Weapons in Star Wars: Third Reich machine guns and Soviet blasters. Star Wars weapons Star Wars weapons name
So why blasters?
Reading debates about the Star Wars universe, sooner or later you are sure to come across epic experts who assure that a blaster is complete garbage compared to a shotgun or a Kalashnikov assault rifle. Such statements made me think, so what exactly could be the reasons that forced weapons science to take this path? I’ll say right away, since books, games and other encyclopedias are constantly declared non-canonical, the analysis will be carried out mainly on films, plus a little on TV series.
Blaster as it is.
So, weapons in the world of Star Wars are mainly energy weapons. Most often it fires small bursts of energy, but there are variations with a long beam that has the ability to burn and cut. But the latter was found only in the field of heavy weapons. An ordinary hand blaster has a moderate rate of fire, at the level of a self-loading rifle, although again, very fast examples have also been encountered. Also among the built-in options is paralysis. Let's look back at Episodes Four and Five.
Capturing Princess Leia.
Of the striking shortcomings, it is the unmasking ray that immediately catches the eye. Indeed, with such a weapon, there can be no talk of any ambush shooting. The damaging factor is also not fully understood. On the one hand, when it meets metal or earth, it produces a violent explosion of energy, causing considerable destruction. But on the other hand, when it enters the human body, we see only a sheaf of sparks. That is, the damage is caused exclusively local. Moreover, the only recorded injury (Princess Leia in Episode Six) showed that the overall power was low. The heroine received a beam in her hand, but continued to fight, and a few hours later she danced quite cheerfully at the Ewok festival. So the damaging factor remains in question, but, apparently, there is a thermal penetrating wound.
Princess Leia is wounded.
Is there any blaster protection? Complex issue. Force fields are available, but they usually cover either stationary objects or combat vehicles. Even on battle droids they are extremely rare. Pay attention to the Trade Federation droidekas. They turn on the force field only in exceptional cases, which indicates a considerable expenditure of energy. As for individual shields, such were recorded among the Gungans, where they were crossed in a rather clever way with the same blaster. True, the latter apparently lost a fair amount of power. This is demonstrated in the shootout scene with the droid army. The footage clearly shows that they suffered the main damage from energy grenades rather than from fairly dense fire, which was fired at a relatively short distance.
Force shields and Gungan tactics.
The Jedi are also very good at using a blaster beam, but we will talk about them below. Well, and of course, the armor of an imperial stormtrooper provides some protection. At this point, readers may object, remembering the dozens of stormtroopers shot by the main characters and killed by Ewoks with spears and arrows. Kodak, I can argue: yes, we saw stormtroopers being hit and falling, but we didn’t see the corpses! If a soldier in a bulletproof vest is hit by a bullet from a machine gun, he may fall simply under the influence of kinetic energy. And here it’s not just a bullet, but a shot of pure energy that can knock you down. Want facts? Please!
The attack aircraft grabbed the discharge and is about to fall beautifully into the pit.
Take Episode Four and the capture of Tantive IV. Everyone remembers well the moment when attack aircraft break down the door, and the ship’s defenders take positions in a narrow corridor and hold it at gunpoint. In theory, they have a winning position. Only one person can pass through a narrow door at a time, and the fire of a dozen experienced shooters is capable of for a long time deter attackers. However, it takes only twenty seconds for the stormtroopers to break through the defenders' positions, despite heavy fire. I repeat, the narrow corridor and the door are at gunpoint, but at the same time the defenders are carrying big losses, and the attack aircraft only had a couple killed. And you still believe that the Imperials have bad armor?
Results of the battle for the gateway. Only two killed.
Indirect confirmation of this theory is their combat tactics. In general, they do not hide much, preferring to attack the enemy in a group, suppressing it with heavy fire. That is, the damage caused, even if it is possible in such cases, is considered to be relatively acceptable. I understand that now they will again prove to me that Solo, Leia and Luke sent batches of these soldiers to the next world. But they are the main characters, endowed with exceptional abilities, so it is better to evaluate the extras, that is, ordinary rebels or droids, who cannot boast of successful results.
Stormtroopers are not used to bending under enemy fire.
Now as for the Ewoks. Apparently, the armor protects stormtroopers from energy impacts, but is not designed for collision with stone. An indirect confirmation of this can be seen in the AT-ST, flattened by logs. Can you imagine an armored personnel carrier, or even an army jeep, crushed by logs? At most, there will be a dent. And here it was as if I was under pressure.
AT-ST flattened by logs.
Before moving on to the next point, let's look at the question of the presence of other types of weapons in this universe. Oddly enough, it exists and is quite actively used. But... Let's start with the Fourth Episode. The Rebels blow up the Death Star with homing torpedoes. True, their targeting is so-so, and the reaction of the pilots to the fact that instead of a blaster they should rely on something more material, suggests that this weapon is very specific. In the Fifth Episode, harpoons and mines appear, in the Sixth, catapults and Ewok bows, but in general the old trilogy does not indulge in variety. Prequels are a different matter.
Severe Ewoks.
Already in the First Episode we are shown the Gungan prodigies used to exterminate the droid army. Catapult with energy ball against self-propelled vehicles with beam weapons. And in general it was difficult to understand who was stronger. It also turns out that the blasters are equipped with harpoons with lifts, and if we recall the experience of Luke Skywalker, we can agree that this is quite similar to a weapon. The Federation is also trying to use gas against the Jedi, although unsuccessfully.
Anti-tank artillery future.
The second episode pleases with the variety of weapons. For example, Jango Fett’s armor with a dart thrower, a flamethrower, a rocket launcher and other not shown, but, I think, no less interesting devices. And the glorious mercenary's ship is equipped with homing missiles, although it is slightly annoying that he used them only after he had slightly fried Obi Wan's ship with his ray guns. In the Battle of Geonosis, we are again shown missiles on attack boats and missile chariots of the Trade Federation.
Trade Federation Rocket Prodigy.
