"You hear me, baby? Hold together."
February 19, 2014 7:15 AM Subscribe
the galaxy’s most famous spacecraft:
MOST famous? Captain James T Kirk says those are fighting words.
Well, technically, the Millennium Falcon is in a different galaxy (far, far away), while the Enterprise is in this one, so Kirk doesn't really have a leg to stand on there.
posted by LionIndex at 7:39 AM on February 19, 2014 [6 favorites]
MOST famous? Captain James T Kirk says those are fighting words.
Well, technically, the Millennium Falcon is in a different galaxy (far, far away), while the Enterprise is in this one, so Kirk doesn't really have a leg to stand on there.
posted by LionIndex at 7:39 AM on February 19, 2014 [6 favorites]
Of course, the original Falcon was the core of what appears as the Tantive IV blockade runner.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:48 AM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:48 AM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
Fascinating stuff!
posted by Monster_Zero at 8:04 AM on February 19, 2014
posted by Monster_Zero at 8:04 AM on February 19, 2014
"MOST famous? Captain James T Kirk says those are fighting words."
I'm guessing they meant "most famous single spacecraft" not "most famous series of similar models of spacecraft sharing the same name."
posted by komara at 8:20 AM on February 19, 2014
I'm guessing they meant "most famous single spacecraft" not "most famous series of similar models of spacecraft sharing the same name."
posted by komara at 8:20 AM on February 19, 2014
The famous one is the U.S.S. Enterprise. No bloody A, B, C, or D.
posted by Zalzidrax at 8:25 AM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Zalzidrax at 8:25 AM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
I'd be curious to see a list of fictional starship Q ratings.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 8:27 AM on February 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 8:27 AM on February 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
Most famous:
1a. USS Enterprise
1b. The Millennium Falcon
3. whatever's next
The Enterprise gets the nod because a) it's been around eleven more years and b) they've named actual spacecraft after it. Other than that, it's pretty much a goddamn tie.
MOVING ON.
posted by grubi at 8:30 AM on February 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
1a. USS Enterprise
1b. The Millennium Falcon
3. whatever's next
The Enterprise gets the nod because a) it's been around eleven more years and b) they've named actual spacecraft after it. Other than that, it's pretty much a goddamn tie.
MOVING ON.
posted by grubi at 8:30 AM on February 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
Look at how wrong all you Trekkies are.
posted by entropicamericana at 8:32 AM on February 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by entropicamericana at 8:32 AM on February 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
I totally had to pop in my copy of A New Hope just to listen for the piston-engine foley work. Which, BTW is also used in the classic parody Hardware Wars.
posted by valkane at 8:39 AM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by valkane at 8:39 AM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Lucas loved WW2 fighters and movies involving dogfights between them. He made a WW2 dogfight sequence as a young man and I think he made others while in film school.
The Millennium Falcon's interior is probably a deliberate homage. I suspect he got a bunch of interior photos, gave them to the set and model makers and told them to replicate the look and feel.
Star Wars has always been a fantasy movie with WW2 dogfights, but set in space. The heroes have swordfights, the large ships trade broadsides and the fighters bank and maneuver in ways that only make sense if they were in an atmosphere.
posted by kzin602 at 8:42 AM on February 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
The Millennium Falcon's interior is probably a deliberate homage. I suspect he got a bunch of interior photos, gave them to the set and model makers and told them to replicate the look and feel.
Star Wars has always been a fantasy movie with WW2 dogfights, but set in space. The heroes have swordfights, the large ships trade broadsides and the fighters bank and maneuver in ways that only make sense if they were in an atmosphere.
posted by kzin602 at 8:42 AM on February 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
The Enterprise gets the nod because a) it's been around eleven more years and b) they've named actual spacecraft after it
I don't think it's a complete co-eenkydeenk that SpaceX named an entire class of boosters "Falcon."
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:42 AM on February 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
I don't think it's a complete co-eenkydeenk that SpaceX named an entire class of boosters "Falcon."
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:42 AM on February 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
Most famous spacecraft? Pfffffft. It's obviously this.
posted by yoink at 9:14 AM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by yoink at 9:14 AM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
Considering this is a Star Wars-centric blog (on the official site, no less), I'm thinking the author is exclusively referring to the SW galaxy.
While the Enterprise did achieve fame first, I gotta think the Falcon would have to be more recognized worldwide. The new Trek movies may help, but I doubt it'd be enough.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 9:23 AM on February 19, 2014
While the Enterprise did achieve fame first, I gotta think the Falcon would have to be more recognized worldwide. The new Trek movies may help, but I doubt it'd be enough.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 9:23 AM on February 19, 2014
You can't compare the Enterprise and the Falcon, they're two COMPLETELY different classes of ships. Yeesh.
