How do Star Wars Ships Fly? Star Wars Lore Explained

Have you ever wondered how ships in the Star Wars universe manage to fly? I'll detail the Star Wars Legends and Canon technology involved in flight in today's Star Wars Lore video!

Today's video looks specifically at star fighters, capital ships and speeders, looking at the Star Wars Legends and Canon lore and technology that allows these vehicles to operate in atmosphere, outserspace, hyperspace and real space. We look at repulsorlifts, sublight drives, hyperdrives, navicomputers, shielding, and lots of other interesting bits of technology.

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[madcat]

In the original Empire Strikes Back, when the falcon is landing in the floating city you can see vector thrusters aiding the ship. In recent editions, this was changed to steam.

[JadiYt]

Question:
How do blasters and canons on ships work?
What is the smallest commercial ship in Star Wars?

[Muaddibize]

They fly by using narration power. That is a category of power that includes screenwriter power and movie director power.

[jonnya]

Lol, "I won't explain the physics", if you could, you would be the richest dude in the world..anti grav, hyper space, energy weapons...Yea try to explain that. I am just sayin that's kind of funny..have a good one

[lazerx]

So, still going in universe - how do ships actually *maneuver* in space? They don't have RCS and engines clearly don't gimbal, so it isn't that. Is it still the anti-gravity engines, just redirecting flight? I guess this would explain why Star Wars ships have to fly like planes.

[ESFNinja]

It wouldn't matter how they fly, because sand would get EVERYWHERE.

[OverlordZephyros]

Yes but my question is... Why ships move in space like if they were in atmosphere???

I mean haven't they heard of Newtonian laws?? Or played Kerbal?? Lol

[miqo]

How did the U-wing on Jeddah go into hyperspace without leaving the moons gravity well?

[skaboodlydoodle]

I had assumed that jetpacks also use mini-antigravity lifts. There's no way those things are aerodynamically stable.

[DIEGhostfish]

Canon does mention particle shields helping in atmosphere. The Episode 7 Visual Dictionary (not the cross sections) mentions it about the First Order TIEs chasing the Falcon.

[tk-brony]

3:30 Hyperspace could only be used once a ship has escaped a planet's gravity well... Unless you're a U-wing transport leaving a moon while the Dea-... while a mining accident destroys the city closest to you? Or is it only possible while carrying characters with thicc plot armor?

[Tangent]

"Hyperspace can only be used once a ship has escaped a planet's gravity well"

The U-WIng's escape from Jedha suggests it's more of a bad idea to do it from within a gravity well rather than something you *can't* do.

[feartheghus]

There is a big problem with all tie fighters, and it’s that in reality they would be so incredibly slow that they’re be the slowest fighters, really the slowest ships overall, in Star Wars. This is because in real life ion engines shoot ions the opposite direction of where the ship pilot wants to go. Ion engines are very efficient with energy but are very very slow to accelerate, an ion engine is so slow to accelerate that a tie fighter twin ion engines fighter, even with its mass, would be so slow to accelerate that it would simply never go faster than the Star destroyer it came from, and would never chase any ship that is living away from it.

[marleegould]

This all good in theory, but I always wondered how ships maneuvered in space without directional thrusters.

[awesmegamingnetwrk]

@2:32 Seeing the footage of the N64 game rogue squadron brought back good memories of my childhood. Thx Eckhartsladder!!

[LiamM]

Eckhartsladder is becoming such a chilled channel like you really deserve more subs than you currently have but I know that your so grateful for the subs that you have. It’s such a good channel like I can’t even explain

[jedidrummerjake]

Great video! Thank you for taking the time to make this!

[hornet]

You have been answering all my questions I had on Star Wars lore, thank you

[yortsemloh]

You have the best intro on YouTube. I’ve seen a lot of channels and yours is the one I always look forward to.

[TheOriginalJphyper]

Some of those flyers —such as the snowspeeder, V-Wing, and even the space-capable A-Wing— look like they wouldn't need repulsorlifts except during takeoff and landing. It's entirely plausible that they may employ a lifting body design, in which the shape of the fuselage is able to generate enough lift for flight. At the very least, it would reduce the amount of power the repulsors need.