There is again not enough variety in Episode Three. The only thing that attracts attention is the homing missiles that fire a horde of minidroids at the enemy ship, capable of dismantling it into pieces or seizing control. It is strange that this idea did not spread further. But okay, everything has its time.
High-tech filling for future rockets.
What conclusions can be drawn after the above episodes? Yes, there are other weapons besides blasters. There are rockets, harpoons, mines. But excuse me, why such a small choice? Where are the mortars? Where is the long-range artillery capable of firing at closed positions? Where hand grenades? Where did all this go? Why did it all come down to ray weapons? Why is all of the above non-standard used only against enemy equipment, and not against mass gatherings? I have four theories to answer this question.
1. Economic.
I have already described the disadvantages of blasters above, and now I will try to highlight their advantages. We will start with the most obvious thing, namely the firing range. In films, combat is most often shown at close range, but there are a few interesting moments. The Wookiees on Kashyyyk and the rebels on Hoth open fire as soon as they see the enemy on the horizon. Even if we take into account water vapor and a snow curtain as a limitation on visibility, the distance is still serious: two to three kilometers at a minimum. And if you take into account the fact that the beam flies faster than a bullet and is not affected by gravity and wind, then it turns out that the accuracy of shooting from hand-held weapons should be simply amazing.
AT-AT attacks.
Let's move on to the number of charges. We're never shown a stormtrooper or rebel reloading their weapon, and all battles feature mass shooting, suggesting that energy consumption is clearly not taken into account by shooters. Stormtroopers generally prefer to lay down a dense fire curtain, under the cover of which they reach the target. From this we conclude that one single blaster can fire several hundred shots without reloading. Now let’s calculate how many rounds a shooter from assault rifle?
Stormtroopers suppress fire.
As for efficiency, there’s nothing to even argue about. Even desert savages have energy vintari, more reminiscent of a self-propelled gun riveted on the knee. But even if we assume that these are just old copies sold on the cheap, you still get the feeling that at cost one blaster is not much more expensive than an ordinary gun.
Tusken Raider outfit.
From here you can do next output: When the first energy guns were created in ancient times, they clearly occupied a narrow niche. However, it quickly became clear that in terms of range and accuracy they were significantly superior to the old gunpowder models. And then new copies began to be intensively adopted, because from now on one shooter with a blaster could hold at a distance a small squad armed with standard machine guns. Of course, in this case, too, it all came down to tactics, but it seems that many people loved the toy and soon became the main one among the troops. As for the unmasking beam, well, what can you do, the question again moved into the realm of tactical decisions. At one time, when machine guns/aviation/ballistic missiles appeared, some people also said that with such weapons all wars became meaningless. But we now see that this is not so.
Suppressive fire.
But where has everything else gone? Here, I think, the answer lies in the policies of the Old Republic. There are no mass wars, but there are small local conflicts, more reminiscent of police operations. This is very clearly seen in the example of Naboo. Not the most backward planet was able to field only a few hundred soldiers and three dozen fighters for defense. The stern Gungans sent into battle an impressive army of... well, at first glance it can be estimated at only five thousand. I think there were a little more droids, and this, if you think about it, is the majority of the army of defenders of the capital. Several thousand fighters and two dozen self-propelled guns- Don’t you think that this is not enough for a full-fledged invasion army?
Strike forces Federation.
And the solution is simple. The military is accustomed to thinking in terms of police operations. Large forces are not needed; a few dozen fighters will be enough. Heavy weapons? But you don’t need it in close combat, because for a shootout a blaster is enough to blow up a wall or door, and there’s no talk of multi-day combat operations given the difficult terrain. Therefore, it is not surprising that by the beginning of the clonic wars, both sides in technical terms could not please us with anything interesting. What can I say, even if the Death Star was originally a peaceful means of combating asteroids.
The embodiment of horror and a masterpiece of engineering.
After a couple of years of war, interesting technical discoveries began to appear, like missiles with droids. There may have been other new items, unfortunately not shown to us. But in general, the parties preferred to develop a topic that was more familiar to them. And then the glorious days of the Empire came, and there was no time for scientific and technological progress. The rebels preferred the tactics of raids, for which the available weapons were sufficient for them, and the Empire poured all its resources into the tactics of total intimidation, betting on the development of a fleet of giant ships and planet destroyers.
The fleet dominates.
And overall the tactic worked. What's the point of investing in ground troops if a fleet of Star Destroyers hanging in orbit can cool even the warmest hearts. Well, some developments were still carried out against those who were particularly stubborn. Thus, at Hoth, the rebels clearly did not expect to meet the AT-AT. Indeed, their line of defense was designed for a battle with a maneuverable enemy and certainly not for a clash with heavy walking prodigies. And although the rebels knew about the AT-AT, in the end Luke still had to improvise.
Weapons are useless.
It should be noted that some of the blame lies with other areas of scientific and technological progress. Thus, force fields render all long-range artillery useless. An enemy covered with a force field can ignore projectiles fired at him for a long time, thereby reviving the good old traditions of close combat. Therefore, it is not surprising that energy weapons began to dominate, while kinetic weapons became secondary and began to be used as auxiliary weapons and only against armored targets.
Even energy weapons are useless.
To summarize: Blasters turned out to be beneficial as multifunctional weapons with a wide range of applications. Its clear superiority over other types of weapons in many areas, as well as the development of force fields, made it the main weapon on the battlefield. And the absence of major wars and, accordingly, stagnation in the field of weapons development led to the absence of other alternatives.
Rationale: Demonstrated tactics and strategy.
2. Humanistic
I already wrote above that blasters include the option to paralyze an object. But what if we assume that this option was previously the main one? Overall, the chain turns out to be interesting. Currently, as we know, non-lethal weapons are being developed. What if such a stunner became part of this program? Indeed, it turns out humanely, allowing wars to be waged with a minimum of casualties. It can be assumed that at one time a convention was adopted that limited weapons only to the energy part. Well and rocket weapons they were left exclusively to fight against equipment, and even then probably with certain prohibitions, since the X-wing pilots were unhappy with what they had to fight with.
Gigantic guns, but designed exclusively against ships.
