Death Star 1 'Exhaust' Query

Jon · Post by **Jon** » 2004-04-17 09:48pm

I'm probably going to get flamed.

Something which had bothered me sent me looking around the main site, maybe I didnt look hard enough but I couldnt find what I was looking for, though it's such an integral part of the film, I am more than sure it has been discussed.

When Luke fires those two 'missiles' into the Death Star 'Exhaust'- wtf is going on?

I look forwards to seeing some defence of a continiously straight 'exhaust' which leads all the way to the part of the ship which makes it go 'ka boom'- and how on earth did those wonderful projectiles which exited his x-wing turn 90 degrees into the 'exhaust' in a space I couldnt even stretch my arms (well..)

Please remember I am in no wau aquainted with SW further than having seen the films a few times and looking around sd.net

Darth Yoshi · Post by **Darth Yoshi** » 2004-04-17 10:04pm

How did they do a 90* turn? Good propulsion.

As for the exhaust pipe, it shouldn't be that hard to program it to follow the turns. Whether or not the torp can follow that program is another story, though.

Jon · Post by **Jon** » 2004-04-17 10:07pm

Hmm, afaik, a graphic screen shows that once the torpedoes enter the exhaust, they travel vertically, no corners, straight into a critical part of the ship...hmm. Right.

Good Propulsion? To turn a missile travelling at that velocity, in that arc? I think a better explanation than that is needed

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-04-17 10:09pm

Read the website this forum is attached to. It addresses the turning of the torps.

Additionally, I think that the torps would only need to cause an explosion that would then lead to the reactor, rather than travel all the way to the reactor.

Jon · Post by **Jon** » 2004-04-17 10:12pm

Indeed, I did mention that I had read the site, well, not all of it, quite thorough- but I couldnt find the bit you refer too, I'll continue to look. Again, the graphic on screen, shows the torps heading straight into the reactor, if I recall correctly?

Darth Yoshi · Post by **Darth Yoshi** » 2004-04-17 10:13pm

Jon wrote:Hmm, afaik, a graphic screen shows that once the torpedoes enter the exhaust, they travel vertically, no corners, straight into a critical part of the ship...hmm. Right.

Also remember that this is simply a briefing for pilots. The pilots won't need to fly down the pipe, so there's really no reason to plot the whole pipe. Besides, the DS superlaser was also placed wrong in that graphic.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-04-17 10:16pm

Well, the detailed schematic in the OT ICS also shows that the exaust port travelling all the down to the reactor in a straight line.

Darth Yoshi · Post by **Darth Yoshi** » 2004-04-17 10:22pm

Was it? Well, in that case, a straight line would be the fastest way to get rid of exhaust.

Jon · Post by **Jon** » 2004-04-17 11:00pm

cant find this bit about amazingf x-wing torpedoes, I'll continue to look.

While I'm in this section, and since you SW Techies love showering us with facts and physics, could someone offer me some insight into how that devilishly dispiciple slave owener of anakins manages to fly?

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-04-17 11:06pm

It's been theorised that Toydarians have lighter-than-air gases stored in sacs in their bodies, and the wings are used for manuvering.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-04-17 11:16pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:It's been theorised that Toydarians have lighter-than-air gases stored in sacs in their bodies, and the wings are used for manuvering.

Sounds a little like Flight of Dragons...

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-04-17 11:36pm

Yeah, ain't that bitchin'?

Winston Blake · Post by **Winston Blake** » 2004-04-25 06:32am

Jon, the part about the torpedoes is under Technology->Torpedoes->Star Wars
http://www.stardestroyer.net/Empire/Tec ... pedo2.html

Relevant quote:

Proton torpedoes are highly maneuverable; Luke Skywalker's torpedoes easily executed a 90 degree turn within the 2 metre diameter of the DS1's exhaust port in ANH. Based on a very conservative travel-speed estimate of 1 km/sec, this equates to a 72,000 g turn!