How Would You Build a Real X-Wing? (Because Science w/ Kyle Hill)

[@Nerdist]

But how do X-Wings turn? NEW mini-ep over on my Insta: instagram.com/sci_phile/ -- KH

[@benjaminraskin8509]

Nerdist oxygen/pressure release under n above each wing/spoil

[@benjaminraskin8509]

Foil*

[@sawtooth117]

Nerdist in the legends expanded universe, repulsor lifts are strategically placed like thrusters, to replicate gravity wells and produce changes in direction like a jet, and without visible thrust. A yet to be proven tech that might work is the EM drive (aka rf resonant cavity thruster). If it works the way it's supposed to on a larger scale (on going debate and testing has yet to prove either thrust or experimental error), it can produce thrust without visible ejections. Put banks of these throughout the x-wing, powered by the fusion reaction, and you may have the maneuverability of the x-wing solved.

[@barrybend7189]

Nerdist best X-wing is the thunderbolt Starfury from Babylon 5.

[@neulawrence5399]

Nerdist 😩I'M SO DEPRESSED Cause 😟 I WORK SO HARD on my KZbin Channel EVERYDAY And No Growth At All, But at least I can watch your videos, gets me distracted and makes me feel better😊

[@shade01977]

Actually, Kyle, the surprise lightsaber moment DID catch me off guard this time. We'll placed, sir. Well placed.

[@Nerdist]

I'M BACK BABAY -- KH

[@ORIONGaming]

He did it while I was reading this; thank you for the warning.

[@shade01977]

Simon opdebeeck - XD

[@TheBassManBoy]

How many takes was that completing the engine chart, Kyle? You sounded a bit winded.

[@ApolloJ14]

Nerdist Surprise lightsaber being a new version of lightsaber did indeed surprise me. I was surprised just how much I laughed at it - good job Kyle, & also on another great episode 👍😉

[@TheBoyCalledSam]

That surprise lightsaber was the most surprise surprise lightsaber I have ever been surprised with

[@davecrupel2817]

Im suprised by the fact he didnt set himself on fire.

[@Nerdist]

You better believe I'm doing Star Wars stuff all this month! Next week, I ruin (or make awesomer) lightsabers. -- KH

[@two-face1041]

Nerdist do one about The Death Star....surly it’s size and mass would effect of the galaxy it’s built-in

[@davidk1308]

Nerdist did you see the blacksmiths video on it? XD

[@megazero2735]

I have a question I wonder u could do a video on :P So u know how 1 of Superman most iconic feat is saving a falling plane? But with he himself still only human size, wouldnt putting all the weight of the plane onto an area as small as his hand size rip the plane apart at the point of contact between Superman and the plane long before the plane crash into earth?

[@davidk1308]

Anh Minh Le I don't know the math behind that, but yeah, I think that's right, or it would buckle under the stress. :) So that'd be a cool video

[@carlsagan1377]

Kyle, on this week’s Muskwatch, why did you not talk about Elon’s Tesla Mars mission? Are you going to do it next week?

[@Seeriosa]

A lightsaber blade wouldn't weigh anything per se, but the energy in it would mean it would resist directional changes. So swinging it would give it additional momentum, which wouldn't make it seem heavier, but it would imitate that by essentially always wanting to continue on the same arc. Essentially, lightsabers are always trying to slip out of your hands and the most impressive move is when someone blocks an opponent's lightsaber to a dead stop with their own. Both of those lightsabers will be trying to move towards the blocking figher's face, so the concentration (and probably force pushing) they would have to be able to pull off to stop it would need to be incredible. A smaller lightsaber like yoda's would therefore be better for blocking, and a bigger more energetic one like kylo ren's would be a lot better for turning aside blocks, both of which we see in the films.

[@deusexaethera]

6:41 - Yes, antimatter is hugely powerful and extremely efficient, but you can never power-down the engine, because you need to constantly generate a containment field to store the antimatter safely. Fusion is safer because hydrogen can just sit in a plain old metal tank until you need it.

[@MrTigerlore]

The Empire is environmentally conscious because tie-fighters have solar panels for wings.

[@GreenLeafUponTheSky]

Wouldn't want global warming in space

[@mxviii]

They're not solar panels they are deflector screens, because fighters were too small to fit shield generators. If you watch the films, you see the only way they are destroyed is when the Ball section receives a direct hit.

