Vehicles

T-47 Airspeeder

(Snowspeeder)

A modified Incom T-47 airspeeder, deployed in small numbers by the Rebel Alliance at the Battle of Hoth to delay approaching Imperial AT-ATs. Like all airspeeders, they rely upon repulsorlift drive units and high-powered afterburners to reach speeds in excess of 1,000 kilometers per hour. Each heavily armored snowspeeder carries a Rebel pilot and a rear-facing gunner, who controls the craft’s twin laser cannons. Snowspeeders are also equipped with harpoon guns and tow cables, which the Rebels used to topple at least one AT-AT.

Possibly the most common form of vehicle in the galaxy, airspeeders can be found on virtually every industrialized world. They range from compact, single-passenger craft to large transports.

The so-called Rebel snowspeeders are simply standard Incom T-47 airspeeders converted for military duty in the cold atmosphere of the ice planet Hoth. The airspeeders were originally used by the Alliance on less hostile worlds, where they used their power harpoons to tow cargo modules and served as a line of defense against Imperial ground troops. The vehicles are fitted with heavy armor plating and twin laser cannons, and are powered by a pair of repulsorlift drive units and high-powered afterburners. Reaching speeds of over 1,000 kilometers per hour, the Rebel craft are exceedingly difficult to target.

The Incom T-47’s crew consists of a pilot and a gunner, who sit with their backs to one another. While the gunner is facing the rear of the craft, he can utilize computerized targeting systems to control the forward-facing laser cannons. The gunner also mans the power harpoon, although the pilot can assume responsibility for all weaponry if the gunner is disabled.

On Hoth, the Rebels found that the T-47 was hindered by the elements and had to receive further modifications. Ice build-up on the braking and turning flaps made it impossible to control the craft, while the engine had a tendency to freeze solid. To solve these problems, the Rebel mechanics installed repulsor-coil heaters in the engines, and attached deicing nozzles to the mechanical maneuvering flaps. Once the "snowspeeders" were airborne, however, they proved successful in delaying the oncoming Imperial troops until the Rebels had escaped.

While snowspeeders are the most recognizable Rebel airspeeders, the Alliance has modified the T-47 to serve on a variety of worlds. Sandspeeders include advanced filters preventing sand from clogging the engine and steering flaps, cockpit and engine cooling systems to combat overheating, and sensitive radar navigational guidance systems for use in sandstorms. Swampspeeders have been thoroughly waterproofed and are equipped with flotation devices, while skyspeeders have pressurized cabins for high altitude flights.

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