POPULAR SPACESHIPS SEEN IN STAR WARS

Are you a fan of the Star Wars Universe? If so, then you might want to check out the following list that features five of my favorite vehicles forged for this franchise. Admittedly, it's not the most comprehensive list, but just like the original trilogy, it sure has character. So go on, check it out…


The Moviemaking Magic of Star Wars: Ships & Battles (Hardcover)


5) 74-Z Speeder Bike

Manufacturer: Aratech Repulsor Company.
Cost: 8,000 credits.
Dimensions: 3 to 4.9 meters (Length), depending on the model.
Maximum speed: 500 km/h.
Crew: One Pilot.
First introduced: During the Battle of Geonosis.
Overview: This Imperial speeder bike is usually used by Scout troopers for reconnaissance missions and rapid transportation in combat zones.
Why I chose this vehicle: I loved watching the speeder bike chase scene depicted in ‘Return of the Jedi’, as it was fast, fun, and furious to a fault.

4) Khetanna

Manufacturer: Ubrikkian Industries Custom Vehicle Division.
Cost: 285,000 credits.
Dimensions: 30 meters (Length).
Maximum speed: 100 km/h.
Crew: Twenty-Six Crew Members, One Gunner, and Five-Hundred Passengers.
First introduced: 32 BBY.
Overview: Jabba's sail barge was used to travel over the Dune Sea of Tatooine and for pleasurable expeditions to the Great Pit of Carkoon. It was generally accompanied by two skiffs, which carried the Hutt's guards.

Why I chose this vehicle: Once upon a time, this flying fortress housed my two favorite characters from the Star Wars Universe: Princess Leia in a metal bikini and Boba Fett.

3) All Terrain Armored Transport

Manufacturer: Kuat Drive Yards.
Cost: Unknown.
Dimensions: 20 meters (Length) 22.5 meters (Width) 22.5 meters (Height).
Maximum speed: 60 km/h.
Crew: One Pilot, One Gunner, One Commander, and One Deck Officer.
First introduced: Exact date unknown, although it was probably before the Clone Wars.
Overview: The AT-AT, also known as the Imperial walker, was a major part of the Galactic Empire's arsenal because it carried a vast amount of firepower and enjoyed a long life span, extending from the Clone Wars all the way to the Second Imperial Civil War (over 150 years later).

Why I chose this vehicle: It resembles a drunken cow, and I’m not talking about my auntie.

2) DS-1 Orbital Battle Station

Manufacturer: Imperial Department of Military Research.
Cost: 1,500,000,000,000 credits.
Dimensions: 120 kilometers (Length) 120 kilometers (Width) 120 kilometers (Height).
Maximum acceleration: N/A.
Crew: Approximately 342,953 Full-Time Crew Members.
First introduced: 19 BBY.
Overview: Better known as the ‘Death Star’, or ‘Death Star I’, this massive Imperial battlestation/superweapon was designed to enforce law and order throughout the Empire with the threat of planetary destruction.
Why I chose this vehicle: It’s the f#cking Death Star, the first one, and it taught me that volleyballs can be very, very evil.

1) Millennium Falcon

Manufacturer: Corellian Engineering Corporation.
Cost: Not for sale.
Dimensions: 34.37 meters (Length) 25.61 meters (Width) 8.27 meters (Depth).
Maximum speed: 1,050 km/h.
Crew: One Pilot, One Co-Pilot, and Two Gunners.
First introduced: 60 BBY.
Overview: Originally known as YT-1300 492727ZED, this modified light freighter has an expansive history that stretches right back to the decades before the Clone Wars and the rise of the Galactic Empire. A history that features rogues, scoundrels, Jedis, and a new hope.
Why I chose this vehicle: It's Han and Chewie's pimpmobile. So enough said.

Now if you want to see some more high-tech Star Wars vehicles, then you might want to have a look at the following reference guide published by Abrams Books. Not only is it nicely illustrated and easy to read, but in addition to this, it’s also full of fun facts and important information relating to all of those ships, satellites, and submersibles that go boom, crash, pow, in a galaxy, far, far away. The book also tells us about what went on behind the scenes during the making of this franchise. Well, did you know that an early attempt at filming special effects for ‘A New Hope’, resulted in John Dykstra's leg being injured by an exploding Y-wing? Because I didn’t! Not until I picked up…

The Moviemaking Magic of Star Wars: Ships & Battles

Author: Landry Walker
Format: Hardcover
Price: £22.99
Size: 238x286mm
Page-Count: 144-pages
Publisher: Abrams Books
Age-Range: 10 years and over

Synopsis: This book gives us the opportunity to go behind the scenes and find out how some of the most iconic vehicles in Star Wars history were designed, developed, and ultimately, created. This includes detailed descriptions for a large variety of different vehicles that travel across land, air, and sea, ranging from the Millennium Falcon, to the X-wing, to the TIE fighter and beyond, with each one complemented with an appropriate picture and factoid highlighting their capabilities and when and where they’ve fought. The book also boasts a number of special interactive elements that reveal the magic behind the movie, doing so with the use of fold-out accordion-style flaps and booklets, that showcases concept sketches, molds, digital imagery, and much much more.

If you want to know more about 'The Moviemaking Magic of Star Wars: Ships & Battles', then please feel free to click on the official Abrams Books website, facebook, and twitter pages. Or better yet, why not pick up a copy on Amazon.