and extending from the base of the neck to conceal the entire neck.

• Black non-textured material, either one-piece or two-piece construction with no visible zippers or logos/designs.

• These shall be securely mounted in front and may free float in the back. They can be affixed with rivets, Velcro or adhesive.
• The rear tab of the strap is optional and may or may not be present.

• One on each shoulder.
• The right side shoulder bell is white in color.
• The left side shoulder bell is orange in color with a black Imperial cog painted on the center line.
• Shoulders have a black elastic strap that wraps around the inside of the bicep.
• Black Imperial cog may be a decal or painted.

• Biceps are fully closed.
• Overlap construction is only allowed for kits that come with the cover strip molded into the part.

• Forearms are fully closed.
• Overlap construction is only allowed for kits that come with the cover strip molded into the part.

• These shall be clam shell, or snowtrooper-style hand plates.
• The hand plates shall be mounted securely over the back of the glove.

• Black in color, made of either rubber, nomex, leather, or leather-like material, with no visible straps or logos/designs. The fingers are enclosed, non-textured.

• Chest armor overlaps the abdominal plate.
• A white flexible U-shaped gasket or molded lip is present around all edges.

• The chestbox is required to have the same configurations as seen in the photo.
• The box has five 1" square x ⅛" (25mm x 3mm) thick detail pieces.
• Buttons are arranged in two rows. Top row: red, white. Bottom row: red, black, white.
• Configuration matches the reference photo.
• There is a ⅛" (3mm) thick black or dark gray pinstripe border around the square detail pieces
• There are two ¾" (18mm) round indicator lights above the rocker switches. One white, one red respectively.
• There are 3 rocker switches below the round indicator lights.
• The rockers are always gray, white, gray.
• The gray rockers have red dots or lamps in their bottom.
• There is a ⅛" (3mm) thick black pinstripe that runs horizontally across the bottom portion of the box.
• There is a male silver snap and a silver round disc with cone knob on the lower portion of the box below the horizontal pinstripe.
• There are two "gear" type greeblies affixed to either end of the lower tube portion of the box. Theses greeblies are silver in color.
• Any lights or LED's added to the chest box are required to be approved by GML.

• Back plate contains a “O II” design with little or no overlap of the kidney plate.
• A white flexible U-shaped gasket or molded lip is present around all edges.

• Styled after the pack as seen in the Battlefront II video game. An interpretation of the pack is allowed, but screen accuracy is encouraged.
• It is mounted to the armor back-plate “0 II”.
• Comprised of the main pack box, fuel tank at the top of the pack and exhaust ports at the left and right bottom of the pack.
• The backpack fuel tank shall not rise above the bottom of the helmet lower edge.
• The fuel tank is barrel shaped and no wider than the backpack. The center barrel section is as wide as the center section of the main backpack box, and is mounted directly on top of it.
• The ends of the barrel feature flat depressed caps with raised rings inside the flattened ends. 24 to 40 total rectangular grooved depressions are seen near the ends of the tank, 12 to 20 on each side.
• The back side of the tank features two vertical oblong depressions ⅜" x 1.5" (10mm x 32mm) long, light orange/amber in color. This is not the same color used on the helmet and shoulder bell.
• The outermost part of the caps are painted the same gray as the helmet stripes to match references.
• The fuel tank may be supported by plastic structure as seen in reference material to help hold it stable.
• Main pack box is rectangular in shape, flat at the top and beveled at the bottom, stopping above the thermal detonator.
• The main box features a depressed center area inset approximately ½" x 7/16" (12mm x 19mm) deep divided into five segments.
• The upper half of the depression features three horizontal lines approximately ½" (12mm) thick, and are dirty white or light weathered gray.
• Three black buttons are located below the horizontal lines, to the right of the depression. Buttons are ¼" to 5/16" (8-9mm) in diameter.
• The bottom right side of the center of the pack features a 2" x 2.5" (50mm x 62mm) black rectangle, which has black lines extending horizontally to the left.
• The rockets are mounted to either side of the pack center box, curved at the top and are beveled at the bottom. They are mounted ½" (12mm) below the surface of the pack center box.
• The bottom of the exhaust ports feature black rectangular nozzles, and may extend ½" (12mm) beyond the housings.
• There are two black or dark gray rectangles ¾" x 2" (19mm x 50mm) just above the exhaust nozzles.
• The left rocket nozzle has a raised rectangle approximately 2.5" wide x 4" (62mm x 100mm) long.

• The abdomen armor has a button area with 8 glossy black buttons. Correct sized buttons are approximately 7/16" (11mm) in diameter.
• Abdomen armor button area detail matches reference photos.
• A white flexible U-shaped gasket or molded lip is present around all edges.

• A separate kidney/butt plate is not allowed — the kidney and butt plate shall be combined/fused to a single plate/one piece.
• The crotch tab of the butt plate area may have visible snaps.
• The edges of the hip area should be rounded/curved.
• A white flexible U-shaped gasket or molded lip shall be present around all edges.

• The ammo belt shall be made of similar material and color matching the overall armor. It is comprised of 6 rectangular boxes.
• The soft belt proper is tightly woven canvas style material.
• Size is approximately 2" to 3" (50-75mm) wide.
• The color is to be white to off-white.
• The drop boxes dangle from the sides of the front plastic belt (ammo belt) via black straps and are aligned under the left and right outermost boxes of the ammo belt.
• The belt closes by overlapping in the rear center of the kidney/posterior armor where the thermal detonator is attached.

• (A.K.A O2 canister) is attached to the center back of the belt.
• Detonator consists of a painted gray cylinder with 2" to 2.68" (50-68mm) in diameter with white end caps on each end and a white control panel pad. The white control panel pad faces upwards, with the controls/round washer-style detail closest to the right end cap.
• The total length is approximately 7.5” (190.5mm).
• No silver stickers or silver paint is allowed.
• The detonator is attached to the canvas belt with 1" (25mm) white or silver metal or metallic-appearing clips.

• The thigh armor may open and firmly close in the back allowing the two halves to appear sealed.
• The small ammo belt is installed on the bottom of the right thigh secured with three rivets.
• One rivet on each end of the ammo belt.
• One rivet between the third and fourth ammo boxes, counting left to right.
• The bottom corners of the thigh ammo belt are rounded off.
• Overlap construction is only allowable for kits that come with the cover strip molded in to the part.
• If the two parts of the thigh armor cannot fit the user, cover strip should not be too wide. Instead, shims can be used to close the back of the thigh armor. Shims shall have a similar material and color to the whole armor, should be flush without seams.

• The shin armor is able to open and firmly close in the back allowing the two halves to appear sealed. The trapezoid knee plate is affixed to the top of the left shin.
• Overlap construction is only allowable for kits that come with the cover strip molded in to the part.

• Boots are above ankle height and made of white leather or leather-like material.
• Small U-shaped elastic sections on both sides of the ankle.
• Flat sole with a short heel.
• No buckles or laces.
• Jodhpur/Chelsea-type boots or an equivalent style is acceptable.
• Elvis or Mariachi boots are not allowed.

Optional Accessories

Items below are optional costume accessories. These items are not required for approval, but if present appear as described below. If adding in an accessory after initial approval, the item still needs to be submitted to local GML for approval before use.

• Based on a real or replica MG-15 machine gun.

• Based on a real or replica MG-34 machine gun.