But progress does not stand still, and it is likely that someone noticed that an increase in power turns a peaceful paralyzer into a combat blaster. This method has become a means of circumventing the convention without violating it. But at first they gave up on this, especially since the weapon remained relatively humane. Instead of large-scale destruction of internal organs by bullets or shrapnel, a burn occurred at the site of the injury, preventing heavy bleeding. Especially big wars was not carried out, and the limited number of victims is not yet a reason to revise the convention. But then the clonic wars began. The number of victims ran into the millions, but nothing could be done. Those who made the decisions were themselves interested in having weapons in their hands that could resist the enemy.
Serious power.
And then everything went according to plan. The soldiers were accustomed to these weapons, so there was no need to invent new ones. Experimental developments may have been carried out, but the tactics of the Empire did not allow them to be fully applied. Therefore, for a long time, it was energy weapons that continued to dominate the battlefield.
A mish-mash of space combat.
And small lyrical digression, indirectly confirming this theory. As we remember in the prequels, they preferred to use droids as the main combat force. What is this if not a symbol of the fact that they tried to protect people from the horrors of war? But as always happens, good intentions they took me a little in the wrong direction.
Ordinary soldiers of a distant Galaxy.
To summarize: A failed attempt to create a humanistic weapon.
Rationale: A number of functions of blasters, as well as the active use of mechanisms.
3. Conspiracy theory I
Let's think about which of the heroes of this universe is best protected from energy weapons? Maybe droids? But force fields are only installed on droidekas, and even those don’t turn them on very often. Maybe Gungans? There are few of them, and it’s not like their power shields were particularly helpful. Maybe stormtroopers? But they appeared not so long ago, and again it is difficult to call their protection effective. Therefore, we are left with only one group of warriors, reliably protected from blaster fire. Moreover, this type of weapon is simply optimally adjusted to their fighting technique. I'm talking about the Jedi.
Bearers of goodness who inspire terror.
Shooting a Jedi with a blaster is the same as committing suicide by kindly giving your weapon into the hands of the enemy. Nimble warriors are able to easily mirror the flow of energy in reverse side, well, or at worst, knock him aside. But what happens if they encounter other types of weapons?
Surrounded, but not broken.
No, if you go out with a Kalash or a shotgun against a Jedi, you shouldn’t count on your advantage. The Force allows the Jedi to determine the direction of a threat and respond accordingly. Another thing is that under these conditions it is no longer possible to attack remotely, deflecting charges back. You will have to either close the distance or use the Force to launch something at the shooter, try to snatch the weapon from him (Darth Vader style) or, at worst, use mind control. However, all this takes time and greatly complicates the work.
Master Yoda is able to accelerate with one finger movement.
But energy weapons in such a situation became a kind of help. From now on, it was possible not to run and look for ways to neutralize the enemy, but elegantly, with a slight movement of the light blade, send him a return gift. So I would not be surprised if the Jedi, having received the opportunity to influence the policy of the Republic, hastened to take action and introduce restrictions on the types of weapons.
A small team that determines big policy.
Well, then we return again to the previous points. The military tried to get around all sorts of restrictions and created many varieties of energy guns. The Jedi, however, looked at this carelessly, since they were able to reflect back even significant charges. Well, as for missiles, transferring them to the spectrum anti-tank weapons, they significantly protected themselves from fragmentation damaging factor. As a result, by the beginning of the Clone Wars, the armies of the entire Galaxy Far, Far Away had an extremely limited range of means of warfare. And a thousand-year gap is difficult to overcome even in twenty to thirty years.
The clones go on the attack.
To summarize: It was beneficial for the Jedi to have a blaster as their main weapon, since only they had a full range of protection against it.
Rationale: Jedi tactics, plus their influence on the government.
4. Conspiracy II
Back to the prequels. As we remember, by that time there were practically no human armies left. Were small squads self-defense, which were more like police officers with expanded functions. But there were armies of droids. Remembering the plant on Geonosis, we can conclude that a horde of combat vehicles was quite profitable in economically, and they could be stamped in an unlimited number. The only question that remained was regarding weapons.
The production of soldiers has been put on stream.
If you release robots against people, then ordinary machine guns will suffice. But what if the enemy also has droids? Even light armor made droids difficult to attack by small arms fire, and mounting heavy weapons greatly reduced power and maneuverability. A way out was needed, and it turned out to be an energy weapon. And indeed, as we remember, when working on biological objects, the latter received only burns, albeit severe ones, while when the droid was hit, its mechanism most often fell into pieces. We remember what happened to C3PO in Episode Five or what was left of many droids after the battle with the Gungans.
The consequences of a fierce battle.
This leads to the following: for the robot, the blaster shot turned out to be fatal. Moreover, the dimensions of the new weapon allowed it to be used even by relatively small models. The cheapness of droids and the ability to quickly make up for losses led to the fact that the issue of protection was practically not raised. Of course, heavy versions were also developed, but they were intended more for special operations.
Anti-Jedi droids.
Due to the widespread use of droids and blasters, people also had to switch to energy weapons. The resistance of robots to bullets and shrapnel practically eliminated most of the small arms, leaving only high-precision projectiles against heavy equipment. This could not but lead to stagnation in the field of new developments, and we see what the result was in the films.
Lots of beautiful rays.
To summarize: The blaster was the main weapon of droids and people to fight droids. Its use against people was only a consequence of the lack of other alternatives.
Rationale: Active use of droids, as well as a clear demonstration of the difference in damage received from blaster fire among ordinary people and mechanical servants.
This is where I end my analysis, knowing full well that there are many logical holes and inconsistencies in it. But, in my opinion, it makes it clear that the exclusive use of blasters in the Star Wars world is due to important reasons and can be explained by one of the above theories.
Lightsabers became business card"Star Wars". These bright and spectacular weapons in the hands of the Jedi and Sith work wonders on the screen. Let's remember what all the other heroes of the space saga were armed with?
Considering that the action takes place in space age, then, of course, blasters. Which, if you look closely, look like examples of famous modern firearms.
