Attention Star Wars Geeks!

[RedjackRyan]

some crazy California enthusiasts have built a 21-foot long model of an X-Wing (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/star-wars/rocketpowered-21foot-long-xwing-model-actually-flies-updated-new-pics-show-it-even-has-builtin-r2d2-305976.php). While this might be impressive in its own right, this model actually flies. Powered by four solid-fuel rocket engines the group has high hopes for their launch next week. Let's hope the built-in R2 unit makes it out ok.

no idea what this thing looks like as our firewall won't let me go to the link..

[Bill_L]

Doesn't look bad - have to wait 'til Oct. 10 (next Wed.) to see if it flies well. It is mostly wood. The wings do move and the engines produce a red flame - same as the "real" X-Wing in the movie. Landing is by three radio controlled man-rated parachutes.

[RedjackRyan]

It launched yesterday from Plaster City and here's the video showing what many thought inevitable (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/boom/x+wing-rocket-launches-disintegrates-mid+air-307945.php): total destruction in mid-air. From the post: "I can only say two things. The first is: absolutely amazing. And the second: poor Porkins." " I'm sure they'll try again. That thing looked extremely cool on takeoff, just like the movie version.

[DaveM]

Oops. Mind, I'd like a couple of those rocket engines for my car. Most likely they'd ruin the gas mileage, but they'd do wonders for acceleration--and tailgaters.

Am I the only one who wonders why movie space ships invariably make banked turns? Not to mention noise, even when in a vacuum.

[RedjackRyan]

I'm not the star wars geek i used to be, but i do recall some mention that the X-wings were designed to emulate atmospheric flight controls to facilitate ease of pilot training. Hence the banking turns. of course thats all just fictional backstory. *IF* spaceflight ever does become a dime a dozen, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't do it that way. True physics based flight is hard to master... I've tried for three years in Orbiter http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/ and i'm still having issues with my flight pattern, the most recent being an unplanned collision with the ISS.

Besides.. It looks cool.

As to sound, there would be sound *inside* the craft, the rumble of the engines and so forth.. but of course nothing outside. Again, its the coolness factor.. remember how boring 2001 was?

[DaveM]

Orbiter sounds pretty cool....will have to see what I can crash into with it.

Orbital flight is essentially ballistics as opposed to aerodynamics....and I don't know the first thing about the former, so this should be fun.

The silence of space did make parts of 2001 drag on a bit, though it also worked well as a metaphor for loneliness and isolation. And I really like the bit where Dave goes in emergency airlock in utter silence which suddenly bursts into sound as he hits the air button.

"Orbiter" also has a bunch of add-ons, including "The World of 2001", and yes, "Supercars".

[RedjackRyan]

Loved that scene in 2001, great film just slow as all get out at points. I do hope you'll have better luck that I do with Orbiter, I do suggest getting the 'orbiter for dummies' pdf as it explains a lot of the concepts in clear english http://www.aovi93.dsl.pipex.com/play_in_space.htm without it, i'd still be making unscheduled de-orbits and regular flights directly into the sun. :D


I've been using a lot of the Space1999 addons, i just love the look of the Eagles, and i've also got a nice Firefly for tooling around the local solar system.

Good luck!

[DaveM]

I downloaded it and really should read the directions....there are various demos. I brought up the "dock with ISS" one and started fiddling with the controls. As it seems to be impossible to tell which way one's thrusters are facing (again, I obviously need to read the instructions), I got everything lined up rather nicely, only to discover that I was pulling away from the station at a rapidly increasing speed. That got old in a hurry.....really must learn how to read the heads-up display and perhaps I can get the Orbiter at least moving in the proper direction.

Or perhaps I just needed "The Blue Danube" on the soundtrack. Can't wait to try to dock with that Kubrickian spinning Space Wheel.

[RedjackRyan]

I'd suggest learning the keyboard commands thoroughly, or alternately if you have a programmable joystick, put your translation/rotation thruster controls there and also attach your MFD's to the stick so you can call them up quickly.

Expect to spend quite a bit of time mastering the controls my friend, even with Flightsim experience its a whole new ballgame. There are a few add-on mfd's that make life much more simplere, Orbiter Hanger has them.. the auto-hover, TransX, Burntime Calculator, and Warp speed addon's are great.. the last for making those trips to pluto in record time :)

Theres even a few solar system addons, including a great one with a Black Hole at the center of the system.


Oh, and you'll want to track down the AMSO addons, for the complete Apollo, Mercury, Gemini mission simulations.


I think crashing into the ISS is a rite of passage or something, just about everyone has done it.


Here's a very forgiving fictional ship http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=2869 that can make interplanetary runs in a few hours

[Eva]

That all sounds cooooooooool!

Eva

[aabram]

Now THIS could be funny :p I shall await the news with interest :D

[Darlene]

Hay Redjack I don't know if you ever got to see this, but anyway here it is, in it's full glory

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q230/Darlene357/TheX-Wingmodelishuge.jpg