Engineering:Millennium Falcon

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Template:Infobox fictional spacecraft

The Millennium Falcon is a fictional starship in the Star Wars franchise. The modified YT-1300 Corellian light freighter is primarily commanded by Corellian smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his Wookiee first mate, Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew). Designed by the Corellian Engineering Corporation (CEC), the highly modified YT-1300 is durable, modular, and is stated as being the second-fastest vessel in the Star Wars canon.

The Millennium Falcon first appears in Star Wars (1977), and subsequently in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), Revenge of the Sith (2005), The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). Additionally, the Falcon appears in a variety of Star Wars expanded universe materials, including books, comics, and games; James Luceno's novel Millennium Falcon focuses on the titular ship.[1] It also appears in the 2014 animated film The Lego Movie in Lego form, with Billy Dee Williams and Anthony Daniels reprising their roles of Lando Calrissian and C-3PO, and Keith Ferguson voicing Han Solo.

Origin and design

The ship originally had a more elongated appearance, but this design's similarity to the Eagle Transporters in Space: 1999 prompted Lucas to change the Falcon's design.[citation needed] The original model was modified, re-scaled, and used as Princess Leia's ship, Tantive IV.[2] Modelmaker Joe Johnston had about four weeks to redesign the Falcon, and Lucas's only suggestion to Johnston was to "think of a flying saucer".[3] Johnston did not want to produce a "basic flying saucer", so he created the offset cockpit, forward cargo mandibles, and rear slot for the engines.[3] The design was simple enough to create in the four-week window. Johnston called production of the new Falcon design one of his most intense projects.[3]

The sound of the ship traveling through hyperspace comes from two tracks of the engine noise of a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, with one track slightly out of synchronization with the other to introduce a phasing effect.[4] To this, sound designer Ben Burtt added the hum of the cooling fans on the motion-control rig at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).[4]

Models and sets

Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon during the making of a scene from the Star Wars Holiday Special.

Visually, the Millennium Falcon was represented by several models and external and internal sets. For Star Wars, a partial exterior set was constructed and the set dressed as Docking Bay 94 and the Death Star hangar. Besides the functional landing gear, an additional support held up the structure and was disguised as a fuel line. The interior set included the starboard ring corridor, the boarding ramp, cockpit access tunnel, gun turret ladder, secret compartments, and the forward hold. The cockpit was constructed as a separate set that could be rocked when the ship was supposed to shake. Several inconsistencies exist between the internal set and the external set, the cockpit access tunnel angle being the most noticeable.

The effects models for Star Wars matched the design of the exterior set. The primary model was 5 feet long and detailed with various kit parts. The ship was represented by a matte painting when Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) sees it for the first time, showing the full upper surface. For the 1997 "Special Edition", a digital model replaces the effects model in several shots, and is used in a new shot of the Falcon lifting off from Docking Bay 94.

For The Empire Strikes Back, a new external set was constructed. In spring 1979, Marcon Fabrications, a heavy engineering firm that served the UK's petrochemical and oil industries,[5] was hired to build a movable full-scale external model capable of "moving as if it were about to take off."[5] Built in secrecy under the project code name Magic Roundabout,[5][6] the company leased the 1930s Western Sunderland Flying Boat hangar in Pembroke Dock, West Wales.[6][7] The model, which took three months to construct, weighed over 25 long tons (25 t), measured 65 feet (20 m) in diameter and 20 feet (6.1 m) high, and used compressed air hover pads for up to 1.5 inches (38 mm) of hover-height movement around the set.[6][8][9] It was then disassembled and shipped to Elstree Studios, Hertfordshire, for filming.[5] Today, the Pembroke Dock museum has an exhibit about the project.[5][6]

Along with the full-size mock-up of the Falcon, a new miniature model was created for Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back to allow ILM to film more intricate in-flight rolls and pitches that were not possible with the five-foot model. This model was able to be mounted on a gimbal that allowed ILM to simulate very difficult maneuvers as the ship attempted to outrun Imperial Tie-Fighters during the asteroid-field-escape scene from the film. The new model, which measured at approximately 32 inches in length, had several surface features that differed from the five-foot model including updated landing gear and different surface greeblies. The 32" model was the version of the Millennium Falcon most depicted in toys, model kits, and promotional materials for the Star Wars universe prior to the release of The Force Awakens. The model was reused for Star Wars, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