[@RyanKawesomeSMS]

mxviii nope, canon sources confirm that the wings are solar panels. In fact, part of the reason that ties were so bad is that their wings were massive targets

[@mxviii]

Ryan K sounds like a retconn then. In a new hope you can see some of Luke's blaster shots bounce off the screens in the falcon chase scene. Also The old tie fighter game describes them as such. A solar powered tie fighter would make no sense. They wouldn't be able to operate in deep space...like the scene in last Jedi.....but oh well Disney can do what it wants I guess

[@barragethree5047]

Those power main systems, the engines are fuels by solids

[@brendonboucher8089]

In the Star Wars books, and in references (like the Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, not that I'm that big a nerd or anything) the engines on x-wings are referred to as fusial thrust engines - which may or may not be a made-up term, but certainly suggests that they're going with the fusion reaction route here.

[@KamenRiderGumo]

Glad you brought up fusion engines - because that's what the X-Wing series (not to mention every single other novel and source book printed pre-Disney) list the X-Wing as canonically having.

[@undead890]

TIE Fighter: Twin ION Engine Fighter

[@Nerdist]

Yeah -- KH

[@Kharmander]

I think he missed the part where you said that the two were more plausible than the ION engines that they write into every ship. :)

[@Detson404]

I bet the twin ion engine bit is a backonym, and the real reason they are called that is because they have a bow tie silhouette.

[@heimdall1973]

Also, it's not really twin engine, it's quad engine. QIE fighter, anyone?

[@jonnygood1654]

Regarding your observation about the light saber; in RotJ there is a moment in which this is particularly demonstrated when Vader throws his saber in Luke's direction in a spinning manner...the saber's center of gravity is obviously in the middle of the handle so that it spins like a deadly pinwheel. Obviously it was easier to throw a handle than a full stunt blade...but still one of the better details that they made sure to include in filming.

[@khodexus4963]

I always kind of assumed that the reason light sabers didn't feel completely weightless in the hand was not because there was significant mass in the blade, but because the containment field generated a small amount of resistance force, similar to trying to turn a wheel while it's spinning. Also, have you considered doing an episode on Babylon 5?

[@Psytrese]

Khodexus I always just assumed it had a counterweight. It's in the centre of the blade when it's off but it moves to the top when it's turned on. Low tech and solves the problem.

[@grimlock1471]

According to an interview with Mark Hamill, Lucas gave explicit direction that light sabers were to be handled as if they were a broadsword, rather than a laser pointer or flashlight. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHrIl51smbSbpK8m27s

[@khodexus4963]

Yes, I think we all recognize this. I'm simply expounding on the in-universe justification for that, not the out-of universe reasoning (they actually use props which actually have mass in the 'blade').

[@Narfwak]

In the documentary I saw Lucas explains his reasoning for the direction in the first two movies - particularly ANH - by saying that because the sword is "so powerful" and has so much energy that it would have some kind of inertial effect. There's no physics explanation there, it's essentially just fantasy. That said, two force field swords hitting each other would probably generate some pretty powerful blowback. The fencing gets a bit more dynamic in RotJ and vastly more sped up in the prequels, so there's not a ton of internal consistency in that explanation, though.

[@blackderby80]

Let us not forget that Lucas, great idea man that he is (at times), had to have written a sentence something like this when he was plotting out the phantom menace: 'jar jar tries to steal a swoke-swoke from grah-grah, because he has no roopy-yoopies to buy one.' It's like something a small child might come up with... Are we really surprised that the man has no understanding of actual physics?

[@DownHereInChile]

Don't forget that Star Wars ships feature Repulsorlift (antigrav) generators which they use to take off, manoeuver in space, and generally avoid Newtonian physics in space

[@deusexaethera]

7:15 - If you built ANY engine that used a high-intensity energy source to energize reaction-mass, you should use Xenon, not hydrogen. Xenon is the heaviest element that is easily stored in a liquid or solid form, meaning it can absorb the most thermal energy per atom and transfer the most kinetic energy per atom. (also known as "specific thrust".) That's why ion thrusters all use xenon, even though they can't refuel from ambient hydrogen in space -- the specific thrust is so much better that a non-refillable canister of xenon makes better propellant than freely available hydrogen would.

[@AmazingCoolD]

But then could there be a way that after the xenon is used up the engine would start using hydrogen?

