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Posted: 2004-04-26 06:54am
by PainRack
As speculation, could it be possible that SW fightercraft are "programmed" to manevuer like aircraft, so as to ease pilot training,intuition,etc etc etc?
No real evidence or methods, but we do know that SW engineers have a tendency to make their controls as user-friendly as possible, hence, the use of audio simulators in the MF gun turrets(ANH radio drama), gravity wells in MF gun turrets, "standardised" controls on the Incom speeder and X-wing, "standardised" and "simplified" controls at AT-STs, apparently so simple that Chewie, learnt how to pilot a mech almost instantly(ROTJ novelisation).
Posted: 2004-04-26 10:29pm
by Darth Yoshi
18-Till-I-Die wrote:Um, i'm no scientist, so if this sounds impossible let me know, but this is always what i thought:
The ion engines aft of teh ship push it forward, countless invisibley small thrusters break it. I figure this happens continuously. The engines push it forard, the breaks stop it, causing it to be imobile until they need to move forward or backwards, at which point they cut the forward or aft engines respectivly. Cutting the 'break's sends the ship hurtling 'forwards'; given enough time and space, it's forward engines can be reactivated and therefore it can break. And the opisate would also be true, of course the forward thrusters are less power so it cant move 'backwards' as fast as it can move' forwards'.
Like a tank moves one tread or another to turn, so then would a shp be able to 'turn' using one side of breaking thrusters. Because fighters are smaller, they can tur faster than larger ships, making it seem like atmospheric maneuvers.
Anyway, i dont think anyone had said this yet, and i think it sounds possible, but i may be wrong.
That is incredibly inefficient.
Posted: 2004-04-30 05:58am
by Winston Blake
As speculation, could it be possible that SW fightercraft are "programmed" to manevuer like aircraft, so as to ease pilot training,intuition,etc etc etc?
Well, this IS a galactic empire in a galaxy that's been fighting space battles and star wars for ages. You'd think the pilots would be trained to fly in space from the beginning, and not recruited from 'atmospheric' fighter pilots. Do dedicated aircraft even exist in the Star Wars universe any more?
Even though TIE fighers aren't exactly aerodynamic, the Empire probably doesn't need specialised fighters, considering the TIEs at Cloud City.
Posted: 2004-05-01 08:42pm
by Darth Yoshi
Winston Blake wrote:As speculation, could it be possible that SW fightercraft are "programmed" to manevuer like aircraft, so as to ease pilot training,intuition,etc etc etc?
Well, this IS a galactic empire in a galaxy that's been fighting space battles and star wars for ages. You'd think the pilots would be trained to fly in space from the beginning, and not recruited from 'atmospheric' fighter pilots. Do dedicated aircraft even exist in the Star Wars universe any more?
Even though TIE fighers aren't exactly aerodynamic, the Empire probably doesn't need specialised fighters, considering the TIEs at Cloud City.
If you mean like modern, unrepulsored aircraft, probably not in the Empire proper. But the Incom T-47, T-16, and the Cloud Car are aircraft.
Posted: 2004-05-02 09:55pm
by Defiant
Connor MacLeod wrote: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
In RotJ, all of the Imperial ships were well within the six-planetary-diameter limit. Why couldn't they use their repulsorlifts to decelerate?
Posted: 2004-05-03 03:07am
by Crown
Defiant wrote:Connor MacLeod wrote: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
In RotJ, all of the Imperial ships were well within the six-planetary-diameter limit. Why couldn't they use their repulsorlifts to decelerate?
I think in one of the books/tech manuals it states that a 'repulsorlift' can only work up to a maximum 2km above the surface of a planet (patently absurd, I know).
Posted: 2004-05-03 03:18am
by Connor MacLeod
Crown wrote:Defiant wrote:Connor MacLeod wrote: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
In RotJ, all of the Imperial ships were well within the six-planetary-diameter limit. Why couldn't they use their repulsorlifts to decelerate?
I think in one of the books/tech manuals it states that a 'repulsorlift' can only work up to a maximum 2km above the surface of a planet (patently absurd, I know).
Varies according to design. Some are clearly capable of much higher. (I believe snowspeeders have a max ceiling of 25 km, at least. ) fighter grade can at least make orbital distances, IIRC.
Dooku's sailer certainly used its repulsors to get to orbital distances in AOTC anyhow
Posted: 2004-05-03 03:20am
by Crown
Connor MacLeod wrote:Varies according to design. Some are clearly capable of much higher. (I believe snowspeeders have a max ceiling of 25 km, at least. ) fighter grade can at least make orbital distances, IIRC.
Dooku's sailer certainly used its repulsors to get to orbital distances in AOTC anyhow
Well to be fair, I read it once, long ago and haven't really pursued the topic since.
Posted: 2004-05-05 08:26pm
by Defiant
Crown wrote:Defiant wrote:Connor MacLeod wrote: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
In RotJ, all of the Imperial ships were well within the six-planetary-diameter limit. Why couldn't they use their repulsorlifts to decelerate?
I think in one of the books/tech manuals it states that a 'repulsorlift' can only work up to a maximum 2km above the surface of a planet (patently absurd, I know).
The six-diameter limit is stated in the ST:ANH novelization. Its not disputed by the movies, so it has more canonical status than any of the tech manuals. Sounds like one of the West End role-playing tech books.
EDIT: the limit was referring to the Death Star, however, but its not unreasonable to assume that other starships' repulsorlifts would work the same way.
Posted: 2004-05-06 01:10pm
by Currald
Wasn't there an "etheric rudder" mentioned in one of the novels? The X-wings had 'em. Operating on the same principle (don't ask what that principle is. "metaphorological principles?") couldn't you have an "etheric sea-anchor" which would act as a braking system? God, what a stupid idea. Sometimes it just isn't worth thinking too hard about these things.