What about the difference between this 1940s jet and the 1970s one?

But that's the first jet fighter ever. Its a little bit of a different scenario. Its not like the OT X-wing is the first starfighter. New technology tends to improve at a rapid rate then kind of slows or plateaus.

We are still using airframes in the military that are well over 30 years old (B-52, U-2, A-10, etc.). While they have been greatly upgraded the basic design remains the same. Its the old addage "if it ain't broke don't fix it."

Oh you totally don;t get the point. The point is that they DO look similar. If I wanted to show how much technology can change I could have chosen the Gloucester Meteor or the de havilland Vampire.

I've made a wee image showing where it looks like the s-foils split apart, also the work-in-progress image somebody posted above gives a good impression of it.

It looks nice all folder up like that, but I'm not sure about the curly bits at the end where the guns are mounted, might look a bit flamboyant with the s-foils in attack position.

I don't know, it might be better than the original laser setup. It always looked to me like the laser cannons on the wingtips of the original x-wing were tacked on as an afterthought. They don't look solidly attached to the wings at all.

I`m beginning to wonder if the wing splits on the outside of the engine rather than at the root of the wing, Their seams no room for the wing to move at the fuselage,

I've made a wee image showing where it looks like the s-foils split apart, also the work-in-progress image somebody posted above gives a good impression of it.

It looks nice all folder up like that, but I'm not sure about the curly bits at the end where the guns are mounted, might look a bit flamboyant with the s-foils in attack position.

I don't know, it might be better than the original laser setup. It always looked to me like the laser cannons on the wingtips of the original x-wing were tacked on as an afterthought. They don't look solidly attached to the wings at all.

I`m beginning to wonder if the wing splits on the outside of the engine rather than at the root of the wing, Their seams no room for the wing to move at the fuselage,

Good call, the wings might rotate up and down the along the cylinder of the engine. That could look cool!

Edit, upon further inspection it appears the engine will split. There is a definite seam and, most importantly, there are two engine exhausts on each side.

Why does the XWing need to be changed?

I liked how it was in the original.

JJ always makes changes. Not always good ones.

The nose cap piece is basically non existent and he is making it look more like a earth fighter jet than something from the Star Wars universe. And no astro mech?

Give me episode 4

I'm kinda dissapointed. Yes they are obviously referencing McQuire's work...but it still looks way too similar to the current design. This movie is 30-35 years after ROTJ, it should be new ships, or if they want newer versions of an existing ship, don't make them so similar.

A casual fan would probably think they are the exact same ship.

First, I love the new look. 30-35 years in design doesn't look very different. Can you pick the aircraft that is from the 70's and the jet from 2010? There's 40 years between them.

[snip]

OK, I know the first one is an F-15 Eagle. But what's the second one? I can't figure it out.

That's an F-16 variant. I think it was an F-16E? I don't know- but I remember that much.

I like it, but I think it's odd, if you want an old looking ship like an x-wing why change the x-wing design?

This might be a 15-year-old X-Wing, which would be at least 15 years newer than the ones in the original trilogy.

And no astro mech?

Maybe it just isn't loaded.

I like it, but I think it's odd, if you want an old looking ship like an x-wing why change the x-wing design?

This might be a 15-year-old X-Wing, which would be at least 15 years newer than the ones in the original trilogy.

That would explain why it's so poorly maintained looking.

And no astro mech?

Maybe it just isn't loaded.

I suspect an armored canopy has been implemented.

Why does the XWing need to be changed?

I liked how it was in the original.

JJ always makes changes. Not always good ones.

The nose cap piece is basically non existent and he is making it look more like a earth fighter jet than something from the Star Wars universe. And no astro mech?

Give me episode 4

Why does the XWing need to be changed?

I liked how it was in the original.

JJ always makes changes. Not always good ones.

The nose cap piece is basically non existent and he is making it look more like a earth fighter jet than something from the Star Wars universe. And no astro mech?

Give me episode 4

Don't be such killjoys all you people telling us not to debate the science! You'll be telling us not to argue over who'd win in a fight between the Emprie and the Federation* next.

*Star Trek, not Blake's 7.

Of course not. That has been done to death already, and the Empire squashes the Federation like a bug.

I'm kinda dissapointed. Yes they are obviously referencing McQuire's work...but it still looks way too similar to the current design. This movie is 30-35 years after ROTJ, it should be new ships, or if they want newer versions of an existing ship, don't make them so similar.

A casual fan would probably think they are the exact same ship.