[@drsusredfish]

I like when he writes while he is talking. His speech slows as his brain divides processing power between his motor skills and mouth. Especially when he uses both hands.

[@justingould2020]

Remember, he is writing it backwards as well.

[@tigerbread78]

TANK Yeah, "Propullsssion" lol

[@heronerd225]

Shut up only he makes science interesting

[@uchihasasuke7436]

lol hes not

[@pedroalves6560]

Justin Gould actually he's not

[@antonydrossos5719]

Wow! Coldest Midi-Chlorian diss EVAR! And Lucas wrote those in to make the Force more quantifiable!

[@7JulietZulu]

The only other ship that I would ever consider liking more than the X wing would be the Millennium Falcon

[@Grizabeebles]

Just checked the ITER web site. Kyle's right, the first fusion reactor potentially capable of producing more energy than it consumes won't even be constructed until 2025.

[@FlagCutie]

"The thrust, size and look that we want." I keep waiting for Dan Casey to pop in with a messy double entendre. #TooMuchMuskWatch

[@MachtPlays]

#NeverTooMuchMuskwatch also #Musquatch

[@walkinmn]

Jess_Marie_G i wouldn't mind a surprise Dan Casey from time to time

[@johnhooyer3101]

I believe that in STAR WARS they have a thing called Hypermatter in their engines. My guess is that it's like Dark Matter and technically doesn't have "mass" in the sense that we normally think of it, so it weighs nothing, but it still contains nuclear energy that can be harnessed. Presumably a lot, by several orders of magnitude over normal matter. So this implies that they either split or fuse Hypermatter atoms, or they have something like anti-Hypermatter to mix with it.

[@kotickyle]

How could Tony Stark's arc reactor work?

[@Sheol02]

Kit-13-Lucky It can't work.

[@ThrottleKitty]

Positive thinking.

[@CanisMythson]

Actually, I had a theory about that once. Take positively charged photons and pump them into a chamber with negative electromagnetic nozzles that move the photons in a circular motion around a centralized negative-charged cylander, which is turned by the moving photons. theoretically, this cylander is pulled into a spin, which charges a dynamo using non-magnetic, conductive metals. (Hence, the palladium.)

[@clowntrooper61]

Why aren't you building then if you're so smart?

[@Cosmic_Railgun]

Clowntrooper Ummm... probably money, time, and resources. I’ve got plenty of ideas for possible designs but that doesn’t mean if I walk into NASA that they’re going to give me a top place job and all the resources I need to achieve a prototype, or even listen to me for that matter.

[@savdes14]

Thank you for mentioning the lightsaber weight thing at the end! I feel like most fights are choreographed as if the actual saber portion had weight.

[@MontgomeryWenis]

There totally IS sound in space. Every planet/planet-sized moon makes their eerie theme song as they orbit.

[@MatterBeamTSF]

They vibrate, but sound requires that their vibrations act upon a fluid that transmits them across space. We can hear an underwater volcano because those vibrations travel through water. We cannot hear the moon.

[@MontgomeryWenis]

Matter Beam Sooooooo you're saying if a tree falls and no fluid is there to absorb the sound waves, it won't actually make an audible sound?

[@MontgomeryWenis]

Matter Beam Anyway, you're wrong. Here's the moon's song. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4i4oKKpn5tootE

[@malindemunich2883]

Yes, without a fluid medium vibrations make no audible sound. The "moon's song" is a vibration frequency transmitted by a speaker that then translates its vibrations to the fluid of our air to your ear. In space, there is no sound. That isn't captured sound from the moon, it's a replication of that frequency translated to sound.

[@julianturner69420]

Elliott Lars Olsen sound requires a medium to travel through. For example Air or Water. Those eerie theme songs are not direct recordings. Rather they are analysis of data based on the planet/moons vibration that leads us to conclude (with high probability) that if there was a medium the planets traveled too then thats the sound they would make. Thats why there is no sounds in space.

[@mugennsx]

Would love to get your take on how to build a Gundam, with 40 years of Gundam technology opening a whole new series of videos. The most interesting to me would be how to power Wing Zero's gigantic double rifles, Gundam 00's Solar Oven propulsion, and what is a Newtype!

