Millenium Falcon
The Millennium Falcon (in English, Millennium Falcon) is a fictional spacecraft belonging to the fictional universe of the film series Star Wars (Star Wars). It appeared on movie screens for the first time in the first film that was released in the saga (Star Wars, in 1977), a film that was titled a few years later as A new hope.
Inspiration
Origin and design
The ship originally had a more elongated appearance, but the similarity of this design to the Eagle ships in Space: 1999 led Lucas to change the design of the Falcon. The original model was modified, rescaled, and used as Princess Leia's ship, Tantive IV. Model maker Joe Johnston had about four weeks to redesign the model. Hawk, and Lucas's only suggestion to Johnston was to "think of a flying saucer". Johnston did not want to produce a "basic flying saucer", so which created the offset cab, front loading jaws, and rear engines. The design was simple enough to be created in the four-week window. Johnston called the production of the redesigned Falcon one of his most intensive projects.
Origin of name
The origin of the name of the ship is an inexplicable paradox and not raised by Lucas or by the script of the saga itself, since in the universe of Star Wars there are no falcons or animals similar that could have some relation with the royal falcons. In an interview with George Lucas in 1984, the question was asked, to which Lucas simply replied: Next question, please.[quote required]
History
Manufactured by the Corellian Engineering Corporation, it was widely used by Han Solo (its most famous owner) and Chewbacca, Solo's co-pilot, for successful – though sometimes not so successful – smuggling missions. The ship had previously belonged to Lando Calrissian, another criminal and old friend of the duo, from whom Han won the Falcon in one of his regular gambling bets, specifically during a game of sabacc, a popular card game in the Galaxy. Later, the Millennium Falcon joined the Rebel Alliance at the time it was still owned by Han Solo and covered several missions, including destroying the first and second Death Stars alongside rebel starfighters such as the Wings. -X and the Y-wing. After the Battle of Endor, the Millennium Falcon was stolen from Han Solo but after a series of incidents it returned to him.
Description
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The Millennium Falcon is a YT-1300-type Corellian light freighter. It is saucer-shaped, although a series of elements integrated into the hull determine a front and a rear part. Despite the fact that at first glance it provokes comments such as that of Luke Skywalker: ("What a piece of junk!") and later in the awakening of the Force, the protagonist Rey would describe it as: ("an old junk!"), the Millennium Falcon is a powerful freighter that is around 35 meters in length and whose main mission is to transport containers by middle of the front calipers. As the container would be right in front of the ship, that is the reason why the cabin is located to the side.
Modifications
As it changed owners, the Millennium Falcon underwent a series of modifications, some of them illegal, but thanks to them it ended up becoming a ship that enjoys exceptional qualities and capabilities, despite having an appearance rickety external, being old and obsolete in design. Its hyperdrive system, for example, falls into the x 1/2 (x 0.5) category, which reduces the standard duration of interstellar travel by two. Typically, this type of hyperdrives is only mounted on the new military-class ships, the military frigates that function as a mother ship and is very expensive, so they were not manufactured during the fall of the republic and the rise of the Galactic Empire.
During the Battle of Endor, in which it actively participated in the destruction of the second Death Star, the Falcon lost its circular parabolic reflector-type antenna for its radar. Piloted by Lando Calrissian through the structure of the space station on the way to its core, inside a small channel that was open during its construction, it hit one of the walls, a pipe or structural beam of the space station, an impact that he ripped off said antenna with a single blow. Subsequently, this was replaced by a more modern and larger-capacity parabolic reflector with a rectangular profile, which can be clearly seen in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, although it later lost its ability again. aerial in an air battle on Crait caused by fire from a TIE in Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi.
Weaponry
In terms of weaponry, this vehicle has turrets with quad laser cannons, two main laser cannons located between the main jaws of the ship, on the roof and the floor, connected by a ladder and a concealed auto-firing anti-personnel laser at its bottom. Guided by motion-sensing computer, the anti-personnel laser is activated through small hatches to back up the crew in case they are attacked when they are outside the ship or preparing to take off. It also has missile launchers on internal cargo bays in the front. Other details stand out, such as the thermal and sound scanner-proof cabin, located under the floor of the ship. Although originally intended for smuggling, on more than one occasion it served to hide some passengers. It also has escape capsules, in case of emergency, to distract attention in case of being approached. Similarly, it has front and rear energy screen shields to be able to withstand some shots from laser weapons and avoid damaging the ship's fuselage.