In A New Hope, Porkins is advised to "eject!" before he's destroyed.
Does the X-Wing cockpit form an escape pod? The flight suit's not exactly pressurized, is it?
Has it ever been discussed how one would eject from an X-Wing?
How would one eject from an X-Wing?
I imagine it's like earth - pop the canopy, get wooshed out of the ship. But wait - what about the air? Nonsense - there's plenty of air in space! Why do you think TIE fighters make noise and Han, Chewie and Leia can walk around inside an asteroid field with just a breath mask?
Mind you, Porkins was screwed anyway. "Hurray! I ejected from my crashing ship . . . onto a space station full of enemy combatants and only 15 minuets to get off before it blows up."
Edited by DesslokThere's a few different depictions.
The one that I like is that in the original x-wing PC game from the mid 90s. In that the grey box on the pilots chest is an emergency life support pack that launches up and seals to the helmet when you punch out (it assumed the orange flight suit is also a vacuum suit).
Its a little odd, and not without minor detail issues, but I like it because it explains the grey box, and doesn't require a force field or other sci-fi "magic" to work, which oddly fits star wars setting better IMO. Reserve the magical solutions for the force and the jedi, keep the rest relatively analog.
It probably would be more efficient for a small fighter to store an ejection system as a type of foam or gelling agent that would then be retrievable up to a number of hours. Something able to seal in space (the grey box would do its thing on the helmet to prevent suffocation) but also able to withstand ground impact if one ejects planetside.
The seats are usually depicted as having either a basic repulsor system that's just strong enough to provide a controlled descent or a more conventional parachute type system. It depended on the source and artist (novels liked repulsors because star wars, comic books liked parachutes because they are more visual)
The current Dark Horse comic has portrayed it as a separate faceplate/visor that connects to the helmet to provide a seal.
I forgot about that sequence from the comic. Great story!
I'm not sure it would have helped poor Porkins. I mean, he'd be right at a blowing up Death Star.
The current Dark Horse comic has portrayed it as a separate faceplate/visor that connects to the helmet to provide a seal.
To be fair, it does nothing to explain why their collars suddenly jump up under their helmets to help form the seal, but we can imagine they hike up the lining and fix it to points on their helmets. Or something.
I prefer that to magcon fields, anyway. They always seemed like a cheap, barely believable fix, even though I know they have precedent in Star Wars -- those docking bays that are open to space but somehow don't suck their occupants out into the void. Not that I'd deny it to my players (or myself, if I was playing), but I'd be a big baby about it the whole time.
IMO they should just wear suits like Tie fighter pilots use, but in the movies they wanted to put "human" faces on the rebel pilots so they didn't do that.
IMO they should just wear suits like Tie fighter pilots use, but in the movies they wanted to put "human" faces on the rebel pilots so they didn't do that.
Plus, canonically, the TIE pilots only wear those suits because their fighters don't have life support. But I agree that Alliance pilots should wear suits that have pull-down visors and fully sealed suits.
I remember hearing somewhere that they should have full helmets, but it wasn't technically feasible for the movie technology at the time to do that and still show the actors faces so George went for what we see.
Well, it could be worse. They could have the same "Breath in space" technology that Vultan and the Hawkmen have. . . .
Really, who wants to run around in a leather topless space suit. Stylish helmets, tho!
I recall reading one of the early Zahn books in which Luke ejected from his X-Wing. I don't recall the details but I do recall that it didn't sit well with me. I think Luke's flight suit doubled as a flight suit without any explanation at all for his lack of an enclosed helmet.
I kind of like the idea that what we saw in the movies was an edit of in-universe reality for the camera's sake. I just need a prop or art of an enclosed rebel pilot helmet (I suppose the comic above could be used).
Here is an early prototype I think of the Rebel helmet:
...and some more art...
I suppose another option would be to imagine the Rebel helmet is a full helmet but it retracts Iron Man style into those raised ridges on the sides and atop the helmet. It gives a reason for those ridges. I could imagine most of it retracting up into the top ridge. Thus, when it lowers you end up with a closed helmet with a center nose piece (two eye holes instead of a full visor). Then, the pilot reaches down to his chest unit, and pulls out the retractable air hose to attach it to his mouth piece.
Edited by Sturnsomehow don't suck their occupants out into the void.
They would get blown out into the void.
Edited by That Blasted SamophlangeI suppose another option would be to imagine the Rebel helmet is a full helmet but it retracts Iron Man style into those raised ridges on the sides and atop the helmet. It gives a reason for those ridges. I could imagine most of it retracting up into the top ridge. Thus, when it lowers you end up with a closed helmet with a center nose piece (two eye holes instead of a full visor). Then, the pilot reaches down to his chest unit, and pulls out the retractable air hose to attach it to his mouth piece.
It makes sense when you consider that the helmet the Rebel pilot helmet was based on was the real-world APH-6B.
Honestly guys, don't read into it too much, just pick what you want ad go with it. Otherwise you'll just end up trying to figure out how the heck these things work...
MAGIC HEADPHONES PROTECT ME FROM THE SPACE!
MAGIC HEADPHONES PROTECT ME FROM THE SPACE!
@Ghostofman, do you realize this would be one of the best signatures used on these forums...?
Edited by CrunchyDemon
MAGIC HEADPHONES PROTECT ME FROM THE SPACE!
@Ghostofman, do you realize this would be one of the best signatures used on these forums...?
.... I do now!
Well, it could be worse. They could have the same "Breath in space" technology that Vultan and the Hawkmen have. . . .
Really, who wants to run around in a leather topless space suit. Stylish helmets, tho!
Ahh Flash Gordon..good times.
Well, it could be worse. They could have the same "Breath in space" technology that Vultan and the Hawkmen have. . . .
Really, who wants to run around in a leather topless space suit. Stylish helmets, tho!
Ahh Flash Gordon..good times.
Just rented it on Amazon, didn't want to...................had to.................I'm thinking Ted next........
Wait - there are still people who have not been exposed to the glory and majesty that is Flash Gordon?!? How is such a thing possible!
Wait - there are still people who have not been exposed to the glory and majesty that is Flash Gordon?!? How is such a thing possible!
On the internet, no one can see you roll your eyes.
This will have to do;
dum-Dum-dum-Dum-dum-Dum .. FLASH! A-haaaaaaaa saviour of the universe!
We will call this the Flash-Gordon-Day!
I love you Flash! But we only have 24 hours to save the earth!