Bad guys often have weapons from the Third Reich in their hands, while good guys, as a rule, use Soviet models. Of course there is more British machine guns and submachine guns and other samples, but this text will not talk about them.
MG-34 on the dark side of the force
MG-34 - the best choice infantryman. It has a high rate of fire (up to 1000 rounds/min), is lightweight (only 12 kg) and has lethal ammunition (7.92x57 Mauser). This machine gun was portable and could easily support infantry units with fire.
The disadvantage of weapons is sensitivity to pollution and high cost. The machine gun contained a large number of milled parts, special types of steel were required.
MG-34 and DLT-19. Photo: vignette.wiki/pinterest An analogue, similar in appearance and purpose, in the Star Wars universe is the DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle from BlasTech Industries. The weapon has a high rate of fire and causes heavy damage at long distances, so it is used by attack aircraft mainly to conduct holding fire and eliminate large groups of the enemy.
Installation possible on DLT-19 optical sight, this model was called DLT-19x. By the way, optics were also installed on the MG-34.
MG-15, ibid.
In the hands of imperial stormtroopers you can see another interesting item - the RT-97C. This is a versatile heavy blaster equipped with optics for long-range shooting. He can be seen in the movie “Star Wars. Episode IV: New Hope"and the game Star Wars Battlefront II.
RT-97C.Image: YouTube/toyhaven.blogspot.com Why George Lucas copied this weapon is quite easy to understand, just look at the German aircraft machine gun MG-15. For the MG-15, a double Doppeltrommel 34 “saddle-shaped” magazine was designed for 75 rounds. The same store was migrated unchanged to the RT-97C from Star Wars.
MG-15. Photo: kopanina.rf Due to its not very outstanding characteristics, the MG-15 ceased to satisfy the Luftwaffe in 1940. IN recent months During the war, machine guns stored in warehouses were confiscated to arm the Volkssturm and even Wehrmacht personnel units.
The Bolsheviks' favorite weapon for Han Solo
Smuggler, rogue, swindler and simply the hero of the Rebel Alliance, Han Solo prefers the DL-44 heavy blaster pistol. This is understandable, the weapon has the penetrating power of a powerful rifle, contained in a small hand-held weapon, only slightly larger in size than a regular pistol.
The most effective firing range for the DL-44 is 25 meters, the maximum is 50 meters. Due to the high energy consumption, four times that of a standard blaster, the power supply is discharged after just 25 shots.
If you go beyond the fantasy universe, then the DL-44 is nothing more than favorite weapon Bolsheviks - Mauser K-96. Modification of this weapon with a barrel length of 99 mm (after the First World War and the signing Treaty of Versailles Germany was prohibited from producing pistols with a barrel length exceeding 100 mm) and even received the nickname in the West “Bolo-Mauser” - “Bolshevik Mauser”.
Margolin's pistol for Leia Organa
Leia Organa's personal weapon was the Defender, a hunting blaster manufactured by the Drearian military-industrial conglomerate. Due to their low power, such weapons were allowed to be worn in many worlds and were available to the civilian population. The optimal firing range is 30 meters, the maximum is 60 meters.
A powerful wave jammer is required to protect the fragile blaster module, and beam coherence is ensured through a number of complex technological components. Thanks to this, the weapon has a characteristic appearance.
Defender. Photo: thetuskentrader.com The prototype of the Defender was the Margolin MC target pistol. It is also low-power - chambered for the .22LR cartridge and intended for sport shooting. Developed in 1947, the MC was used more than once at championships and Olympic Games.
Margolin MC pistol. Photo: militaryarms.ru When creating his pistol, Margolin designed and debugged its parts by touch, since he completely lost his sight back in 1924.
Sinister Mi-24
The LAAT series of gunboats were designed to transport and support up to 30 clone troopers to the battlefield. Early versions of the LAAT were designed to operate exclusively in the atmosphere, but were later modified for operations in outer space. Gunboats are armed with missiles and laser turrets.
“These artillery ships fly like butcher beetles and cut us out like bloody carvers,” is how one of the high-ranking separatists, Archduke Poggle the Less, assessed the effectiveness of these aircraft.
The prototype of LAAT could certainly be the Soviet Mi-24. The similarity of these combat vehicles is noticeable not only in appearance, but also in purpose. The Soviet helicopter is armed with missiles, a cannon or heavy machine gun, it can effectively destroy infantry, and it has a transport compartment for paratroopers.
Mi-24 without propellers and wings. Photo: russianplanes.net And this is also the personification of the Soviet military power, which has appeared more than once in American films and books. “We are not afraid of the Russians, but we are afraid of their helicopters” (Tom Clancy. The Red Storm Rise).
The fact is that the well-armored Mi-24 was insensitive to light small arms fire.
Do the laws of physics apply to the Star Wars universe? And in general, is there any point in trying to apply them? Sometimes the physics we see in movies matches reality, and other times it takes advanced technology or new discoveries in the world of physics to make what is shown make sense. In any case, science is a process of critical thinking necessary to analyze a problem, not specific situation where the problem occurs.
And yet, films don't always provide answers to explain the physical moments. What is a lightsaber? Is it plasma or a beam of light? Depending on the advisor you speak with about this issue, the answer could be either. In this article, what is shown in the film is considered correct, and other sources are considered additional. For clarity, not all calculations are given in full. If you want to reproduce them, do so armed with an introductory physics textbook. The beauty of science is that no matter who you are or where you are, you should be able to replicate another person's work.
Lightsabers
Lightsabers are what make Star Wars Star Wars. At first glance, they are simply interesting to watch. They also allow us to feel the conflict and emotional upsurge felt by the characters. What would the iconic "I am your father" moment in The Empire Strikes Back be without the lightsaber battle between Luke and Darth Vader preceding it? This is obviously a genius element of the films, but does it remain within the bounds of science?
The Star Wars Extended Edition says that the source of energy (and light) for lightsabers is kyber crystals, which can be found in different parts galaxies (including Jedha from Rogue One). Do these crystals have a real prototype? Are the different patterns and colors practical?
