In the Star Wars saga, the Millennium Falcon was a smuggling ship that would later strengthen the ranks of the rebels. But Solo and Lando’s beloved machine had a very different function before it fell into their hands.
History of the Millennium Falcon
The Millennium Falcon was built during the Galactic Republic. Sometime after Rise of the Empire, the ship fell into the hands of smuggler Landau Calrissian, who refitted it several times.
Lando agrees to use his ship to help the team of Tobias Beckett, Chewbacca, Han Solo and Qi’ra steal the original coaxium from the planet Kessel in the name of “Scarlet Dawn” and stabilize it on the planet Savareen. While carrying out this mission, Han Solo managed to win the ship in a game of sabacc (a strategy game) with Calrissian, thus becoming the new owner of the Millennium Falcon.
Han Solo and Chewbacca then used the ship for smuggling missions for Jabba the Hutt, with Solo further modifying the ship. Until one day the two met Obi-Wan Kenobi, the surviving Jedi master of Order 66, accompanied by Anakin Skywalker’s son, young Luke, who paid him to escort them to the planet Alderaan. Later, they helped rescue Princess Leia Organa from the Death Star, before sabotaging Darth Vader’s ship at the Battle of Yavin, and played a key role in the destruction of the Imperial space station.
Features of the Millennium Falcon
Most of the Millennium Falcon’s parts are not licensed and, more importantly, are not recommended by the manufacturer for use in this type of aircraft. After acquiring parts through various means, including a smuggling ring, Han Solo and Chewbacca quickly installed them. These modifications give the Millennium Falcon more personality than many other ships. On more than one occasion, Solo repaired or activated the system by simply knocking on the bulkhead.
Speed is essential for smuggling ships because they must travel great distances from cargo ships so that supplies can be delivered as quickly as possible. That’s why Solo installed a powerful hyperdrive system in the heart of the Millennium Falcon, allowing it to exceed the speed achieved by the conventional YT-1300 by two points.
The Falcon’s first captain, Lando Calrissian, replaced the ship’s weapons. He replaced the ventral and dorsal turrets with dual lasers, which came standard with quad lasers. Later, Solo added even more destructive power by replacing the refractor crystals with larger ones, so that he could destroy any pursuing light craft (usually TIE fighters) in a single shot.
These weapons, designed for extended use without warm-up, can be operated from the corresponding firing position or from the cockpit. However, remotely controlled from the co-pilot’s position, they are generally not as accurate at taking down targets as when used manually. In addition, the Millennium Falcon has a small retractable blaster, with less range and power, hidden in its belly. This can only be used when the Millennium Falcon is on the ground and must be controlled absolutely from the cockpit.
One of the most distinctive features of the Millennium Falcon is the steerable radar installed by Solo. Compared to the size of the ship, this huge radome gives Solo better long-range detection capabilities.
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