[@SentinelGhost]

Question for maybe a future episode. Apperantly in recent renditions of Superman and his "Fortress if solitude" he keeps a key for it that is supposed to be made from the material of a dwarf star. It is supposed to weigh a half a million tons so that only he can lift and use it. So my question is what would happen if a key (or something of comparable size) actually weighed a half million tons and what would happen if it was set on the ground as it is often shown he keeps it under a mat?

[@MatterBeamTSF]

A fully loaded supertanker masses over 500 thousands tons, so there will be no weird effects. The problem is that this mass is attracted to the Earth by a force of 4.9 giganewtons. No problem if it is distributed along all of the supertanker's length... but concentrated into a key? It will sink into the Earth until it reaches to core. So, Superman needs a keyholder that is very very strong, and built like a pyramid to distribute its weight so that it doesn't sink into the ground!

[@Here_is_Waldo]

There is a video about Antman that sort of hints at the answer to that. Half a million tons spread out over the space of a single key would press down so hard over such a small surface area it would sink into the ground and probably keep going until it hit the center of the Earth.

[@caramonmajere447]

@@MatterBeamTSF Inquiring minds must know. Are you male or female?

[@MatterBeamTSF]

A man.

[@caramonmajere447]

@@MatterBeamTSF Cool, thx.

[@justplainndave]

Good new @Nerdist Kyle is right! The T-65 X-wing uses a Fusial Thrust Engine...which sounds similar to a Fusion Engine

[@AeroQC]

There is a plasma rocket engine in development called the VASIMR Engine (VAriable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket Engine). Would that type of rocket engine be a viable option for X-Wings? Apparently, the reports say that it's theoretically possibly to get us to Mars using the VASIMR in just about 40 days.

[@chrisgaming9567]

Same problem as Ion engines

[@cheaterman49]

Nah, VASIMR has much better thrust than ion engines, I'm a bit sad they weren't mentioned in this episode :-3

[@chrisgaming9567]

VASIMR has better thrust, yes, but it is still almost nothing compared to what's required here

[@Immerayon]

Chris Gaming who says that x-wings don't change their thrust depending on if they are in a atmosphere?

[@CassCassCassime]

I think a ship getting to mars in 40 days would actually be much faster than an X-Wing, from the movies it seems the X-Wing can only go a few km/s at most. If it can get to the closest distance mars can be to Earth in 40 days then it surpasses a few km/s by a huge margin. going at about 15 km/s. If that measurement is done on the average distance Mars is from Earth, VASIMIR would be a full order of magnitude faster than an X-Wing, obviously ignoring the hyperdrive Edit: Using stats I looked up it would be double 2 orders of magnitude higher then the X-Wing if the calculation is done by average distances. Shortest distance it would be half of 2 orders of magnitude higher. Edit: Since I have no life I did the calculations and looked up a few stats on the X-Wing. Its max speed according to wookiepedia is ~300 m/s. If we assume it accelerates to this speed in 1 second, which is definitely not a stretch from the movies and how fast they nimbly adjust their speed and turn and such, and each one of these burns uses up, say, 50 kg of fuel, the X-Wing reaches a hilariously absurd specific impulse of 1 and 2/3. The lower a specific impulse is the more efficient fuel is per unit. So, a specific impulse of 1 and 2/3, that doesn't seem too impressive if you're not sure what that SI means, but, to put a perspective on it: The boosters on the space shuttle had a SI of about 500. Using those numbers, it has a SI where it could get the same velocity that takes a space shuttle 500 KG with just ~1.6 KG. Now I just spent the last 30 minutes learning all of what I just typed out, so I might be completely wrong and fucked up monumentally here, but using those numbers (I assume the X-Wing would not be able to operate as nimbly and with as many burns as it does with much higher ones in terms of amount of fuel needed for a 300 m/s burn), the X-Wing has a meme efficiency that is fairly close to impossible I think. I'm not sure but a SI at or below 1 would probably be physically impossible. Even to get those numbers on the X-Wing, you'd need very efficient matter to energy conversions that are absurdly more efficient even then antimatter engines. Like I said, might be completely wrong on this, would be very happy to be corrected if I am. If anyone actually knows what they're talking about, would be glad to know how terribly wrong I am lol. Second Edit: The Edit section is about the efficiency of the fuel itself, the top section is about the velocity of the craft. Two very different things.