Lightsabers are usually 90 cm in length. The ease of creating a beam of this length depends on whether it is a light beam or a plasma beam.
Light rays are difficult to contain because photons are very difficult to stop or turn around. It may be easiest to create a 90 cm long beam using a reflective mirror positioned against the hilt of the sword. But this diagram does not match the one shown in the film, since when turned off, lightsabers are no larger than their hilt. Power on sound lightsaber may be the sound of a mirror moving outward, as if revealing a container of light, but there are other problems.
For example, the fact that this beam is visible. If you've shined a laser on your arm, you know it doesn't cut the skin. The power of a visible light laser needs to be increased by about a thousand times before it can cause any damage, and a laser of that power would require large system cooling. In addition, from the properties of the light beam we know, we know that no matter how powerful it is, it will not be able to reflect the plasma pulse from the blasters. In addition, a beam of light cannot absorb plasma.
If we assume that this is a beam of plasma, then we have a different set of difficulties. A well-designed magnetic field would, in principle, be capable of confining plasma in a volume 90 cm long (perhaps sending the plasma along an extremely elongated elliptical path, creating a rough cylinder). The plasma is hot enough to cauterize a wound and melt metal (both properties of lightsabers shown in movies). The start is not bad - but a duel on plasmas immediately raises several problems. Expecting a free-flowing plasma to collide with another free-flowing plasma is like expecting one soup to collide with another. In fact, the plasmas will be attracted (since they are made of charged particles) and will combine. For the same reason, it will be quite difficult to reflect the flying pulse of a blaster - but it can explain the absorption lightning force .
The color of plasma depends on temperature. In this sense, a red lightsaber should have less energy than a green one, assuming they are made of the same material. This is also true in the case in which they are made of light, since green light more energy than red. Generating red or green light plasma is quite difficult. Most of the plasma produced in the laboratory and in stars is created using hydrogen. This means that we know the color of hydrogen-based plasma. But we don’t know whether the plasma will have a different color if we make it, for example, based on cobalt? To do this you will have to experiment.
Plasma is hot, and being around it is quite hot if we are talking about a large enough amount of it. Since plasma typically reaches temperatures of a million degrees, you will suffer serious burns if you try to hold the plasma stick in your hand. The sun is located 150 million km away. from us, and we need to protect ourselves from it with sunscreen - even though we have an atmosphere that blocks most of the radiation harmful to us. To hold a sun stick in your hand, you will need a cream with an SPF rating of at least 10,000.
There are other explanations for how lightsabers work, but they will either be based on something other than reality (magic or kyber crystals) or on amazing engineering feats beyond light or plasma.
Blasters
Blasters are ubiquitous in Star Wars. They are used by the Galactic Empire, the Rebel Alliance, droids, and especially smugglers and bounty hunters. To Jedi, the weapon appears "clumsy and random", but to most others it is a valuable item. In one particularly controversial case, someone even dodges a blaster shot while sitting just a couple of meters away from the shooter. We are talking about the “Han Shot First” scene from Episode IV. In the original version, he did not have to dodge the shot, since he is the first to fire a preemptive shot and kill the bounty hunter Greedo. In later issues, the scene is corrected so that Greedo shoots first, Han dodges and shoots back. Knowing that shots can be dodged at such a short distance may explain the randomness and clumsiness of this weapon.
Some sources call blasters laser weapons, and some call them plasma weapons. Let's explore both options. If this is a plasma weapon, then the blaster must compress the gas tibanna, a substance mined in places such as Cloud City. Once compressed, the gas is pumped with energy and fired from the blaster barrel towards the target in the form of a charge. In this case, the blaster charge is a beam of ejected plasma limited to a finite size, often in the form of a line. To understand this, we can study substances from the real world, since tibanna is a fictional substance.
First, we need to know at what temperature Tibanna gas becomes Tibanna plasma. The temperature at which substances turn into plasma is fairly constant, so we can estimate that a reasonable temperature in our case would be 200,000 degrees. If such a gas comes into contact with your body, it will transfer its heat to you. At very high temperatures The heat capacity of the materials is approximately equal. We can say that a charge of plasma with a temperature of 200,000 degrees will most likely vaporize any part of your body if it hits it, if there is enough plasma.
But there are problems with plasma shots from blasters. Plasma is made up of a soup of charged particles that are influenced by electromagnetic forces. Even a field a million times weaker than the Earth's magnetic field would be able to deflect a plasma charge traveling at 120 km/h (a reliable estimate of the speed of a charge in Star Wars) half a meter to the left or right when it had traveled only 10 meters. This may explain why blaster shots land so randomly, and why stormtroopers They hit the target so poorly. A small amount of random magnetic field can suddenly deflect a charge. In general, if a stormtrooper fired a shot on Earth, the charge would not only deviate from the target, but would begin to fly in such a narrow circle that it would hit the blaster from which it came out.
Considering how much a random magnetic field would affect the plasma's charge, perhaps the blasters really are laser pistols, as stated in the original script. The accuracy of a laser gun is higher because the light is harder to deflect. To create a charge it also requires less energy. When you imagine a laser, you probably imagine a piece of equipment that is not capable of destroying or even damaging instrument panels when fired. This is because laser pointers- the most common lasers, and they belong to the 1st class of lasers. Laser weapons will most likely be class 4 lasers - these lasers can burn skin, ignite flammable substances and damage vision.
Class 4 lasers usually have power in the range of 500mW and will definitely cause a burn if they come into contact with the skin for a few seconds. Lasers high power, will obviously be able to do more damage in less time, but our version seems to match the damage Leia received when she was hit on Endor.
Perhaps the best argument against laser shots being fired is that all light travels at the speed of light. Blaster charges clearly travel much slower - closer to 120 km/h rather than 300,000 km/s. In the movies, it takes one or two seconds from the blaster shot to the hit. If it were a laser, and the shot traveled at the speed of light, during this time it would be possible to hit a target standing on the Moon while standing on the Earth.
None of these explanations match what is in the movies. If you have to choose one of the most likely, it is better to choose the plasma option. It's more likely that there are no magnetic fields in the blaster scenes than that engineers have found a way to slow down the speed of light.
