How do Star Destroyers deaccelerate?

FTeik · Post by **FTeik** » 2004-04-22 09:36am

This may sound like a stupid question, but since all their thrusters seem to be pointed backwards, how do star destroyers and other SW-vessel deaccelerate?

PeZook · Post by **PeZook** » 2004-04-22 09:49am

FTeik wrote:This may sound like a stupid question, but since all their thrusters seem to be pointed backwards, how do star destroyers and other SW-vessel deaccelerate?

Probably just like modern spacecraft do. They turn around and burn with their main engines.

Cal Wright · Post by **Cal Wright** » 2004-04-22 11:06am

You might want to search the Technical Commentaries. You have to take into account that we've never seen them reverse by turning the ship. They come out of hyperspace and immediately halt. In RotJ they come from the far side of the forest moon and hold position. They have to have some form of thrusters to slow them down, you just don't see them fired. maybe because thier small enough and spaced enough. Just a guess, but like I said hit the Tech Comm.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2004-04-22 11:09am

Acceleration Compensators or a tech closely related might be utilized not only to protect the crew from massive G's for acceleration and deceleration but might also be used to help (read stop/slow in this instance) a vessel in high G manuvers.

Batman · Post by **Batman** » 2004-04-22 12:18pm

Knife wrote:Acceleration Compensators or a tech closely related might be utilized not only to protect the crew from massive G's for acceleration and deceleration but might also be used to help (read stop/slow in this instance) a vessel in high G manuvers.

Case in point:Luke used his accelleration compensators to come to a dead stop in HttE.
While this manouver 'did' severly damage his hyperdrive, that may simply be a function of the 'rate' of decelleration instead of a principle problem.
At any rate, it shows such a use of ACs is generally feasible.

OTOH, they may use such simple things as thrust reversers...

FTeik · Post by **FTeik** » 2004-04-22 02:20pm

Acceleration-Compensator sounds right (it produces the counterforce to the acceleration-force after all (please god, i hope i said that right)).

Any idea how reversethrust could work in space and on a vessel like a star destroyer?

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2004-04-22 04:09pm

Accel compensators are the same thing as inertial dampers (Boba Fett did the same thing in TBH and the SOTE comic to stop/.slow himself). Repulsors probably could be used to decelerate o approaches to any sort of mass (another ship, a planet, etc.)

Firing the ship's weapons probably can be used for deceleration purposes as well (via recoil), at least in combat situations)

Grand Admiral Thrawn · Post by **Grand Admiral Thrawn** » 2004-04-22 05:42pm

Could they use some insane thrust vectoring to get thrust forward?

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2004-04-22 06:00pm

In "Ernest Saves Christmas" Santa's Sleigh has "air brakes."

Perhaps there's something similar at work here? ; )

Batman · Post by **Batman** » 2004-04-22 06:09pm

FTeik wrote: Any idea how reversethrust could work in space and on a vessel like a star destroyer?

Err-the same way they work on a modern jet aircraft? With the possible exception of replacing the material parts with particle shields?
I admit I've never seen anything thrust reverserish-looking around an ISD's engines, but then I've never bothered looking.

YT300000 · Post by **YT300000** » 2004-04-22 06:58pm

Knife wrote:Acceleration Compensators or a tech closely related might be utilized not only to protect the crew from massive G's for acceleration and deceleration but might also be used to help (read stop/slow in this instance) a vessel in high G manuvers.

And would explain why SW fighters maneuver like in space as if they were in an atmosphere.

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2004-04-22 11:24pm

YT300000 wrote:
Knife wrote:Acceleration Compensators or a tech closely related might be utilized not only to protect the crew from massive G's for acceleration and deceleration but might also be used to help (read stop/slow in this instance) a vessel in high G manuvers.
And would explain why SW fighters maneuver like in space as if they were in an atmosphere.

How?

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-04-22 11:27pm

If anything, they'd behave less like atmospheric craft in space.

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2004-04-23 12:35am

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:If anything, they'd behave less like atmospheric craft in space.

Gee really? I didn't know that.

(What did I say before about contributing superfluous detail?)

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-04-23 12:39am

That was directed at YT, not you, since it was clear that he didn't know.

Apologies for not clarifying.

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2004-04-23 01:30am

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:That was directed at YT, not you, since it was clear that he didn't know.

Apologies for not clarifying.

Why? He's right that they do behave like fighters in atmospheres (to certain extents) in space.. in the movies. I'm questioning why he assumes that Acceleration compensators somehow explain for this.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-04-23 01:42am

Forget it...

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-04-23 04:44am

FTeik wrote:Any idea how reversethrust could work in space and on a vessel like a star destroyer?

It wouldn't. Nothing in space to reverse; that'd only work in atmosphere. Besides, its not like the Star Destroyer has intakes.

HRogge · Post by **HRogge** » 2004-04-23 05:35am

Grand Admiral Thrawn wrote:Could they use some insane thrust vectoring to get thrust forward?

It would be the same ANY modern plane is doing... only that a ISD most likely use a forcefield to redirect it's engine thrust. If necessary by 180 °.

Jon · Post by **Jon** » 2004-04-23 07:23am

Rogue 9 wrote:
FTeik wrote:Any idea how reversethrust could work in space and on a vessel like a star destroyer?
It wouldn't. Nothing in space to reverse; that'd only work in atmosphere. Besides, its not like the Star Destroyer has intakes.

Indeed but afaik referse thrust does't work by switching the engines to reverse, instead there are deployable metal wings, which are used to divert engine exhaust forward as a deceleration aid. But it is primarly used for just that, deceleration, and the thrust is fed away into useless directions, mainly to the side. Braking comes from the fact that the engine is consuming larger amounts of air and drag is a side effect.

So um, yup- no reverse thrust in space in the sense we know of it.

Coalition · Post by **Coalition** » 2004-04-23 11:15am

I figured they had small thrusters mounted forwards, and hidden behind the armor. More like a docking thruster than anything tactically useful. If they are too far to worry about thrust effects, the ship can just do a 180, and use its main engines.

If they are too close to the destination, and moving too fast, the Captain screwed up. They can always change their course, to avoid whateer is in their path, hopefully.

If not, they have to change their angle, and hyper out to someplace empty (~1 ly away). They then slow down, reorient, and come in safely.

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2004-04-23 12:26pm

Ion cannons could also very well double as ion thrusters.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-04-23 12:57pm

Jon wrote:Indeed but afaik referse thrust does't work by switching the engines to reverse, instead there are deployable metal wings, which are used to divert engine exhaust forward as a deceleration aid. But it is primarly used for just that, deceleration, and the thrust is fed away into useless directions, mainly to the side. Braking comes from the fact that the engine is consuming larger amounts of air and drag is a side effect.

So um, yup- no reverse thrust in space in the sense we know of it.

Thrust reversers do in fact get some thrust foreward. The exhaust is vectored to something like 15 degrees foreward of sideways.

PainRack · Post by **PainRack** » 2004-04-23 03:17pm

What about gravitic drives? Repulsorlifts? Mumbo jumbo latching on to planets and slowing oneself down?

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2004-04-23 03:36pm

Star Wars doesnt have gravitic drives (in the sense of a reactionless dirve, a'la Minbari war cruisers) - the closest thing are repulsors and tracor beams, and in such cases you need a nearby mass to push against

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How do Star Destroyers deaccelerate?

How do Star Destroyers deaccelerate?

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