I hadn't ever thought about the comparisons between the Falcon and WW2 bombers, nifty. It always kind of blew my mind during the first "dog fight" the Falcon is in, when it engages TIE fighters as it escapes the Death Star, and Han climbs down a ladder, then Luke climbs up a ladder, which establishes a vertical sense of direction...only to re-establish it as horizontal after the two make it to their gun positions. It makes total sense in space, but it's always jarred me.
posted by Atreides at 9:35 AM on February 19, 2014 [5 favorites]
I hadn't ever thought about the comparisons between the Falcon and WW2 bombers, nifty. It always kind of blew my mind during the first "dog fight" the Falcon is in, when it engages TIE fighters as it escapes the Death Star, and Han climbs down a ladder, then Luke climbs up a ladder, which establishes a vertical sense of direction...only to re-establish it as horizontal after the two make it to their gun positions. It makes total sense in space, but it's always jarred me.
posted by Atreides at 9:35 AM on February 19, 2014 [5 favorites]
It always kind of blew my mind during the first "dog fight" the Falcon is in, when it engages TIE fighters as it escapes the Death Star, and Han climbs down a ladder, then Luke climbs up a ladder, which establishes a vertical sense of direction...only to re-establish it as horizontal after the two make it to their gun positions. It makes total sense in space, but it's always jarred me.
The staging of that scene always struck me as odd, too, but if you look at the original design of the Falcon ROU_Xenophobe linked above, it makes much more sense. There were originally two gun turrets back-to-back on the "neck" of the ship behind the cockpit, roughly analogous to the waist gunners on a WWII bomber.
posted by The Tensor at 9:56 AM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
The staging of that scene always struck me as odd, too, but if you look at the original design of the Falcon ROU_Xenophobe linked above, it makes much more sense. There were originally two gun turrets back-to-back on the "neck" of the ship behind the cockpit, roughly analogous to the waist gunners on a WWII bomber.
posted by The Tensor at 9:56 AM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
For another neat connection from WWII to Star Wars, see this video clip from the 1955 movie The Dam Busters, overlaid with the audio from A New Hope.
More about this connection on the Star Wars blog here.
posted by Triplanetary at 10:22 AM on February 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
More about this connection on the Star Wars blog here.
posted by Triplanetary at 10:22 AM on February 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
What the hell is an Aluminium Falcon?
posted by mikelieman at 11:31 AM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by mikelieman at 11:31 AM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Hideous retcons to mask deep ignorance of astronomical concepts are crimes against humanity, not fodder for jokes.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:49 AM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:49 AM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Lighten up, Francis.
posted by entropicamericana at 12:22 PM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by entropicamericana at 12:22 PM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
You know, I've been thinking about this a lot today and since I'm neither a Trekkite nor a Starwarsian I think honestly if someone approached me out of the blue and said, "What's the most famous spacecraft?" I'd probably answer, "Uh ... the Challenger, I guess?"
posted by komara at 12:38 PM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by komara at 12:38 PM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
Eagle. What has landed.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:04 PM on February 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:04 PM on February 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
The thing about the Falcon is when the audience first sees it in the hangar, it's not particularly sleek looking, especially for something that's supposed to be so fast. The point probably would've been driven home better if we'd seen, say, X-wings by that point. But it's not until we see the Falcon (and its pilots) in action, that we realize how awesome it actually is. At least, for those of you who actually remember seeing it for the first time.
And I like how Lucas easily could've had all the characters play up how totally awesome it is, and instead they just disparage it, to Han's chagrin. It helps make the ship a character in and of itself.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 1:24 PM on February 19, 2014 [5 favorites]
And I like how Lucas easily could've had all the characters play up how totally awesome it is, and instead they just disparage it, to Han's chagrin. It helps make the ship a character in and of itself.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 1:24 PM on February 19, 2014 [5 favorites]
I think honestly if someone approached me out of the blue and said, "What's the most famous spacecraft?" I'd probably answer, "Uh ... the Challenger, I guess?"
I would have voted for Apollo 13, which is only marginally better when you get right down to it being basically fame-from-misadventure.
But I guess there's no question that if you polled random people for 'most famous ocean liner' that the Titanic isn't going to win, either.
posted by Kadin2048 at 1:31 PM on February 19, 2014
I would have voted for Apollo 13, which is only marginally better when you get right down to it being basically fame-from-misadventure.
But I guess there's no question that if you polled random people for 'most famous ocean liner' that the Titanic isn't going to win, either.
posted by Kadin2048 at 1:31 PM on February 19, 2014
The thing about the Falcon is when the audience first sees it in the hangar, it's not particularly sleek looking, especially for something that's supposed to be so fast. The point probably would've been driven home better if we'd seen, say, X-wings by that point. But it's not until we see the Falcon (and its pilots) in action, that we realize how awesome it actually is. At least, for those of you who actually remember seeing it for the first time.
Love at first sight, in that I thought it was cool looking, and I wanted to smack Luke, since all he knows is shooting big rodents in the desert with a silly T-16, like that's any accomplishment mr big shot, go buy your stupid power converters already.
posted by Atreides at 1:56 PM on February 19, 2014 [5 favorites]
Love at first sight, in that I thought it was cool looking, and I wanted to smack Luke, since all he knows is shooting big rodents in the desert with a silly T-16, like that's any accomplishment mr big shot, go buy your stupid power converters already.
posted by Atreides at 1:56 PM on February 19, 2014 [5 favorites]
The Falcon has Harrison Ford in it.