First, I love the new look. 30-35 years in design doesn't look very different. Can you pick the aircraft that is from the 70's and the jet from 2010? There's 40 years between them.

[snip]

OK, I know the first one is an F-15 Eagle. But what's the second one? I can't figure it out.

That's an F-16 variant. I think it was an F-16E? I don't know- but I remember that much.

Block 60 F-16 with conformal fuel tanks.

Why does the XWing need to be changed?

I liked how it was in the original.

JJ always makes changes. Not always good ones.

The nose cap piece is basically non existent and he is making it look more like a earth fighter jet than something from the Star Wars universe. And no astro mech?

Give me episode 4

actually this is the design that was given to Lucas. So that would make it the original design....just saying

It's not what was in the movies however.

Concept art is exactly that, concept. The final cut is what made it into the movies, and then the technical books, etc.

Hope he doesn't change other stuff like making massive engines on the other ships. Like he did with the Enterprise.., Not Ono change the size of parts but also the overall dimensions of ships... In a big way.. Literally. (Again with the new Enterprise vs old design)

What about the difference between this 1940s jet and the 1970s one?

Nice Me 262. The 40 -70's is a bit more dramatic as the very first, unrefined, jet fighter plane looks nothing like the sleeker 70's counterpart, but the F-15 eagle and the newer aircraft have very similar design features that the age gap is not readiliy apparent.

JJ's X-wing looks very different from the 'older' X-wing design, but it fits, with a 'newer design feel'.

I would like to still see Luke pull out the old orange strippy one and give it a go!

I'm kinda dissapointed. Yes they are obviously referencing McQuire's work...but it still looks way too similar to the current design. This movie is 30-35 years after ROTJ, it should be new ships, or if they want newer versions of an existing ship, don't make them so similar.

A casual fan would probably think they are the exact same ship.

You are drawing a ton of conclusions.

1) You are assuming this will be in the movie. It is entirely possible this prop is just for flavor and may not even appear in the movie other than for a junk pile, or somewhere in the background - maybe even a museum.

2) You are assuming that 30-35 years is too long to use a ship. The Millennium Falcon was in Episode 3, and is far older than the X-Wings... just for reference.

3) You conclude that there won't be newer ships. Even if this ship is featured in the film, who's to say it will be featured as a primary ship? There certainly may be newer ships, and this could be the "old" ship that shows people are scraping together everything they can muster - similar to the Y-Wings in the Original Trilogy.

Gotta agree with Crabbok here. I think we tend to forget how long military planes are used and reused in the real world. Production of the F-16 was approved in 1976 and it is still used by the USAF and militaries around the world. The F-15 also entered service in that year, and is only barely being phased out. That's a lifetime of ~40 years. And don't forget the B-52, which entered service in 1952 and is STILL being used. 35 years is not too long to use a military craft.

I'm kinda dissapointed. Yes they are obviously referencing McQuire's work...but it still looks way too similar to the current design. This movie is 30-35 years after ROTJ, it should be new ships, or if they want newer versions of an existing ship, don't make them so similar.

A casual fan would probably think they are the exact same ship.

First, I love the new look. 30-35 years in design doesn't look very different. Can you pick the aircraft that is from the 70's and the jet from 2010? There's 40 years between them.

[snip]

OK, I know the first one is an F-15 Eagle. But what's the second one? I can't figure it out.

That's an F-16 variant. I think it was an F-16E? I don't know- but I remember that much.

You're right, it's an F-16E. I didn't recognize it because of those conformal fuel tanks they've added to the Block 60s. It looks like only India and the United Arab Emirates fly them.

So it's not really a fighter from the 2010s, it's just a fighter from the 1970s that's been modified in the 2010s. =P A better example would be the Chengdu J-20, whose first flight was in 2011:

Why does the XWing need to be changed?

I liked how it was in the original.

JJ always makes changes. Not always good ones.

The nose cap piece is basically non existent and he is making it look more like a earth fighter jet than something from the Star Wars universe. And no astro mech?

Give me episode 4

Because it needs to feel a little different. Like Time has moved. Altering the design is a fantastic way to go about it.

Time has gone backwards as this design predates the original trilogy.

Hopefully it is simply a variant of the original xwing. But hopefully also they don't toss away all the original stuff and "re-invent" everything simply to "freshen it up".

Don't be such killjoys all you people telling us not to debate the science! You'll be telling us not to argue over who'd win in a fight between the Emprie and the Federation* next.

