? about the ANH DS run...

[Clutch]

I thought ray shielded meant they couldn't fire lasers down it so they had to use torpedos.

 

[jarvis]

So basically the death-star was a battle-station built like a giant bomb with a fuse, and then they built it again, with similar fatal design flaws. I guess the emperor's overconfidence really was his weakness.

 

[Dave Ward]

Here's my question.

Comp Voice: Stand by alert. Death Star approaching. Estimated time to firing range... 15 minutes.

Rebel: ...should we evacuate?...... It doesn't make any sense for us to stick around here. I mean, what if our star fighters fail? It's not like the rebellion is finished if this one moon blows up.

Maybe the ships would be more vulunerable in flight.

 

[Treadwell]

Of course this doesn't explain the animation in the briefing room showing the torpedo travelling down the shaft itself.

Depends on how you look at it. It's just dots and dashes. Those could be the chain-reaction explosions instead of the torpedo.

 

[vaderdarth]

Excellent point Jarvis. The fuse of the bomb is sticking out where all the rebels could shoot matches at it. Kinda ballsy if you ask me. That Motti fella is a real piece of work. I mean, why not build a cage over "the exhaust port"???? or better yet velcro a couple of stormtroopers over the exhaust port.........those dudes are a dime a dozen.

 

[Colin Droidmilk]

Fatal design flaws happen. The Titanic etc.

I still want to know why Red Leader didn't select Luke for TIE fodder and send the surely more 'Xperienced' Wedge or Biggs up front.

 

[GrenadeKing]

They got together and stole his lunch one day on break. He'd been harboring a grudge ever since.

 

[SSgt Burton]

I still want to know why Red Leader didn't select Luke for TIE fodder and send the surely more 'Xperienced' Wedge or Biggs up front.

Well I can understand Biggs as he entered the Alliance before Luke, however there isn't anything I can remember that would say Wedge wasn't as much a noob as Luke-

But to try and answer the question: Biggs gave Luke high praise to Red Leader in the "restored" scene. I think there was more to that bit as well as what was shown in the SE- Red Leader saying something about Luke's father's exploits? At which point Red Leader understands Luke's ability as a pilot- and subsequently gives him the #1 position for the third trench run.

Kevin

 

[Sith_241]

Maybe the idea was a better pilot (like Biggs) could hold out longer and hopefully get Red leader to the port...where a newb like Luke would get melted in a hurry

 

[Too Much Garlic]

I think Eagles hate volcanos. Something about smokin feathers etc....Although they could have dropped hobbits in pretty close and have avoided avalanches, gollums, wraiths and other nasty beasties. They would have saved alot of previous wars and soldiers too. Woulda been a 2 hour movie for the whole trilogy..........wait! That would not have been a good story at all. Forget all that. Eagles are allergic to sulfur!!!!!

If they were allergic, then how come Gandalf could fly in with them to pick up Frodo and Sam when the vulcano blew up?

 

[ihs]

Why not? The eagles handed them their dragon asses, in ROTK.

-Fred

Actually, a lot of the fell beasts were taken out by the lava explosions. Sure, the eagles battled well, but if Sauron hadn't been destroyed and had been able to feed his power into the beasts/wraiths, they would have destroyed them. Gandalf himself, one of the Maiar, got overpowered and his staff destroyed by the Witchking at Minas Tirith.

 

[ihs]

If they were allergic, then how come Gandalf could fly in with them to pick up Frodo and Sam when the vulcano blew up?

If you look real close, the eagles had these on at the time:

 

[Gigatron]

Actually, a lot of the fell beasts were taken out by the lava explosions. Sure, the eagles battled well, but if Sauron hadn't been destroyed and had been able to feed his power into the beasts/wraiths, they would have destroyed them. Gandalf himself, one of the Maiar, got overpowered and his staff destroyed by the Witchking at Minas Tirith.

Yeah, I don't know what any of that nerd jabber means, but in the movie, the eagles kicked the dragon's asses :lol.

-Fred

 

[Betamin]

If you look real close, the eagles had these on at the time:

:lol Don't forget the flight goggles they had on as well for eye protection.

 

[ihs]

Yeah, I don't know what any of that nerd jabber means, but in the movie, the eagles kicked the dragon's asses :lol.

-Fred

That they did, and that's why Gwaihir and his fellow eagle buddies rock. :cool

 

[Colin Droidmilk]

Re the why Red Leader picked Luke thing...good points, fellows. I'm happier in my mind now. Probably be able to get some sleep now.

 

[Jumpin Jax]

I never understood why they just didn't simply hover directly over the exhaust port and fire straight into it...

... with either photon torpedoes...

... or with something Dr. Evil calls a "LAZER". :love

Hovering things are MUCH easier to shoot at :cool Pop and drop, fast.

 

[SSgt Burton]

So why not just pin point the exhaust port while in orbit above the station and fly straight down at it? Why all the drama of having to go into the trench?

I mean the torpedoes wouldn't even have to do a 90 degree turn; they would just go straight into the opening.

Oh yeah... it's a movie. :lol

Kevin

 

[gunnerk19]

A movie, stated and researched for all intents and purposes by GL using WWII dogfight footage for refernce, so IMO again, why the whole 90* turn torpedo thing, if everything was based somewhat on any remote sense of physics?

Personally, I don't care one way or the other, but I thought it may be a good point of conversation...

 

[SSgt Burton]

Okay- the dogfights were researched to bring a sense of realism to the final battle- The trench run was probably based on The Dam Busters with the reverse rotating bomb that would skip along the water to avoid the dam defenses. But there are obviously several examples of "fantasy" technology throughout ANH.

I understand where you are coming from, but to me the bottom line is that this is alien technology.

The torpedo can fly at incredible speed, make a 90 degree turn into an opening less than 72 inches across, avoid any obstacle in its path (a path that is miles long), and detonate upon reaching its target- the reactor core, because it just can.

That- or as has been said Luke guided the torpedoes with The Force.

I mean you could go nuts trying to figure this out and still not come up with an answer that even half fits.

Here's one- why does the Death Star (that must incorporate artificial gravity) have bottomless shafts with gravity and bridges with no railings?

Kevin