Electrostaff
In Star Wars there is a staff used as a weapon known as electric staff. It is primarily used by the general's personal guard. Grievous, and consists of a two-meter rod, at the ends of which there are electromagnetic pulses surrounding the last few tens of cm of each of its ends. They are used with moderate effectiveness against Obi-Wan and Anakin when they rescue the Chancellor from the hands of the General in Episode III. How difficult is it to make a staff with electrified ends? Will there be problems when trying to handle such a weapon? Will it stop a lightsaber or a blade? If you throw it hard enough, will it break a window on a spaceship?
To create constantly present electrical discharges that extend over a distance of approximately 30 cm, a fairly large electrical potential is required. To produce such a discharge, the potential must be high enough to ionize the air. On Earth this is approximately a million volts. It sounds threatening, but in fact the operation of such a weapon will be quite simple. If you make a metal ring at each end of the staff at a distance of 30 cm from the edge, and the electrode high voltage at the very end, the system will act like a capacitor, constantly charging from an internal voltage source, and then discharging as a result of breakdown through the air.
So how will this work? The two metal rings at the ends of the staff are charged to a very high voltage. The ring in the middle of the staff is grounded. As the charge on the capacitor increases, the electric field between the two rings increases proportionally. Eventually the field reaches a point where it is able to strip electrons from atoms and briefly transform air into conducting plasma. After charge flows between the rings, they discharge (as the negative charge on one balances the positive charge on the other). The job of the energy source will then be to charge the metal rings again.
It is possible to create such a weapon, but this does not mean that it will be convenient to use in practice. The problem with an electric staff is that you charge its ends, and the most convenient way to discharge them is through metal rings located 30 centimeters from each end. If you place the end of the staff less than 30 cm from any metal surface, the discharge will most likely occur on it. Watch the fight between Obi-Wan and magnaguards, and observe how often the ends of the staffs are near something metallic. And while it's generally a good idea to keep the ends of your weapon away from your body, this is especially important if you're made of metal and your weapon has the ability to fry your electronic circuits.
Could such a staff stop a lightsaber or break through a window on a spaceship? In short - respectively, no, and yes, if you throw it hard enough. In principle, it is possible to stop a lightsaber, but not in the way it is shown in the films. For lightning to appear at the ends of the staffs, a strong electric field is required. Since plasma is a soup of charged particles, the staff's electric field will have a strong effect on all of those charged particles and can dissipate the lightsaber's beam (unless some kind of protection is holding it back). Regarding the window, the hardest glass will break at a pressure of about 1 GPa (ten times less than the pressure required to create a diamond). This means that the staff would have to exert a force of about 900 tons on the glass in order to break the window " of the invisible hand". But the fact that the ends of the staff are charged does not increase this force, and we, in fact, are deciding the question of whether the staff can break a window, and the answer will be - it can, of course, if you throw it hard enough.
Ion cannons
At the very beginning of The Empire Strikes Back, the Empire discovers a secret base. Hot. During the subsequent evacuation, the rebels use ion cannons to cover the evacuation transports. With a couple of shots they manage to shoot down Star Destroyer. Later, when Death squad pursues " Millennium Falcon", Khan and company fly into the Hoth asteroid field. During the chase, the Star Destroyer uses its cannons to vaporize asteroids and minimize damage to the ship. With one shot, the asteroid is shattered into microscopic particles.
Destructive Power ion cannons directly shown only once. At the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back, a Star Destroyer is destroyed by several shots from ground-based ion cannons near the Rebel base. The shots cause no visible damage, but appear to send a strong enough electrical current through the ship to burn out all of its computers. The effect is similar to that of a strong electromagnetic pulse. Such a shot will likely require as much energy as the average household from the USA uses per year.
Second use case heavy weapons— when the Star Destroyer vaporizes the asteroid. Although we are not shown that it is ion cannons that are used, the power of the shot is the same. To vaporize something, it must be heated to the point where it melts and evaporates. To estimate the required amount of energy, you need to know Exact size and the composition of asteroids in the Hoth field. Typical asteroids in the solar system are primarily composed of iron or silicates, so we can use the properties of these materials in our estimates. To estimate the size, you can look at the asteroid that crashed into the lower part of the Star Destroyer. Putting all this together, we get that the energy of a shot from a Star Destroyer's heavy weapons should be on the order of 10 in 14 J, or 10 times the energy released during atomic bomb explosion over Hiroshima .
It is clear that powering such a weapon will require a lot of energy, but this is not impossible. However, other questions arise in connection with such high-energy weapons. For example, an ion beam may experience scattering. If all the ions in the beam have the same charge (let's say it's all electrons), they will repel and cause the beam to spread outward, reducing its effectiveness in reaching its target. There is also thermal beam spreading in cases where ions collide with particles in the air. And on Hoth it was snowing during the attack, which would only enhance the dispersion effect.
There are other problems with such weapons, both ground-based and those mounted on a Star Destroyer. A beam of ions in a magnetic field (which, however, Hoth may not have) will be acted upon by a force perpendicular to the direction of their movement. This will cause the particles to travel in a circular path.
Even if Hoth does not have a magnetic field, Star Destroyers are likely to fly through areas close to planets and stars where magnetic fields are present.
To develop an ion cannon, it makes sense to make it in the shape of a disk or sphere. To heat the ions enough to produce an effective weapon, the easiest way would be to accelerate them along a circular path. If it is necessary to make a shot, the magnetic field that keeps them on this path can be turned off, and the beam will go in a straight line. This may explain why there is a certain time between shots to accelerate the ions, and it also explains the round shape of Hoth's ion cannons.
Source @funscience | Based on the book: “The Physics of Star Wars”, Patrick Johnson
Created as much for elegant combat as for ceremonies, the lightsaber was a special weapon, the very image of which was inextricably linked with the world of the Jedi.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: “This is the weapon of the Jedi. Not as crude and cluttered as a blaster, but an elegant weapon for a more civilized era."