[@JayFolipurba]

Your mirror flipped handwriting got so much better! look at the first few episodes, the difference is huge

[@davecrupel2817]

The only way you could "dogfight in space" is if you could somehow dampen inertial momentum on your spacecraft and everything on and in it, and base your spacecraft's trajectory on where your propulsion tech is aimed. Also, Greedo shot first.

[@gamerid6507]

cool info on nuke fusion and antimatter...but wht abt the side effects of using both? for example wht would it release besides producing thrust?

[@WAMTAT]

Hard light holograms, could they work?

[@Hamletstwin]

shut up Rimmer!

[@spartanhawk7637]

I suppose if you counted large articulated transparent plastic as hard light...

[@Here_is_Waldo]

There is a real world thing I forget the name of, where they compress light or force photons together or something and create a physical crystal. Long way off practical use, but could be the starting point. Or forcefields, if there is anyway such things can be made in real life.

[@VOIDRepresentative]

@@Here_is_Waldo Im Not Sure about Using Photons. But Plasma could be "Moulded" Into a Shield like state with Magnets. Very... Very... Powerful Magnets.

[@d.dementedengineerc99isurf26]

@@VOIDRepresentative Fundamentally the same as a lightsaber.

[@PassiveSmoking]

Star-wars type fighters are completely implausible because they fly like aircraft, even in a vacuum where there would be no drag and nothing to arrest their momentum. A real starfighter would probably have a lot more in common with a Babylon 5 Starfury than with an X-wing.

[@John73John]

Present day ion engines don’t have enough thrust, but they’re designed for low-power sources (a few solar panels on a probe, for example). What if you added a lot more power (say a small nuclear reactor)?

[@Blockbuster2033]

John73 John that is actually an interesting thought

[@Here_is_Waldo]

Some deep space probes do have a nuclear reactor powering them, but if I understand correctly, ion engines are already about 65 - 80% efficient, which is about as good as they will ever get. Even at 100% efficiency, in order to get more thrust out of them, you need a bigger power supply, which means more mass, which counters the extra thrust. Ion engines are one of those things that are good now, but there are far better options and once we work out how to build those better options, the ion engine will be obsolete.

[@IanNuke]

@@Here_is_Waldo like the abacurre drive for superlumial speeds and no time dialation

[@atomic7348]

Kyle, you and your crew that make because science possible.... I mean you guys just kick ass. My favorite show on KZbin hands-down man. SURPRISE LIGHTSABER

[@Kakkarot211]

we did have a fusion reaction that produced more than it took to create, just not by much

[@d.dementedengineerc99isurf26]

From what little I've researched on the matter, larger reactors are more efficient. With inevitable improcements in logistics, engineering, and conducters, I am fairly confident the road only rises from this point.

[@IanNuke]

Abacurre drives anyone?

[@Prich319]

10,000 kg is nothing. That's like 1/3 the maximum takeoff weight of an F-35. (and the Lightning is considered a light fighter.) I would also point out that the max canon acceleration of an X-wing is 3,700 Gs (as in non-survivable regardless of whatever space magic you're using.) which would be kind of overkill in a manned starfighter. Fusion is probably a good choice for power, since the reactor could provide the plasma to fuel a VASIMR thruster, which can set it's specific impulse to whatever is needed at the time, so you can optimize efficiency when cruising, and optimize thrust when in combat.

[@Shaiyo5]

Aren't antimatter and fusion engines the basis for some forms of propulsion in the Star Trek universe?

[@adamlytle2615]

Yep. Warp drive uses a matter/anti-matter reaction and the impulse engines (sublight speeds) are fusion based.

[@CassCassCassime]

Star Trek is only marginally more scientifically accurate then star wars, both are science fantasy in my opinion. But I believe the Impulse engines ae fusion based.

[@shaider1982]

Funny, Michio Kaku's version of a starfighter he made in a Discovery show looks a bit like an Xwing. Uses antimatter engines.

[@djkillcrazy]

Name of show, or better yet, link... Please?

[@shaider1982]

@@djkillcrazy physics of the impossible. He also talked about how to create a light sabre, terminator, etc. Can't find a link to that specific episode

[@imvomiting3405]

"It's space there's no sound" Continues talking like normal

[@stcredzero]

What about VASIMR? Also, no, you can't simply use magnetic nozzles to direct the output of an antimatter annihilation. Look up Robert Forward's book "Mirror Matter." There is a way to do it with one particular particle, but there are caveats.

