TREADWELL: ...About the belly wires: someone said they're just painted on. .. The rubber backing does have lines painted on, but there are always real wires on top. (Except on the MOM tour.)

Note the angled dull silver "wire". That's actually a metal support system for keeping the pelvis suspended under the chest/back.

KEVIN CHRISTLEY: Thanks to LFL's Don Bies, I actually got to help Anthony Daniels get into costume at the event. It's the same suit used for ROTS and the OT and has gotten replated. It is VERY small and just fits Anthony Daniels.

Q: "What did the inside of the hemlet look like, foam lined?"

A: There was 1/4 inch black foam inside the helmet, along with some soft leather padding for the face areas. It had some heft to it, being fiberglass, but very light and plated. I regret to say that I dropped the back when we were attaching the front and back pieces to Anthony, but Don just checked it for damage and said he's done that several times himself. Thankfully I didn't break it. I felt bad enough as it was for dropping it. The front and back parts of the head screw on via the neck knobs. The lights for the eyes are powered by a waist battery pack, then the wires are taped up his back and go over the top of his head. Anthony can't hear very well in the suit, so you have to talk to him through his mouthpiece.

Q. "Was the costume mostly vac formed?" -

A. It's the only suit they use, and was the one used in the movies (OT and ROTS), but it's showing some wear and tear over the years of use. Some parts were rubber/ resin, some were vacced, and there were some fiberglass pieces, like the head and calves.

Q. "How did the lower legs and feet work?"

A. The thigh is one solid piece and lower legs are two pieces, but the thigh and front lower legs are permanently attached to each other and Anthony has to lean on someone to wriggle himself into them. There is some flex at the knee, but they are too long just to slip into them without assistance. The feet are sliced down the rear (slips on through the back) and tie together with a shoestring. The back of the calves attach to the fronts via two pins (almost like a hex-key, but it's just an angled pin).

Oh, and some wire lines are painted on, but there are some real wires there as well, so not all are faked.

Q. "How did the gloves work? Do they have a snap closure at the wrist?"

- A. Yup. They are soft black leather (like driving gloves), covered by the armor. They snap on the underside of the wrist.

Q. "I do think there would be more than one suit for Ep 3, and there were certainly numerous suits for the OT...did you talk with Don about that?" -

A. Don said it was the same hero suit as used in ROTJ and ROTS, as there's only one left (they repair the parts as needed). It's not in the best shape, but it sure looks great on camera.