It was a blade of pure energy (or more accurately, plasma) emitted from the hilt, most often created by the owner of the weapon himself based on his own needs, requirements and style. Due to the unique balance of the sword - the concentration of all its weight in the hilt - it was extremely difficult to handle without special training. In the hands of masters of the Force, such as the Jedi or their dark brethren, the lightsaber inspired great respect and even fear. Mastering a lightsaber meant having incredible skill and focus, masterful dexterity, and generally being in tune with the Force.
Over millennia of use, the lightsaber has become an iconic attribute of the Jedi and their quest to maintain peace and bring justice to the entire galaxy. This perception persisted despite many early conflicts with the Dark Jedi, who also wielded this weapon, often popularly called a laser sword. In particular, this is what Anakin Skywalker called the lightsaber when he first saw it with Qui-Gon Jinn.
Tionna Solusar: "As stated in the holocrons, the earliest swords were crude devices that used experimental "frozen blaster" technology to create a focused beam of energy of a specific length."
The power sword created by the Rakata was the predecessor to the modern lightsaber. In this device the energy dark side The forces, passing through a laboratory-grown crystal, were transformed into a glowing energy blade. The technology of power swords was the basis for the creation of lightsabers. Perhaps the very first functional lightsaber was the First Blade, created on Tython by an unknown weapon master. Even then, the ancient Je'daii Order, whose members used ordinary forged swords, “froze” the blade of the future lightsaber, learning to combine the advanced technologies of other planets with their forging ritual. With the transformation into the Jedi Order after the Force Wars, the Jedi knights continued to use edged weapons , which remained a tradition for thousands of years, lightsabers were not established for widespread use due to their general ineffectiveness and many disadvantages.
By 15,500 BBY, their research was successful. The Jedi developed a method for producing a focused beam of energy, which led to the creation of the first lightsabers. They were still unstable and inefficient: they used up huge amounts of energy, so they only worked for a short period of time. As a result of these shortcomings, the first lightsabers were little more than objects of worship. They were rarely worn, much less used.
Early mentions
Tionna Solusar: "...these archaic lightsabers were portable, so their use required a flexible cable that connected on one side to the lightsaber's handle, and on the other to the power supply on the Jedi's belt."
The extreme weapon instability that the Jedi encountered in early designs faded over time. Also, cumbersome and rarely used weapons gave way to elegant and much more often used proto-swords. However, although these archaic lightsabers were much more durable than their predecessors, they still suffered from power consumption problems, requiring the same power pack on the belt. The powerful cable constrained the owner's movements and did not allow him to use the Sword Throw. However, despite the shortcomings, the high stability of the blade provided a clear advantage in the fight against heavily armored enemies.
Developments and designs of sieves
Komok-Da: “Although swords are excellent weapons, there is still nothing as satisfying as the feeling of the warm splash of blood when someone is cut down with a real sword.”
It was the Dark Lords of the Sith Empire who improved lightsabers by placing the power supply and energy cell in the hilt. A superconductor was introduced into the design, which transformed the cyclically returning energy from the negatively charged emitter back into the internal battery. With this modification, the battery only drained energy when the energy loop was broken, such as when cutting something with a lightsaber. Thus, the food problem was solved. Using the Tedrin Holocron, the Sith also created the blueprint for the first light staff. Karness Muur also belonged to the owners of modern lightsabers. The Dark Jedi initially wielded an archaic lightsaber, but later switched to a modern one with a curved hilt.
Adoption of lightsabers by the Jedi
During Naga Sadow's invasion of the Republic in 5000 BBY and the subsequent outbreak of the Great Hyperspace War, the technological innovations of the Sith Empire reached the Jedi. However, while the Sith army used lightsabers, the Jedi continued to fight with proto-sabers, as they did not have time to fully learn the new technology. With the defeat of the Sith, modern lightsabers were fully adopted by the Jedi Order. By 4800 BBY, lightsabers became an integral part of any Jedi.
During Great War The Sith renegade Jedi who flocked to Exar Kun continued to use their Jedi lightsabers, ignoring the traditions adopted by the Sith Empire. Other innovations entered the ranks of the newly minted Sith. So, Exar Kun created a light staff for himself using circuits from the Sith holocron. By the time Exar Kun's rebellion was ultimately defeated, the idea of a light staff had been adopted by the Jedi. This type of lightsaber found widespread use in the early years of the Jedi Civil War.
Mechanism and technical characteristics
Luke Skywalker: “Ideally, a Jedi needs many months to create the perfect weapon, which he will keep and use until the end of his days. Once created by you, the lightsaber will become your constant companion, your tool and ready means of defense."
The ritual of creating one's own lightsaber was an integral part of the Jedi's training, its completion, and included a test not only of technical skills, but also of harmony with the Force. During the days of the Old Republic, the ice caves of Ilum were used as a ceremonial site where Padawans would come to craft their first lightsaber. Here and in places like this, such as the caves near the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, the Jedi selected the most appropriate focusing crystals through meditation and connection with the Force and then completed the assembly of the sword.
Traditionally, creating a lightsaber took about a month. It involved assembling the pieces both by hand and with the Force, as well as meditation to saturate the crystals. The assembly itself also required constant connection and harmony with the Force, since in order to achieve the best result, excluding accidental breakdowns and failures during future use, extreme precision of movements and the closest fit of parts were necessary. However, when extreme need the creation of the sword could be greatly accelerated. Corran Horne's first lightsaber, a dual-phase lightsaber created during his undercover work as an Invid ("Disturber") pirate, was made using this technique.
Mechanism
At the base of the sword's hilt was a metal cylinder, usually 25-30 centimeters in length; however, the design and dimensions of the handle varied greatly depending on preference and physiological characteristics every creator. The hilt shell contained complex components that created the blade and gave it its unique shape. A high-power energy flow, passing through a system of positively charged focusing lenses and activators, formed an energy flow that was drawn out from the base for about a meter, and then, forming a peripheral arc, returned to the negatively charged ring-shaped depression encircling the emitter; in this case, a complex configuration of energy fields and an arc-shaped plasma cord was formed, taking the shape of a blade.
