T-47 Airspeeder (Snowspeeder) Hero of Hoth and planetside Workhorse.
We get introduced to the T-47 airspeeder, more commonly known as the Snowspeeder in the Empire Strikes Back at the Battle of Hoth. I’m almost afraid to say that I like it better than the X-wing. The ship design is on par with a Ferrari or Lamborghini. I confess, being an atmospheric craft and having the surface, troopers and walker as a backdrop may give them a better sense of speed and maneuverability.
I never put much thought into the comment, “We’re having problems adapting them to the cold. ” Like most, I was worried about Luke. But my recent urge to build something Star Warsy made me think about the fact that they had to adapt it to the cold. Checking Wookiepedia…….
The Incom Corporation‘s T-47 was an atmospheric vehicle designed for industrial cargo handling. Its cockpit featured positions for a forward-facing pilot and a rear-facing cargo manager. The cargo manager used the airspeeder’s magnetic harpoon and tow cable to control repulsorlift cargo modules.[11]Mechanical braking flaps, along with the high-powered thrust nozzles, allowed for precise maneuvering. The airspeeder was piloted by one individual and featured a gunner.[7]In addition to cold environments, T-47s were modified by Alliance forces for use in several different climates. The swampspeeder version included flotation gear and water-tight seals. The sandspeeder was equipped with advanced filters to keep out sand, engine cooling units, and long-range radar for navigating sandstorms. The skyspeeder had a pressurized cockpit and more powerful repulsorlifts for higher altitudes, and was used in patrolling the Rebel’s base on Arbra.Before I even read this description, I had an idea for a sandspeeder. Checking the internet, of course, someone has already built one. I didn’t really let that influence my decision to not built that speeder. But the one I found on the internet was little more than the Snowspeeder with a desert camo paint job. No disrespect to the builder, it was done really well. There were a few other scratchbuilt modified speeders, and all were done really well. So, allow me to throw my hat in the ring.
This T-47 has been modified to operate on ocean planets such as Kamino or Mon Calamari.
This T-47 has been designed to operate in an ocean environments. The wingtips have floatation pod on them for emergency water landings or water rescue. I figured them needed to be just large enough to keep the ship afloat. Yet, aerodynamic enough to not compromise the flight capabilities of the craft. They were had from 1:48 scale Pave Knife targeting pod. Used on F4 PhantomII’s and A6 Intruders. The camo coloring was derive from naval camo photos of WWII ships and the some current Naval Camo uniform colors. To keep the Star Wars feel. I keep the pilots in their Rebel orange flight suits. I did have a little trouble getting the pilots seated. I ended up having to remove the pilots arm, seat him,then reattached it. My wife said he looks like he’s holding up his hand and eating and apple fritter. But the paint job is pretty.
This was a good build. It’s been awhile since I’ve started and completed a model in the span of a weekend. It was beginning to feel like builders block was not just here, but moving in for a long vacation. Let’s just hope we can keep this train rolling.
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