[@andrewstarkie2238]

Who wants to eat Antimatter M&Ms with me lmao

[@Benrob0329]

*boom*

[@johnlemus7921]

I'll do Andrew, we'll record that shit and get famous.

[@andrewstarkie2238]

John Lemus for the VIEWS

[@johnlemus7921]

FOR THE VIEWS!

[@CarFreeSegnitz]

The mass-energy of the bomb on Hiroshima was roughly .7 grams. The mass of an m&m is roughly .9 grams. So an m&m chunk of antimatter is roughly 30% more energetic than the Hiroshima bomb. Ergo : BOOM.

[@ViciousPapaya]

That lightsaber was unexpected like spanish inquisition xDD

[@loodahchris04]

don't you mean LASER SWORD

[@Iwillgotohell2]

did you mean PLASMATANA?

[@Nerdist]

I HAVE NEVER MEANT LASER SWORD -- KH

[@curseofgladstone4981]

Chris Kaminsky Its a beam saber...

[@eliforman5612]

@Dragon Warhammer Gundam reference?

[@ikmnification5737]

Plasmaken* because Linguistics. But then again Kenobi is poor Japanese linguistics too (Lucas was going for Sword Holder), so Lucas would call it Plasmatana over Plasmaken.

[@justinthompson6364]

Kyle: "But if if our technology was advanced enough to make fusion engines, we might want to consider another propulsion system that uses the most efficient fuel source known to science" Me: "Antimatter" Kyle: "Antimatter" I feel smug.

[@leeskieferrell2003]

there has never been and will never be a youtube series better than muskwatch! hail daddy!

[@adamorick2872]

My problem with x wing, is the same with the model before it used by republic, is that it is clearly an atomosphere vehicle with that engine design

[@Neolantern]

He did surprise lighsaber. All is right in the world.

[@piki68]

I cheked the mini episode, because you suggested, than I watched this video again, because you suggested at the end of a mini episode, and now I stucked in your videos forever. Because science!

[@Ichsukatanuka]

.....................SURPRISE ION TORPEDO.

[@highgroundproductions8590]

The VASIMR engine is a different type of ion engine. It runs on very hot plasma instead of cold gas so it's quite a bit more powerful - but it only does like 5 N. Maybe you can get it up to 100 N for a full power model but that's still not enough.

[@walkinmn]

Dissapointed that there wasn't a Futurama reference with the antimatter propulsion

[@Getwright-]

walkin mn me too.

[@ronin6877]

I think you're overlooking the fact that wings wouldn't work in space where there is no drag. So just Propulsion isn't enough for space dog fights.

[@charger2501]

We've had anti matter propulsion for decades...in Star Trek that's how there warp works.

[@tiagotiagot]

I think they just use it for the energy, not directly for propulsion.

[@LucianCanad]

I can't say anything about the regular thrusters, but their warp drives are probably in the line of the Alcubierre Drive, which, as I spent far too much time not knowing, doesn't actually require propulsion to make a ship go from point A to point B.

[@rhaegal5650]

We have but it is not at all cost effective to make anti matter and takes years to make a minuscule amount. We could gather it from the solar system easier than making it though

[@blackderby80]

LucianCanad how does it do that? Does it use wale-tenser (sp) dynamics to create a nonlinear curve that folds space and time? Or are star Trek's ships actually powered by handwavium?

[@xSaraxMxNeffx]

my fave thing about this was the lack of talk about aero dynamics for planetside fights

[@barrybend7189]

Macross variable fighters use fusion torch engines.

[@Nerdist]

I researched torch engines for this episode! -- KH

[@MatterBeamTSF]

High thrust and high exhaust velocity are the exact definition of a torch engine :D

[@fradical1522]

Do you know the type of fusion propulsion they use by any chance?

[@menoloehomobavones9777]

loss of antimatter containment would be much more dangerous to allied fighters than a fusion engine's dumping its fuel.

[@d.dementedengineerc99isurf26]

Loss of antimatter fuel containment= nuclear blast! Not good.

[@patriksladcik3347]

Colin Furze anyone? :D

[@galenwolf]

I was just going to suggest asking Colin since he's built a full size TIE.

[@thomasbunn00]

Was just about to say it myself.

