Damn it, Luke! You Were Supposed to Use the Force!

[Tuckerfan]

Okay, so some uber-dorks thought that not only would it be cool to build a near full-size model of an X-Wing from Star Wars, but it’d be just the cat’s whiskers to slap some rocket engines on it, and some remote control units as well.

Andy Woerner and his crazy rocketeer friends have built a 21-foot long X-Wing model that can actually fly. Yes, this is a real X-Wing powered by four solid-fuel rocket engines complete with radio-controlled moving wings. It blasts off in California next week, and we talked with Andy about the project, and how they expect it will do. All the details and a full construction gallery after the jump.

I gotta say, it really does look good in the photos (large gallery of them on the linked page).

So, how’d the maiden voyage go? Well, let’s just say that apparently Luke wasn’t the only guy on Tatooine who was good at blasting whomp rats. :eek: (Note, audio on video probably NSFW, since it has a rather loud expletive shouted.)

There’s some controversy over what happened, however, with this being touted as the official story of the events. I’m not sure if I’m buying it.

While they’re lifting up the model and attaching the wings, Mike Scarpati, one of their sponsors and owner of RMS Lasers, finds me. “I did pro-bono for all the laser routing and cutting: the internal structure, motor tubes, wings… Actually, my wife’s a co-owner too, but she’s not here, so I’m taking all the credit.” He looks at me and whispers, “I also make drones for the government” in a creepy way.

There was also a 1/4 Y-Wing launched at the same event.

The X-Wing fighter at Plaster Blaster 6 this weekend got all the glory. But the model rocket with the biggest heart/size ratio goes to the underdog of a space bomber based on the Y-Wing fighter.

I’m disappointed that they were miserable failures, but I gotta say, it must have been pretty danged cool to watch them blow apart like that.

[Snooooopy]

Stay on target … stay on target …

[GuanoLad]

When I saw the article about it being built, last week, I told my friend “It’s not gonna fly, it’s gonna explode.” But he had more confidence in it.

I am vindicated.

[bbs2k]

What Really Happened At The X-Wing Launch

You all have been scooped!

[Tuckerfan]

@bbs2k

What Really Happened At The X-Wing Launch

You all have been scooped!

Que? You’ve been here long enough to know the rule: It doesn’t really exist until it’s been posted at the SDMB!

[Ranchoth]

Fools! You’re supposed to go for throttle up after Max Q!

Anyway…would y’all call that a launch failure, or a design failure?

[Pigs_in_Space]

@Ranchoth

Fools! You’re supposed to go for throttle up after Max Q!

Anyway…would y’all call that a launch failure, or a design failure?

I would call it a design failure. The rockets were clearly not acting on the center of gravity of the craft. That explains the arc it took. Then, as it turned, something between aerodynamic forces on the body, the materials used to assemble it, and the fact that they lit 4 rockets under it, caused it to lose structural integrity.

Looked like fun, though. And I thought I was a geek.