So with the ventral fin folded off to the side, under the rotated wing, standing out past the wing? This is going from inelegant to pretty **** ugly

Like so?

Please excuse rough sketch with no regards to scale or aesthetics. The pink bits are the rotated side-wings. The yellow is the ventral fin. The top fin has been left out by the lazy artist!

Yes, that's what DarthGM and I are saying. That's not the original design, but that's one way it could work. Star Wars, especially the Clone Wars was full of ships that did all kinds of gymnastics in order to land. Why not this?

If I had your artistic talent, I would've drawn something similar, but alas...

Lol, if you had my artistic talent you would never lack work in the graphic design business

Who says it has to actually make contact with the ground? This is a universe where landspeeders remain floating for days on end (look at all the parked landspeeders in the prequels or Luke's speeder in A New Hope). So, it should be fine just resting on its repulsors. So, the tail and wings might rotate to let it closer to the ground, but otherwise it probably just remains afloat the whole time.

Maybe, instead of landing at all, you have to skydive out of it whenever you want to get off, then find a high place and skydive back into the ship as it performs a low altitude flyby. You have to have really good timing.

Maybe, instead of landing at all, you have to skydive out of it whenever you want to get off, then find a high place and skydive back into the ship as it performs a low altitude flyby. You have to have really good timing.

Better yet. The cockpit ejects a la the Phantom, and that lands as you would expect. Before take off, you re-attach the cockpit.

I usually think of the side wings rotating 90 degrees and the ventral fin folding upwards, into a dorsal position, similar to the V9 torrent fighter.

So like this video shows:

Makes sense, and far more elegant than the side-slide in my sketch.

I usually think of the side wings rotating 90 degrees and the ventral fin folding upwards, into a dorsal position, similar to the V9 torrent fighter.

Yup, that’s pretty much exactly like I described.

I like this video better:

Among other things, it shows the rotation of the tail much earlier, and the kid doesn’t sound as annoying.

I know this is pretty dorky, and doesn't explain the ventral fin, but... maybe if the outside fins rotate 90 degrees to their sides, they could be used as landing gear of sorts. The middle fin could rotate on its axis 90%, then fold up under the main fuselage. Or something

I know this is pretty dorky, and doesn't explain the ventral fin, but... maybe if the outside fins rotate 90 degrees to their sides, they could be used as landing gear of sorts. The middle fin could rotate on its axis 90%, then fold up under the main fuselage. Or something

And others already mentioned that.

I know this is pretty dorky, and doesn't explain the ventral fin, but... maybe if the outside fins rotate 90 degrees to their sides, they could be used as landing gear of sorts. The middle fin could rotate on its axis 90%, then fold up under the main fuselage. Or something

And others already mentioned that.

But I made the cool animated GIF

I don't think not having been designed to land is that big of a design flaw; after all, it would be a lot easier to build a ship never designed to face the rigors of atmospheric entry. For travel between space stations and ships, it would be perfectly practical, and designing it with the extra power and resilience for take of and landing might simply not be cost efficient.

I don't think not having been designed to land is that big of a design flaw; after all, it would be a lot easier to build a ship never designed to face the rigors of atmospheric entry. For travel between space stations and ships, it would be perfectly practical, and designing it with the extra power and resilience for take of and landing might simply not be cost efficient.

So, this is supposed to be a really tough-as-nails ship, so that explanation doesn't quite cut it. It seems that landing was an afterthought though.

One reason in favor of the whole landing on its wings thing, is that that would allow any starfighters carried by it to stay docked even when it lands.

I think this just might be one of those 'don't think about it too hard' scenarios, as well as the various writers and illustrators not fact checking, because that sketch doesn't show me a freighter large enough to carry 4 fighters underneath.

I think this just might be one of those 'don't think about it too hard' scenarios, as well as the various writers and illustrators not fact checking, because that sketch doesn't show me a freighter large enough to carry 4 fighters underneath.

It can carry two starfighters, not four. And to make sense they'd have to be true starfighters (nothing bigger than a Y-Wing), not larger Sil 3 attack or transport craft, such as the Hwk-290. As far as size goes, it's 36 m long. A Z-95 is 12m and a Y-wing is 16m.

Now if I could only find decent deck plans my life would be so much easier.

Is this decent enough for you? (Previews below, click the link for the full rez image on imageshack)

http://imageshack.com/f/4ccitadelcruiserupperdeckp

http://imageshack.com/f/j3citadelcruiserlowerdeckp

http://imageshack.com/f/htcitadelcruisermapp

Now if I could only find decent deck plans my life would be so much easier.

Is this decent enough for you? (Previews below, click the link for the full rez image on imageshack)

Well. I found those already, but looking at them it seems that the ship is much wider than the pictures indicate, and that the room in the ship is much to big for a ship that size. I could be wrong, but it just looks wrong to me. Apologies if this is your design. Looks pretty, but off to me.

Well. I found those already, but looking at them it seems that the ship is much wider than the pictures indicate, and that the room in the ship is much to big for a ship that size. I could be wrong, but it just looks wrong to me. Apologies if this is your design. Looks pretty, but off to me.

*shrug* Understandable. I based it off this image.

If it lands on the 2 wings, the ventral stabilizer can act as the guide for a lift - no need for a 20M landing ramp. Everything comes up on a lift to a main room, passengers/crew go one way, cargo the other.

The fold over part can either act as a stabilizer on the ground, telescope into the shaft, or be the lift.

I never did understand why some of the ships in Star Wars had fins like that.

For the same reasons the fighters maneuver like they were fighting in the atmosphere. Because it is cool

I know this is a necro, but are the both, landing animation and deckplans still floating around somewhere?
All links here are sadly dead 😕

On 9/3/2015 at 1:04 AM, Jame Rowe said:

I never did understand why some of the ships in Star Wars had fins like that.

Kylo Ren's shuttle describes the wings as sensor suites: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Upsilon-class_command_shuttle

"The shuttle featured extensive sensor suites in its upper wings, while the lower wings were equipped with efficient shield projectors and sensor jammers, which were aided with a jammer modulation node"

Perhaps the ILH-KK's wings have a similar purpose?

I mean there's no reason every single ship has to be made for atmospheric flight and landing. Kinda silly to make them all work for that actually.