[@Nerdist]

Well he built the shell, he'd still need one of these engines! -- KH

[@avilude]

Hacksmith made a protosaber (just pointing out because of the inventor/star wars conversation)

[@tripy75]

fireworks... Lots'a fireworks...

[@DreddPirateRoberts]

0:40 - Well, _that_ and Newton's first law of motion. The starfighters in the Star Wars Universe fly around like WW 2 fighter planes, and even the larger ships don't adhere to Newton's first law.

[@ryanhiggins8869]

Some idiot (Komninos Maraslidis) once said: Ion Engines do not magically have efficiency over 100%. Even if they converted 100% of solar energy to kinetic, and even if the solar panels on a TIE fighter captured 100% of sun's energy (instead of like 20%) they wouldn't produce any thrust of relevant magnitude for the movements the ship does. Ion Engines are being researched for long flights as a more efficient alternative to rocket boosters. They produce very low thrust, but with higher efficiency and can be used for interstellar travel of our small probes. They provide a small but constant acceleration. They do not provide fighter like maneuverability. It's a question of math, physics and thermodynamics. Looks like some people should get more education.

[@temiajuwon8893]

Ryan Higgins Who are you talking to?

[@MatterBeamTSF]

This assumes that TIE fighters are solar powered.

[@Woodledude]

It would make way more sense for them to be battery powered or have some other kind of short-range fuel based on their general role - almost always in short-range missions around some larger ship. But then the question remains, why DO they have giant solar panels?

[@ryanhiggins8869]

W00dledude, this post was kind of an inside joke, but you made an intelligent response, so I will reply to you. Solar panels would be sufficient as a back up power system to operate emergency distress signal and on-board life support systems.

[@Woodledude]

Thank you :) To continue this interesting line of thought with your input in mind, the fact that you DON'T see that kind of feature on Rebel ships, and you do see it on TIE fighters makes me think that the Empire cares more about their soldiers than the canon would have you believe. Those solar panels don't fold at all, and to my knowledge host no other systems - Everything else is in the body of the ship. It takes FAR more space to store the ships because of their existence, making it incredibly inefficient. That for a feature that largely serves to preserve the lives of the pilots? Well, maybe they're trying to take your mind off of the upper ranks dying like lemmings under the grip of Darth Vader... But they're spending credits out the wazoo to do it.

[@davfree9732]

I build them in space engineers. And as a result, I wonder where the rest of the engine exhausts are.

[@KageRyuu6]

Completely ignores Nuclear Thermal Rockets.

[@chrisgaming9567]

Solid-, Liquid-, Vapor- and Closedcycle Gas-core NTRs are only a few times as efficient as chemical rockets, and open-cycle NTRs spray radioactive death everywhere

[@markomus1]

00:11 - THE WILHELM SCREAM!!! You are a fan indeed--or at least your sound engineer is! :)

[@davidk1308]

Notification squad xD Also, that's a Falcon heavy. Granted, it is basically 3 Falcon 9s strapped together, but still. Anyway, can't wait for its debut launch (Hopefully) next month. Also, about Orion, they actually wouldn't be very bad, the EMP thing could be taken care of by having it in a remote location (Which you would do anyway), and there wouldn't really be any nuclear fallout. This site has really great info on it: www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/realdesigns2.php#id--Project_Orion And this (Scroll down for environmental stuff) www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/enginelist.php#id--Pulse--Orion And it would've been cool if you touched on antimatter catalyzed fusion drives, which in some ways, may be easier.

[@Nerdist]

Must have misspoke, sorry! -- KH

[@davidk1308]

Nerdist eh, it was a small one :)

[@twstf8905]

Hehe, oooh, man, David K. Where were you BEFORE he made this video!? Out-smarted in his OWN comments section AGAIN. HOW embarrassing!!?

[@davidk1308]

TWSTF 8 not really, they are general overviews; besides it's looking at fictional science anyway, so not a big issue.

[@SaintParallax]

I always thought that about lightsabers, like in the clone wars, Maul’s brother had a large two handed lightsaber hilt, it just makes it less convenient to have a large unwieldy hilt while the blade weighs nothing

[@Haigotron]

As of July 2018, the National debt of the United States is worth about the same as 0.25 gram of anti-matter.

[@savageenterprises3273]

I am glad that I came across this video. I am going to try and recreate a star fighter and now knowing that it is going to based around fusion engines and thrust, it will help me with connections ect. Thank you very much.