The superconductor completed the energy loop, feeding the converted energy back to the internal battery, where the cycle began again. With the addition of one to three focusing crystals with different properties, the length of the blade and the power output could be changed using control mechanisms built into the handle. The two crystals created a branching pulse of cyclic ignition, which, combined with hermetically sealed insulation, allowed the sword to be used underwater.
All lightsabers contained some basic components:
Handle;
Activation button/panel;
Fuse;
Emitter matrix;
Lens system;
Power unit;
Energy source;
Charging connector;
One to three focusing crystals.
Many lightsabers, such as the one carried by Zane Carrick in 3964 BBY, had a pressure sensor in the hilt that deactivated the blade when released. It is worth noting that Darth Maul's double-bladed sword was not equipped with such a mechanism. Other swords were made either without a pressure sensor or, alternatively, with a locking mechanism that caused the blade to remain activated if the sword was thrown or dropped.
Traditionally, the crystal was the last component added. It represented the very essence of the weapon and gave it both color and strength. A lot of effort and time went into choosing this most important component of the lightsaber.
Much knowledge about the design of lightsabers was lost during the destruction of the Jedi, but Luke Skywalker discovered the records and materials needed to create his first sword in Obi-Wan Kenobi's hut on Tatooine.
Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber cut
Cutting ability
Exar Kun: “Incredible! I thought a lightsaber could cut anything. There is only a scratch on the wall. The only thing that can resist a lightsaber is... Mandalorian iron!"
The lightsaber blade did not emit any heat or energy until it came into contact with something. The power of the energy blade was so great that it could cut through almost anything, although the speed of the blade through the material was highly dependent on its density. Cutting through flesh, for example, occurred completely unhindered, while breaking through an explosion-proof door could take quite a long time. It is important to note that lightsaber wounds never bled, even when a limb was severed. The energy blade, inflicting a wound, immediately cauterized it, as a result of which, even with severe wounds, there was practically no bleeding.
Qui-Gon Jinn breaks through a blast door
Types of lightsabers
It should be noted separately:
Lightsaber with curved hilt
A standard design during the heyday of the second form of lightsaber fencing. The curved hilt allowed for more precise movements and more freedom in lightsaber versus lightsaber combat.
Guards shoto
A tonfa sword with a handle perpendicular to the axis of the sword was used by bodyguard Shinya from Black Sun during her fight with Darth Maul. The Guard Shoto was also used by Maris Brood, a student of Jedi Master Shaak Ti.
Blade types
Dual-phase lightsaber. This rare type of sword used a specific combination of focusing crystals to form a blade capable of becoming twice as long as a normal one. This lightsaber was carried by Gantoris, Corran Horn and Darth Vader.
Large lightsaber or light mace. Special focusing crystals and energy systems allowed this rare species lightsabers generate a blade up to 3 meters in length. These big swords Only creatures with enormous growth were used. Gork, a mutated Gamorrean Dark Jedi, used such a weapon.
Short lightsaber. Shorter than regular swords, the blade was useful in combat for smaller Jedi such as Jedi Master Yoda, Yaddle, and Tsui Choi. In addition, the short lightsaber was sometimes used in the Niman (Jar'Kai) style of fencing, which was used, for example, by the ancient Jedi Master Kavar.
Training lightsabers. Used by younglings to practice the art of lightsaber swordsmanship. Although not life-threatening, contact with their blade could leave a bruise or even a slight burn.
Light saber. A rare type of lightsaber. It created a powerful, slightly curved blade of black and gold color. Used by some noble Mandalorians as a means of personal protection. The wounds from the saber could not be cured even by the Force.
Lightsaber colors
Oli Starstone: “...Jedi, as a rule, do not use scarlet blades. And largely because this color is associated with the Sith."
The color of a lightsaber blade was determined by the type of focusing crystal used to create it. Jedi mined crystals various types and shades in natural deposits, while the Sith used artificially produced synthetic crystals that emitted shades of red.
Before the final battle of Ruusan, the ancient Jedi wielded swords of all colors and shades, the most common colors being orange, yellow, light blue, indigo, green, purple, silver and gold. Some Jedi of the time, such as Silvar, even used red-colored blades, despite the Order generally avoiding colors that might associate them with the Sith.
During the Jedi Civil War, the color of a Jedi's blade usually symbolized his path and the responsibilities he took on while in the Order. The green blade was the sign of the Jedi consulars - scientists, diplomats and orators. Blue color The sword was associated with Jedi Defenders - physically strong and determined defenders of the galaxy. The third color, yellow, was reserved for the Jedi Guardians - Jedi whose skills were balanced between physical strength and learning the ways of the Force. Regarding the strength of the swords, these crystals were exactly the same - the color was the only difference.
Lightsaber combat
The lightsaber is a highly versatile weapon, possessing a unique lightness and the ability to cut in any direction. It can easily be wielded with one hand, but Jedi have always been trained to wield the sword with both hands and with each hand separately, in order to be prepared for any situation. In the early years of the weapon's history, when the Sith were numerous, the art of lightsaber dueling flourished. In later periods, the Jedi extremely rarely encountered an enemy who possessed a weapon capable of repelling a lightsaber strike. Self-defense against blasters and other energy weapons was taught to them early in their training. While a skilled Jedi could use his sword to deflect a blaster shot back at his opponent, non-energy projectiles (bullets, for example) were simply completely disintegrated by the blade.
Jedi were trained to use the Force as a link between a fighter and his weapon. Thanks to this connection with the Force, the blade became an extension of their nature; he moved instinctively, as if he were part of their body. The Jedi's harmony with the Force resulted in almost superhuman agility and reaction, manifested in the use of a lightsaber.
Since the invention of the lightsaber, the Jedi have developed a variety of styles, or forms of lightsaber combat, to suit the unique characteristics of the sword and its connection to its wielder.
Since the only way to disarm a Jedi and keep him alive is to cut the blade or sever a limb, the most common injury was to the hand or forearm. It was common to see Jedi or Sith with cybernetic limbs.