But the Enterprise had Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, Chapel and Rand.
posted by drezdn at 1:58 PM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
But the Enterprise had Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, Chapel and Rand.
posted by drezdn at 1:58 PM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, Chapel and Rand added together don't equal Harrison Ford.
posted by miss tea at 2:23 PM on February 19, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by miss tea at 2:23 PM on February 19, 2014 [5 favorites]
It helps make the ship a character in and of itself.
THIS. The Enterprise even more so, in my opinion any way*-- and I say that as someone who falls more on the SW side of things than ST. It's what makes them both so iconic. Part of my dissatisfaction with the SW prequels/TV shows & ST movies/ TV series after STIII stems from the absence of The Millenium Falcon in the former & and the "Go ahead, we'll make more" replacement Enterprises in the latter.
*It's right there in the opening credit VO: "Space: The final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise." It's literally the first thing we see in the franchise. As iconic as The Millenium Falcon is, it doesn't get top billing in Star Wars and doesn't even get mentioned by name until 30-40 minutes into the first movie, let alone have the primacy of action that the Enterprise has. At the end of the day, as iconic as it is, the Millenium Falcon is just the awesome spaceship that Han Solo happens to own. The Enterprise, though, has a mission, with a crew that serves on it.
posted by KingEdRa at 4:18 PM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
THIS. The Enterprise even more so, in my opinion any way*-- and I say that as someone who falls more on the SW side of things than ST. It's what makes them both so iconic. Part of my dissatisfaction with the SW prequels/TV shows & ST movies/ TV series after STIII stems from the absence of The Millenium Falcon in the former & and the "Go ahead, we'll make more" replacement Enterprises in the latter.
*It's right there in the opening credit VO: "Space: The final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise." It's literally the first thing we see in the franchise. As iconic as The Millenium Falcon is, it doesn't get top billing in Star Wars and doesn't even get mentioned by name until 30-40 minutes into the first movie, let alone have the primacy of action that the Enterprise has. At the end of the day, as iconic as it is, the Millenium Falcon is just the awesome spaceship that Han Solo happens to own. The Enterprise, though, has a mission, with a crew that serves on it.
posted by KingEdRa at 4:18 PM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
I quit reading after this:
"The B-29 was an American four-engine heavy bomber designed by Boeing and used extensively during the later-stages of the strategic bombing campaigns in Germany and Japan."
Weren't no B-29s flown in Europe during WWII.
posted by InsertNiftyNameHere at 4:35 PM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
"The B-29 was an American four-engine heavy bomber designed by Boeing and used extensively during the later-stages of the strategic bombing campaigns in Germany and Japan."
Weren't no B-29s flown in Europe during WWII.
posted by InsertNiftyNameHere at 4:35 PM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
The Falcon's got Chewbacca.
Let the Wookiee win.
posted by bile and syntax at 5:26 PM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
Let the Wookiee win.
posted by bile and syntax at 5:26 PM on February 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
Word is they are creating a full-sized Millennium Falcon set for Star Wars VII.
posted by crossoverman at 7:12 PM on February 19, 2014
posted by crossoverman at 7:12 PM on February 19, 2014
Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, Chapel and Rand added together don't equal Harrison Ford.
How close would one get with Picard, Data, and.... uh... Hm, I guess there's a reason those two were the focus of all four movies.
The introduction of the Falcon was discussed in detail on an episode of the Star Wars Minute podcast. I'd forgotten that the addition of the Jabba scene kinda ruins it.
And I think there was a Facebook post pointing out that the Falcon saves the day at the end of each movie. I would add that someone different flies it each time.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 7:56 PM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
How close would one get with Picard, Data, and.... uh... Hm, I guess there's a reason those two were the focus of all four movies.
The introduction of the Falcon was discussed in detail on an episode of the Star Wars Minute podcast. I'd forgotten that the addition of the Jabba scene kinda ruins it.
And I think there was a Facebook post pointing out that the Falcon saves the day at the end of each movie. I would add that someone different flies it each time.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 7:56 PM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
I've read rumors that they are planning on putting a Millennium Falcon on the old People Mover site in Disneyland as a new character meet and greet area.
posted by ericales at 9:15 PM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by ericales at 9:15 PM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
So it's just a whole Messerschmitt that goes really fast.
Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, Chapel and Rand added together don't equal Harrison Ford.
Could Harrison Ford star in a movie so big that even he can't get his family back?
posted by Smedleyman at 7:15 AM on February 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, Chapel and Rand added together don't equal Harrison Ford.
Could Harrison Ford star in a movie so big that even he can't get his family back?
posted by Smedleyman at 7:15 AM on February 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
Han wasn't even the sexiest pilot of the Millennium Falcon.
posted by drezdn at 4:11 PM on February 22, 2014
posted by drezdn at 4:11 PM on February 22, 2014
« Older Sometimes I feel I've got to *zzzt zzzt* | 'contemplating the nexus between meat and... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
MOST famous? Captain James T Kirk says those are fighting words.
(It's still a cool article and I like that it goes beyond the usual references to WWII movie footage being used as the basis for the dogfights.)
posted by Tomorrowful at 7:33 AM on February 19, 2014 [1 favorite]