*Star Trek, not Blake's 7.

Of course not. That has been done to death already, and the Empire squashes the Federation like a bug.

I still don't buy it. It doesn't matter how powerful your lasers are if your opponent has shields that render lasers harmless, and since the Empire doesn't have shields designed to block phasers then their shields may as well not exist, so a single phaser would slice straight through them like an A-Wing to the bridge.

It doesn't matter how powerful your lasers are if your opponent has shields that render lasers harmless, and since the Empire doesn't have shields designed to block phasers

Just because they're called lasers in Star Wars doesn't mean they're the same thing as they talked about in TNG. Likewise an energy shield designed to stop turbolasers would in theory at least be effective against any form of directed energy weapon, including phasers.

Obvioulsy, JJ can't win.

Add new stuff, or newer versions of classic ships, and he's changing things just to change things because things NEED to remains the same 30 years later. If he keeps classic things, he is merely making a nostalgia movie.

But hey, it's Star Wars. It's been the normal for the fans to hate it for 15 years. This isn't a remake. There will be NEW things in this trilogy. If that is too much for you, then stick with the original three movies.

You're right, it's an F-16E. I didn't recognize it because of those conformal fuel tanks they've added to the Block 60s. It looks like only India and the United Arab Emirates fly them.

So it's not really a fighter from the 2010s, it's just a fighter from the 1970s that's been modified in the 2010s. =P A better example would be the Chengdu J-20, whose first flight was in 2011:

Wait, hold on.

"So it's not really a fighter from the 2010s"

Sweet christ, who thought that!? Tell me so that I may beat them with a trout! Oh, god. No, the F-16's models were all made roughly 1970s-1980s. Still in wide use today- 'cuz it's good. Seriously the F-16C, for instance, is one of the USAF's most widely used fighters. And it's old as ****.

Same goes for the A-10 Warthog.

Some **** just stays good.

Now, modern designs? Well the Chengdu isn't terrible but it's not very good. More of a 4.5th generation fighter, such is also the case with Russia's PAK-FA (T-50) and our own F-35 (dear god why.). Just about the only truly 5th generation fighter is the F-22, and that bird doesn't come without it's own myriad of issues.

Son, deal with it. Time flies and it's a world where people treat intergalactic travel as day-to-day traffic. Things are going to advance quick as hell.

That is however ignoring the fact that an Imperial-I class Star Destroyer could ram a Sovereign Class at full speed and be barely dinged as the nacelle struts snap in two from the sheer force of the Imperial titan slamming into it.

It doesn't matter how powerful your lasers are if your opponent has shields that render lasers harmless, and since the Empire doesn't have shields designed to block phasers

Just because they're called lasers in Star Wars doesn't mean they're the same thing as they talked about in TNG. Likewise an energy shield designed to stop turbolasers would in theory at least be effective against any form of directed energy weapon, including phasers.

Is a phaser beam energy though, or is it more of a linear area of effect?

EDIT: OK, yes they were energy (well, particle) beams, I googled it

It doesn't matter how powerful your lasers are if your opponent has shields that render lasers harmless, and since the Empire doesn't have shields designed to block phasers

Just because they're called lasers in Star Wars doesn't mean they're the same thing as they talked about in TNG. Likewise an energy shield designed to stop turbolasers would in theory at least be effective against any form of directed energy weapon, including phasers.

To clear something up.

____________________________________________________

Star Wars directed Energy Weaponry is not actually any form of laser. It's more akin to Superheated Plasma Ala Halo, see: Tibanna Gas used as fuel for the weapons.

It doesn't matter how powerful your lasers are if your opponent has shields that render lasers harmless, and since the Empire doesn't have shields designed to block phasers

Just because they're called lasers in Star Wars doesn't mean they're the same thing as they talked about in TNG. Likewise an energy shield designed to stop turbolasers would in theory at least be effective against any form of directed energy weapon, including phasers.

To clear something up.

____________________________________________________

Star Wars directed Energy Weaponry is not actually any form of laser. It's more akin to Superheated Plasma Ala Halo, see: Tibanna Gas used as fuel for the weapons.

Ah, but are any of the sources for that canon anymore?

Obvioulsy, JJ can't win.

That seems to be true pretty much no matter what he does. I think there's still a lot of people who haven't forgiven him for Lost, and that carries over to everything else he does. To the point that people who didn't even watch the show get sucked into it.

I've seen people completely disregard the dialog in a scene to justify complaining about something he did.