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Sci-Fi apologist: Why do X-Wing fighters have wings?
12/01/06
I've been asked by Science Fiction and Fantasy Association to help answer the voluminous mail they get on some of the details in their shows. Let me just get to the first question:
Dear Sci-fi apologist,
Why do X-Wing fighter have wings?
As you know, space is a vacuum and wings on any craft would therefore be superfluous. So, they must use them in atmosphere, then. Well, no. As you're well aware, the Millennium Falcon and many other craft in Star Wars don't need wings in atmosphere, making such a speculation both ignorant and ridiculous. The real reason for the X-Wing's wings has to do with the considerable heat generated by the laser cannons during firing. As most people able to restart their computer knows, before combat, the pilot must separate the cannons. The separation is accomplished by the spreading of the X-wing fighter's wings in such a manner as to form its characteristic "X" shape from which the craft is named. Now remember, the photon torpedoes are in front and close together because of their cold photon technology; cold technology=no need for heat dissipation. If you've passed the third grade, you know that the hot plasma-generated "laser" cannons cannot be placed close together without a significant reduction in performance. So why close them at all? The landing gear, genius.
Second question:
Why is the craft called the X-wing?
Whether the rebel races used the Roman alphabet with the letter "X," is a complicated question. Although the humans of the Star Wars universe long ago standardized their alphabet and did have letters similar to the Roman "X," the letter was unpronounceable to every human on Earth except those residing within a 4 block radius in Tupiza, Bolivia ( 21°26'24.00"S by 65°43'12.00"W). As important as that market was for the film-makers, George Lucas sacrificed authenticity for accessibility this once (and only this once), and decided to use the common English pronunciation for "X" instead.
X-wing in approach mode.
X-wing in attack mode.
Please ask any other questions you wish by adding comments or emailing me.
8 comments
That assumes there's some reason for not wanting to concentrate fire. . .and if I'm remembering correctly from that first movie, the X-wings four cannon tended to ALL fire on the same target which would obviously indicate the laser heads could swivel in unison if necessary.
Which leaves my Star Wars theory of a "wider field of fire" a futuristic urban myth.
As for X wing – it wasn't the only naming convention exception with the letter X - as there also was the Y Wing - which in fact looks like a Y.
In the end all these desgins are in Mr Lucas' imagination so science barely comes into play. It's all about roping in the masses to pay good bucks for a visual roller coaster ride. The fans pay and he cleans up while we debate the scientific credibilities of his imagined creations.
I would think that the wings may be a storage for power sources.
The wings also could move the thrusters out some for better directional control.
I know I'm late to the party on this one, but...Actually, heat sinks do still work in a vacuum, though at considerably lower efficiency. Instead of transferring the heat directly to fluid particles moving past, they increase the surface area by which thermal microwave and infrared transmission can occur (as well as increase the total volume and mass through which thermal energy is divided into - temp is simply energy divided by mass times material-dependant constant), in turn increasing the rate at which thermal energy is "bled off".
As a side-note, I like how the term "laser" was placed in quotes in this article, as anyone who has payed attention to SW tech knows that it's not a purely photonic system (which would be an actual laser) but rather a type of energized, light-driven particle beam projector.
This article makes no sense and is useless. The X-Wing fighter is not the only ship in the Star Wars universe with wings. Also, it's named the X-Wing fighter because it looks like an "X". No need to over-analyze everything, just use some common sense. 
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