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X-Wing Rocket Launches, Disintegrates

An anonymous reader writes "Remember the 21-foot X-Wing with four rocket engines? It launched yesterday from Plaster City and here's the video showing what many thought inevitable: total destruction in mid-air. From the post: "I can only say two things. The first is: absolutely amazing. And the second: poor Porkins." "

7 of 240 comments (clear)

  1. a few moments before the launch by ClippySay · · Score: 5, Funny

    / You look like you're trying to pilot an \
    \ X-Wing. May I help you?                 /
           \     ____
            \   / __ \
             \  O|  |O|
                ||  | |
                ||  | |
                ||    |
                 |___/

    --
    cpu0: Microsoft Clippium ("GenuineClippy" ChromedMetal-Class). Paperbinding, lockpicking, fish-hook-hack support.
  2. Yoda says.... by jawtheshark · · Score: 5, Funny

    ....Surprised, I am not.

    --
    Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
  3. She'll hold together by kalpol · · Score: 4, Funny

    Come on baby....aw hell.

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    12:50 - press return.
  4. I'm not surprised by VegeBrain · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've often been amazed how bad the aerodynamics of Science Fiction are. The X wing is a pretty good example, with those huge laser weapons on the ends of the wings that guarantee flutter problems in the wings. I also find it hilarious that the leading edges of the wings are flat. Then there's the silliness of having 4 engines instead of two. The whole problem is instead of being practical, science fiction spacecraft are just there to look cool. If the rebels can't figure out a few obvious improvements like these then they deserve to be crushed like a bug by the Emperor.

  5. Darth Vader Quote... by no_pets · · Score: 4, Funny

    ..."The Farce is strong with this one."

    --
    "A government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned." - Shepard Book Quoting Malcolm Reynolds
  6. Well... by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wedge wasn't doing any good down there anyway.

    --
    If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
  7. Re:Spacecraft becomes Aircraft. by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hell, they even landed a city (Atlantis) from a non-orbit.

    Whatever. I suppose with enough shields and inertia dampeners you can do almost anything.


    No Kidding.

    The stuff they did with Boston after mounting it on that guitar-shaped spaceframe are really impressive.

    Reentry capability after interstellar flight was a necessity, while hovering on pressor beams simplified the search for a suitable landing area. The asteroid clearing capabilities made manouvering in planetary ring systems possible and the debris shielding was impressive. Needed a little boost to get out of the atmosphere, though.

    The early prototypes weren't as sleek but worked pretty well, too.

    --
    Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way