As in Star Wars, the location set was changed around the ship set. The only major design change was to add landing gear where the disguised fuel line had been in Star Wars. As this set included the port side, that gave the set seven landing gears. The internal set was slightly refitted from A New Hope and featured a sliding cockpit door, a larger cargo hold, an additional corridor to port, and an equipment room. Two new interior sets were created that are not shown to connect to the rest of the set: a top hatch that Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) uses to rescue Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), and the compartment where Luke rests on a bunk.

The 5-foot-long (1.5 m) effects model from Star Wars was modified to reflect the additional landing gear, and several new models were built, including one roughly the size of a U.S. Quarter Dollar. For the 1997 Special Edition, a CGI model replaced the effects model during the approach and landing on Cloud City.

No new models or sets were created for Return of the Jedi. A portion of the full-scale ship was used for a scene cut from the film in which several characters board the Falcon in a sandstorm on Tatooine. In the scene when Han exacts a promise from Lando not to damage the Falcon, the Falcon is represented by a backdrop painting. It is also in a matte painting of the entire hangar bay.

The internal and external sets were scrapped after filming on Return of the Jedi ended.[8] The effects models were kept by Lucasfilm and some have been on display from time to time.

A digital version of the Falcon appears briefly on Coruscant in Revenge of the Sith. Lucas has said that the ship is the Falcon and not another ship of similar design.[10] A CGI version of the vessel also appears in the Disney attraction Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.

On June 3, 2014, TMZ confirmed that the Falcon would return for Star Wars: The Force Awakens when it leaked a photo from the set of the film, showing a full-scale version of the Falcon being built.[11] An effects shot of the Falcon appears in the teaser trailer for The Force Awakens, released on November 28, 2014. This version of the ship is a digital recreation[12] of the original 1977 5 foot model, with additional detailing reflecting the passage of time. The most noticeable change is the rectangular sensor array above the top hull, which replaces the circular dish from the first three films.[13]

Depiction

Han Solo won the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian in the card game 'sabacc' several years before the events of the film A New Hope.[14] In Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) charter the ship in the Mos Eisley cantina to deliver them, C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), and the stolen Death Star plans to Alderaan. When the Falcon is captured by the Death Star, the group conceal themselves in smuggling compartments built into the floor to avoid detection during a search of the ship. Solo later collects his fee for delivering them to the hidden Rebel base and departs under bitter circumstances, but returns to assist Luke in destroying the Death Star.

Solo pilots the Falcon, with Chewbacca, Leia, and C-3PO aboard, to elude the Imperial Starfleet in The Empire Strikes Back, wherein they take refuge at Cloud City, where Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones) captures Solo. Lando Calrissian helps the others escape and, at the film's end, he departs in the Falcon to track down Solo and his captor, Jabba the Hutt. Calrissian again flies the Falcon during the climax of Return of the Jedi, with Nien Nunb as co-pilot, to destroy the second Death Star. Before the second Death Star is destroyed, Lando accidentally damages the ship by hitting the circular sensor rectenna dish on a random pipe or circuit in the second Death Star. Lando and the others still have success in destroying the Galactic Empire.

In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, set some 30 years after Return of the Jedi, the Falcon is in the possession of a scrap dealer named Unkar Plutt on the desert planet Jakku, having been stolen from Solo and Chewbacca some years prior. Scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) and former stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega) steal the Falcon in order to escape from an attack by the First Order, having been targeted for having the droid BB-8 in their possession. During the chase sequence, the Falcon demonstrated an atmospheric performance of 60 degree turn rate per second, and a 90 degree roll rate per second.[15] They are captured by a smuggling freighter, which turns out to be piloted by Solo and Chewbacca, who reclaim the Falcon for their own. Forced to escape in the Falcon from an ambush by parties to whom Solo is heavily in debt, Solo reluctantly agrees to help Rey and Finn return BB-8 to the Resistance.

