Now I'm no genius and may be missing something blatant here but how on earth do starfighters such as the X-wing and TIE models slow down when they only have rear facing engines.

My understanding of space is that there's no friction and thus no resistance to slow you down, so at best killings the engines completely wouldn't only ensure you continued at your current velocity.

They slow down by hitting rocks. In space. In the face.

In true physics, reverse thrusters. In Star Wars... they just do.

Well, the probably do have SOME vectored thrusters. I think I recall a reference to landing thrusters somewhere.

But overall, it works the same way ALL Star Wars technology works. Because.

If you really need more than that, I imagine braking uses the same principles that allow them to make such sharp turns, which Timothy Zahn invented "Etheric Rudders" to explain.

How do starfighters slow down?

Slowly.

(Thank you, everybody, I'll be here all week. Try the veal, it's delicious!)

Using the same technology that allows the power of a star to be pulled into a planet without a) destroying the atmosphere b) killing everyone, or at least burning them and causing cancer c) destroying the planet.

The same technology that allows said power of the sun to slowly travel lightyears in seconds without hyperdrive engines and split into several beams that all accurately hit every planet in a system.

Makers of Star Wars really suck at science

Star Wars is fantasy in space. Star Wars is not science fiction. Love it anyway.

There's a lot of things that happen in the SW universe that wouldn't happen elsewhere.

Like breathing in space ...

That wasn't space. It was a giant space slug's belly. Betcha it's pressurized!

In the starwars universe it's all PFM...

Now the F-104 star fighter has a drag chute,blown flaps. And speed brakes as well as multidis landing gear brakes.

I figured this was the case but felt I was missing something obvious. Apparently not

Now the F-104 star fighter has a drag chute,blown flaps. And speed brakes as well as multidis landing gear brakes.

Necessary as it flew like a brick. .

It's just a movie so therefore does not need to be realistic. It only needs to look good and be entertaining , like James Bond or Jason Voorhees...

Um, turn your ship around and thrust in the opposite direction? That's how real space ships do it. The Space Shuttle had engines in the back too.

In Star Wars space is not a vacuum, hence sound can happen, hence ships need constant forward propulsion.

In newtonian based games either you have forward (and port/starboard) (and dorsal/ventral) thrusters or you just turn on axis and counter thrust.

BKL should be along soon to remind us of the old eU explanation of the 'sound in space' being audio representations inside spacecraft of radar/sensor returns.

Let's not invoke that. I'm too tired to argue today.

Let's not invoke that. I'm too tired to argue today.

I think I hear him clop, clop clopping towards here already.

I'm getting pretty sick of claims that sound travels in Star Wars space.

It's the logical conclusion, given that space is not a vacuum - based on the fact that constant propulsion is required.

It's better than the alternative (sound sensors).

Or, you know, the same explanation used in every other space film ever...

The film makers added sound effects for dramatic appeal and the actual characters don't hear those sounds.

Or, you know, the same explanation used in every other space film ever...

The film makers added sound effects for dramatic appeal and the actual characters don't hear those sounds.

Oh yes I realize that, obviously. However Because Star Wars has gotten so big, people have been poking at the internal logic, and things need to be justified.

It's how you get to things like "Endor was actually destroyed by fiery wreckage". etc.

It's obvious that Star Wars uses the same method of propulsion as Futurama. The X-Wings aren't moving forward, they're moving the whole universe backwards. The engines in back are really just for show.

I think they use air breaks..err non air breaks?

They use the Force?

Oh, right.