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." "

Comments

Build a smaller one that works

[stoolpigeon]

That kid really enjoying the destruction is pretty funny.

For those who'd like to do something similar but on a much smaller scale, Estes has done a number of smaller model rockets based on the Star Wars movies. A couple decent models are R2-D2 and my favorite, Vader's TIE fighter. But I would guess the most appropriate to this discussion would be the X Wing

Re:Build a smaller one that works

[SpectreBlofeld]

If you want to see something in a similar vein to this launch that is really impressive, check out Top Gear's launch of a shuttle built from a Reliant Robin compact car: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN3JjUUdjWU

a few moments before the launch

[ClippySay]

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

Yoda says....

[jawtheshark]

....Surprised, I am not.

A shame, but it happens.

[nincehelser]

But shreds are not uncommon in high power rocketry.

I'm sure they'll learn from the failure and build another one until they get it right.

That's pretty much the whole point of the hobby. If you don't have the occasional spectacular failure, you're probably not innovating enough.

I'm not surprised

[VegeBrain]

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.

Re:I'm not surprised

[teslar]

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.

I would have thought that, for obvious reasons, aerodynamics are not a big issue when designing a spacecraft...

Re:two items from video

[hey!]

profanity in the presence of minor is hilarious.

If he had said "Jesus Christ" it would have been profane. In this case we have common place vulgarity, from the Latin vulgris, of the common people, which leads us to the humor of the situation:

What is hilarious is an adult acting in the way everybody is commonly known to act, but from which children are enjoined.

On the other hand, one might observe that the word "profane" often refers in sociological contexts to those matters which are of an ordinary, day to day nature, as opposed to the sacred which is outside the realm of ordinary experience. Therefore one may learn the profane through observation, but the sacred is primarily learned through other people.

Thus, that the stars exceed Man's grasp is a profane fact; that Man should reach them is a sacred opinion, which is the moral of today's ironic shaggy dog post.

clearer vid of the launch

[gregs7726]

I was there to see it take off too. I also took video, might be a little clearer in this vid: http://view.break.com/378238 Greg