The Falcon appears again in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, still on Ahch-To with Rey and Chewbacca. Later in the film, Chewbacca and Rey take the Falcon to the planet Crait, where the Resistance is under attack by the First Order. The Falcon loses its sensor dish for the third time on Crait, after it is shot off by a TIE fighter. After the battle, surviving Resistance personnel leave Crait aboard the Falcon.

Kessel Run

In the initial film, Solo brags that the Falcon made the Kessel Run in "less than twelve parsecs". As the parsec is a unit of distance, not time, different explanations have been provided. A parsec was a unit of distance equal to 3.26 light years. The system used by starship navigators throughout the galaxy to record the location of star systems was based on parsecs. In the fourth draft of the script, Kenobi "reacts to Solo’s stupid attempt to impress them with obvious misinformation".[16] On the Star Wars DVD audio commentary, Lucas comments that, in the Star Wars universe, traveling through hyperspace requires careful navigation to avoid stars, planets, asteroids, and other obstacles,[17] and that because no long-distance journey can be made in a straight line, the "fastest" ship is the one that can plot the "most direct course", thereby traveling the least distance.[17]

In the pre-release novelization the line is: "less than twelve standard timeparts".

In the film Solo: A Star Wars Story, Solo's Kessel Run is described in detail, providing the real reason for the "twelve parsec" boast. Solo has to make many calculated jumps to avoid killing the crew. The boast takes root in that nobody thought it was possible to make it out of Kessel in less than 20 parsecs. Due to integrating the memory module of Lando's damaged L3 droid, the navigation abilities of the ship improved to aid in taking a "shortcut" dangerously close to the black holes.

Ownership

The Falcon has been depicted a number of times in the franchise, and the ship's ownership often comes up during explanations of its history.

  • Prior to Star Wars, the Falcon was in the possession of Lando Calrissian. He lost it to Han Solo in payment of a gambling debt. This time period is also referred to in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
  • Following the events of The Empire Strikes Back, Leia, Chewbacca and Lando take possession of the Falcon after Solo's hybernation in carbonite and capture by the Empire and Boba Fett.
  • During Return of the Jedi, Solo leaves Tatooine aboard the Millennium Falcon, and on arrival at the rendezvous for the Rebel fleet he loans the Falcon to Lando, who uses it to assist in the Battle of Endor and the destruction of the second Death Star.
  • Following the events of Return of the Jedi, the Falcon is stolen from Solo, ending up on the planet Jakku under the ownership of a scrap dealer, Unkar Plutt, 30 years after the Battle of Endor. In The Force Awakens, Rey and Finn commandeer the ship to escape the planet, only to be found by Solo and Chewbacca, who immediately reclaim the ship.
  • Following the death of Solo, Rey pilots the Falcon, with Chewbacca as her co-pilot. The novelization of The Force Awakens writes that Chewbacca willingly abdicates captaincy of the Falcon to Rey.
  • Following the events of The Last Jedi, the ship becomes the base of operations for the 300 members left of the Resistance.

Cultural influence

Joss Whedon credits the Millennium Falcon as one of his two primary inspirations for his Firefly television show.[18] The Falcon and the Falcon's distinct shape appear in Star Trek: First Contact,[19] Blade Runner,[20] Spaceballs, and Starship Troopers.[21] The manga series Berserk includes a Millennium Falcon arc.[22] In another manga and anime series, Hellsing, the Millennium Falcon is referenced briefly for comedic effect. The adult animation sketch-comedy series Robot Chicken aired a sketch entitled "The Emperor's Phone Call," in which Palpatine receives the news of the destruction of the Death Star with incredulity, at one point angrily asking "What the hell is an aluminum falcon?"[23]

In 2010, Adidas also released a pair of Stan Smith trainers inspired by the Millennium Falcon, as part of the Adidas Originals Star Wars campaign.[24]

SpaceX states that its Falcon family of rockets is named after the Millennium Falcon.[25]

In 2015, scale model manufacturer DeAgostini and Model-Space introduced a monthly installment piece-build model of the Millennium Falcon. The model is a 1:1 replica of the 32" inch The Empire Strikes Back filming miniature.

