Snowspeeder

"We had seen our snowspeeder pilots perform maneuvers every day in the simulators, before the speeders had been adapted to the cold. But we had never seen the full squadron in flight, and it was a heartening sight."

―Voren Na'al, regarding the Battle of Hoth^[10]

The snowspeeder was a modified version of Incom Corporation's T-47 airspeeder. Adapted by the Alliance to Restore the Republic for combat duty on the ice planet Hoth, snowspeeders were integral to the Alliance's defence of Echo Base during the Battle of Hoth.

Description[]

"That armor's too strong for blasters. Rogue Group, use your harpoons and tow cables. Go for the legs. It might be our only chance of stopping them."

―Commander Luke Skywalker^[11]

Snowspeeders were Incom Corporation T-47 airspeeders, heavily modified by Alliance to Restore the Republic technicians to operate in cold weather. The wedge-shaped craft were intended to operate in low atmosphere^[2] and measured 5.3 meters in length.^[4]

A pair of Karydee KD49 repulsorlift drive units^[6] powered the craft, with one mounted on either side of the cockpit,^[2] alongside two Incom Corporation 5i.2 high-powered ion drive afterburners.^[6] The circuitry for the drives was left exposed,^[2] or behind quick-release panels,^[5] allowing easy access to vital system by technicians performing repairs and maintenance.^[2] Snowspeeders were capable of reaching a maximum speed of 1,100 kilometers an hour,^[4] with an effective combat speed of six hundred kilometers an hour.^[2]

Mechanical braking flaps were located above each repulsorlift engine, deploying during flight to assist in maneuvering.^[2] Intakes and exhaust ports were hidden under dust covers, and insulation systems were added to handle extreme cold.^[1] Additional repulsor-coil heaters had to be installed to prevent the motors from freezing up, and deicing nozzels were installed underneath the braking and turning flaps^[2] to prevent a build up of ice forming on the surfaces.^[5] The technicians also discovered that the radiator fins at the rear of the craft were too efficient in dispersing the heat of its power generator,^[6] keeping the engines too cool to operate in the cold environment of Hoth.^[5] This caused the generators to lock up completely. The technicians attempted to bypass the radiator fins, but when that proved unsuccessful, they settled for insulating each of the fins. This worked to dampen their effectiveness and keep the engines running warm to allow them to function.^[6]

Snowspeeder TCG — A Rebel Alliance snowspeeder

Snowspeeders were equipped with heavy armor plating, coated and angled to provide the craft with maximum shot deflection.^[1] The craft lacked shields, relying on its small size, speed, and maneuverability to survive during combat.^[2] Rebel snowspeeders were armed with two forward-facing heavy laser cannons,^[1] with one located on either side of the cockpit.^[2] The laser cannons were either a pair of Mk 4e/S laser cannons,^[7] a Corellian Engineering Corporation Ap/11 double laser cannon,^[6] or two X2-100 laser cannons.^[8] The weapons were bolted onto the T-47's wings, along with external power converters and a laser generator system. The lasers were connected to the airspeeder's powerful generators. Snowspeeders were also equipped with a rear-facing power harpoon launcher outfitted with a high-tension tow cable and fusion disk.^[1] The harpoon launcher was either a Mk 1e/S power harpoon^[7] or a Ubrikkian Transports^[9] Mo/Dk power harpoon.^[6]

The cockpit of the snowspeeder was replaced with one modified from a BTL Y-wing starfighter, allowing the Rebel flight crew to adapt to the vehicle without extra training.^[1] The cockpit canopy featured a polarized view screen.^[6] The pilot sat facing forward in control of the craft, while the gunner sat in the rear-facing seat.^[1] Computerized targeting systems and holographic projection displays allowed the gunner to control the forward cannons and the rear launcher, although the pilot could take control of the forward lasers if they wanted to.^[4] The targeting systems were linked to sensors and homing scanners located at the front of the craft. Due to the cramped cockpit, the snowspeeder was only capable of storing two emergency survival packs and some detonator charges.^[5]

History[]

Hoth Operations — Rebel snowspeeders launch from Echo Base on Hoth.

Snowspeeders were the product of an Alliance program to adapt airspeeders for military use in hostile environments.^[1] When the Alliance relocated to the planet Hoth, they began adapting their motor pool to operate in the frozen environment, including a number of T-47 airspeeders.^[4] Snowspeeders were fast, agile and heavily armed, and were major support for ground-fighting actions.^[1]

Snowspeeders were the Alliance's primary defense during the Battle of Hoth. Although knowing that the modified vehicles did not stand much of a chance against Imperial All Terrain Armored Transports, Rogue Squadron fought a successful delaying action that allowed Alliance leaders and significant number of Echo Base's personnel to escape. During the battle, Rogue Squadron used an innovative combat tactic devised by Commander Luke Skywalker and tactician Beryl Chiffonage. Using the snowspeeder's power harpoon, they intended to wrap the tow cable around a walker's legs and trip the war machine over. The tactic was successfully used by Wedge Antilles during the engagement.^[2]

The Rebel twins Tia and Ghia piloted a T-47 during Jabba's demolition games.^[12]

Behind the scenes[]

Kenner Products released a snowspeeder vehicle based on the one Luke Skywalker pilots in The Empire Strikes Back.^[13]

Early concept art from The Empire Strikes Back played with the idea of snowspeeders being built from X-Wing and Y-Wing parts.^[14]

In the 2001 video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds and its 2002 expansion pack, snowspeeders were the Rebel Alliance's special unit, built at Fortresses for a cost of 55 units of food and 66 units of nova crystals. They were upgradeable to armored airspeeders. They are provided to the player during Rebel Alliance The Battle of Hoth mission and may be built at other times during the campaign.^[15]