Vehicles

Twin-Pod Cloud Car

An upper-atmosphere vehicle consisting of two small cockpits connected by a repulsorlift and ion engine block. The well-known cloud cars of Bespin are used as patrol craft which "greet" incoming vessels, and are fitted with twin blaster cannons controlled by a gunner sitting in the starboard pod. The pilot, housed in the port pod, must be unusually skilled, as cloud cars exceed speeds of 1,500 kilometers per hour and can fly into low orbit.

Popularized on Bespin, twin-pod cloud cars have spread throughout the galaxy as both military and personal transports. More advanced than standard airspeeders, they are especially effective for patrol and reconnaissance duty.

An ion engine serves as a cloud car’s primary propulsion system, while repulsorlift drives, small maneuvering jets, mechanized flaps, control vanes, and rudders enhance speed and control. The cockpit is generally pressurized for high-altitude flight, but most cloud cars lack life-support systems.

Military or police force models, such as the Storm IV used by Cloud City’s Wing Guard pilots, are armed with blaster cannons and protected by heavy armor plating. In addition, such vehicles have computer systems and weapon emplacements specifically designed to accept a variety of arms, depending upon the needs of the pilot.

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