Toys

Kenner,[26] Hasbro,[27][28] Steel Tec,[29] Master Replicas,[30] Code 3 Collectibles and Micro Machines have all released Millennium Falcon toys and puzzles, including a Transformers version of the ship.

Hot Wheels has made a model of the ship for their Star Wars starship line[31] and a version of it as a car.[32] It is also available as a Hot Wheels playset.[33]

Lego has released multiple versions of the Millennium Falcon in varying sizes. The 5,195-piece Lego model (part of the Star Wars "Ultimate Collectors Series") was physically the largest Lego set sold by the company, until it was topped in 2008 by the Lego Taj Mahal.[34][35] In September 2017, Lego released an updated Millennium Falcon set in the Star Wars "Ultimate Collectors Series". With the new interior and more details compared to the 2007 model, the 7,541-piece model is the largest commercially available Lego set (by a considerable margin), and is also the most expensive set at $800.[36] Lego has also made a version of the Falcon to tie in with the newest Star Wars movie, Solo. It is called the Kessel Run Millennium Falcon.[37]

See also

  • List of Star Wars spacecraft

References

  1. ↑ "Millennium Falcon Week Begins!". Lucasfilm. October 20, 2008. Archived from the original on October 21, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081021221056/http://www.starwars.com/vault/books/10202008feature.html. Retrieved October 21, 2008. 
  2. ↑ Peterson, Lorne (November 14, 2006). Sculpting A Galaxy - Inside the Star Wars Model Shop. San Rafael, CA: Insight Editions. pp. 2–3. ISBN 1-933784-03-2. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Bouzereau, Laurent (1997). Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays. Ballantine Books. p. 53. ISBN 0345409817. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Rinzler, J. W. (September 1, 2010). The Sounds of Star Wars. Chronicle Books. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-8118-7546-2. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Jones, Carwyn (February 26, 2015). "A long time ago... when Pembroke Dock made the Millennium Falcon". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-31649541. Retrieved December 22, 2016. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Welsh Memories of 'Millennium Falcon' - Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre". sunderlandtrust.com. September 11, 2014. http://www.sunderlandtrust.com/welsh-memories-millennium-falcon/. Retrieved December 22, 2016. 
  7. ↑ "Towns secret Star Wars history". BBC. May 18, 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_west/4555455.stm. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "The Last Corellian Shipyard". Lucasfilm. October 20, 2008. pp. 5. Archived from the original on October 27, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081027034938/http://www.starwars.com/hyperspace/member/kessel/f20060309.html?page=5. Retrieved October 21, 2008. 
  9. ↑ "The Last Corellian Shipyard". Lucasfilm. October 20, 2008. pp. 2. Archived from the original on October 27, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081027034920/http://www.starwars.com/hyperspace/member/kessel/f20060309.html?page=2. Retrieved October 21, 2008. 
  10. ↑ "Episode III Easter Egg Hunt". Lucasfilm. May 26, 2005. Archived from the original on April 1, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110401021635/http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/bts/production/f20050526. Retrieved November 13, 2011. 
  11. ↑ "Millennium Falcon First Look In ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ Is Worth Getting Excited About". MTV. June 3, 2014. http://www.mtv.com/news/1837046/millennium-falcon-star-wars-episode-vii/. Retrieved June 3, 2014. 
  12. ↑ https://www.wired.com/2015/11/wired-star-wars-cover-millennium-falcon/
  13. ↑ Kastrenakes, Jacob (November 28, 2014). "Watch the first trailer for 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'". https://www.theverge.com/2014/11/28/7297181/star-wars-trailer-force-awakens-episode-7-stream. Retrieved January 13, 2015. 
  14. ↑ "Star Wars: Databank: Millennium Falcon (Expanded Universe)". starwars.com. http://www.starwars.com/databank/starship/millenniumfalcon/?id=eu. Retrieved June 27, 2007. 
  15. ↑ Myth Busters
  16. ↑ "Star Wars (Public Version of Fourth Draft) on the Jedi Bendu Script Site". http://starwarz.com/starkiller/star-wars-public-version-of-fourth-draft/. Retrieved December 7, 2014. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Commentary track on Star Wars DVD
  18. ↑ Joss Whedon (2005). What's in a Firefly.
  19. ↑ Patrizio, Andy. "Star Trek: First Contact - Special Collector's Edition". IGN. http://dvd.ign.com/articles/594/594096p3.html. Retrieved October 31, 2008. 
  20. ↑ Sammon, Paul M. (June 1, 1996). Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner. HarperCollins. pp. 251. ISBN 978-0-06-105314-6. "Bill George had been making a replica of the Millennium Falcon [ . . . ] we were so frantic to get more buildings into the cityscape that we grabbed Bill's ship, bristled it with etched brass, and plopped it into different shots. Instant building." 
  21. ↑ Aden, Jay. "Starship Troopers: A Studio Modeler Portfolio". Starship Modeler. http://www.starshipmodeler.com/other/stroop.htm. Retrieved October 31, 2008. 
  22. ↑ "Berserk Millennium Falcon Arc ~Seimasenki no Sho~". MobyGames. http://www.mobygames.com/game/berserk-millennium-falcon-arc-seimasenki-no-sho. Retrieved October 31, 2008. 
  23. ↑ The Emperor's Phone Call - Robot Chicken on Adult Swim.
  24. ↑ "Star Wars x adidas Stan Smith – Millennium Falcon – Available". Sneaker News. http://sneakernews.com/2009/12/31/star-wars-x-adidas-stan-smith-millenium-falcon-available. Retrieved December 24, 2010. 
  25. ↑ "SpaceX Selected For Responsive space Launch Demonstration Under DARPA Falcon Program". October 20, 2004. http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=11. Retrieved August 2, 2011. 
  26. ↑ "10 Star Wars Toys You Might Own That Are Now Worth a Fortune". http://mentalfloss.com/article/79395/10-star-wars-toys-you-might-own-are-now-worth-fortune. Retrieved 7 February 2018. 
  27. ↑ "Star Wars: Collecting: Till All Are One Millennium Falcon". starwars.com. March 2, 2006. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071012021547/http://www.starwars.com/collecting/news/hasbro/news20060302.html. Retrieved June 28, 2007. 
  28. ↑ "The Falcon is Back and Better Than Ever". Lucasfilm. July 9, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20081011134251/http://www.starwars.com/vault/collecting/20080709b.html. Retrieved October 31, 2008. 
  29. ↑ "Steel Tec Millennium Falcon". http://theswca.com/index.php?action=disp_item&item_id=46598. 
  30. ↑ "Millennium Falcon". Lucasfilm. October 22, 2008. pp. 4. http://www.starwars.com/vault/collecting/news20081022.html?page=4. Retrieved October 31, 2008. 
  31. ↑ "HOT WHEELS® STAR WARS™ MILLENNIUM FALCON™ STARSHIP". https://play.hotwheels.com/en-us/shop/productdetail?id=10005124. 
  32. ↑ "Hot Wheels® Star Wars™ Millennium Falcon Carship Vehicle". http://hotwheels.mattel.com/shop/en-us/hw/star-wars/hot-wheels-star-wars-millennium-falcon-carship-vehicle-dpv25. Retrieved February 7, 2018. 
  33. ↑ "Hot Wheels Star Wars Millennium Falcon Playset". https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Wheels-Millennium-Falcon-Playset/dp/B01N9G2TW7. Retrieved February 7, 2018. 
  34. ↑ Lipkowitz, Daniel (2009). The LEGO Book. DK. pp. 144. ISBN 978-0-7566-5623-2. 
  35. ↑ "Peeron Lego Database". http://www.peeron.com/cgi-bin/invcgis/setsearch?PagerSortDir=r&PagerSortCol=Pcs&PagerSortRev=0. 
  36. ↑ "The new 7,541-piece Lego Millennium Falcon is the biggest and most expensive set ever". The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/31/16234244/lego-star-wars-millennium-falcon-set-7541-pieces-800-dollars. 
  37. ↑ "The 10 Most Valuable Millennium Falcon Collectibles". May 25, 2018. https://gemr.com/blog/10-valuable-millennium-falcon-collectibles/. 

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