[@ivandimitrijevic6095]

A different light saber? You broke the last one, didn't you? 😒

[@l33tsamurai]

You should see shadiversity's video on how Jedi should be fighting with their lightsabers. He posits that it would be more akin to modern fencing.

[@shybard]

X-Wing is best wing. Search your feelings. You know it to be true.

[@buttons551]

I'm more of a Y-wing man myself

[@sdfkjgh]

You're BOTH wrong! It's either the Buick (seeker cluster missiles, baby!) or the Jedi Starfighter (b/c sonic mines are overpowered, and can take out an uninjured Star Destroyer in 2-3 shots).

[@ryanp5221]

Tie advanced for life!!! It has all the maneuverability and power of a tie fighter, but also has shields, unlike its mass-produced counterpart.

[@patrick8116]

Starfury

[@blackderby80]

With apologies, I must inform you all that you are incorrect. The b-wing is best. That's why it is the /b/ wing, after all...

[@TT.357]

Tie fighters use ion engines (maybe they made a breakthrough?)

[@lilbrusa8952]

Isn’t ray’s lightsaber actually Anakin’s old one from his Jedi days?

[@lorken22]

Yes but now Disney is calling it "Ray's lightsaber" which if I'm being perfectly honest annoys me a little.

[@robertmcnabb1589]

lorken22 WHY?!?! When it was in Anakin's possession, it was ANAKIN'S lightsaber. When it was in Luke's possession, it was LUKE'S lightsaber. Now it is in Rey's possession, why shouldn't it be called REY'S lightsaber

[@lordilluminati5836]

anakin made it for himself and used it himself. it was always 'anakins' lightsaber'. luke's lightsabe is the green one he builds later on.

[@robertmcnabb1589]

patricio torre so who's to say that by the end of the Sequel trilogy Rey won't have made her own?

[@Here_is_Waldo]

Was it ever explained how the blue lightsaber was brought back? I thought it fell into the gas planet when Luke hand his hand cut off.

[@ashleysora3465]

That little extra at the end XD Beat Saber players are the true jedi!

[@glacier4286]

What's an Eminem's worth?

[@Atzu_The_Vehicle_Driver]

Are you stupid, or funny? I dont know, but he means M&M's like the candy, not the rapper. :)

[@Sketchy_Dood]

That guy the size of a m&m’s worth you know the sweet?

[@Nerdist]

About the same as mom's spaghetti -- KH

[@VexChoccyMilk]

Aboot 190 mil.

[@ptonpc]

Half a Slim Shady.

[@ChilledfishStick]

I'm a bit late to the party, but swords are not slow 10:03. Swords are generally very light, like 1-2 Kg. and their center of mass is mostly pretty close to the guard. A heavier weapon is harder to wield. Swords have to either cut or thrust, neither of these benefits from being massive. Maybe you were thinking about fantasy swords? Blunt weapons can be more massive because they need to crush. Especially when against armor. A bit like fighting lobsters :)

[@Tyrael1701]

Actually in real star wars, X-wings used 4 Incom 4L4 fusial thrust engines. B-wings also used a Slayn and Korpil JZ-5 fusial thrust engine

[@adamant4107]

All I wanted for Christmas was a "Surprise Lightsaber!" and I got it! Wooooo! Now I'm happy.

[@scottthesmartape9151]

Just keep the x wings wings unable to be an x and you’re all set

[@ethanwagner6418]

5:35 I know you were talking about microwave radiation, but I can't help but imagine someone putting plasma into a microwave oven and hitting the 'Ionized Gas' button.

[@cooperbeggs]

10:00 yes, but star wars lore states that the hilt of a light saber is actually very heavy and could only be welded by strong people.

[@kittylactose]

We have the X-15 which is the closest we can get as of right now. Now, what about dark matter/dark energy powered spacecraft?

[@d.dementedengineerc99isurf26]

A long ways off! We don't even know what exactly dark matter and dark energy even are! We must determine that first, then find a way to produce it artificially, then improve production efficiency, then find a means to release the energy... All of that is at least a good century ahead of us now. So don't hold your breath.

[@Earthenfist]

Supposedly, that lack of blade weight was one of the major reasons why only Jedi used Lightsabers- because they were so easy to swing around, and had no resistance, they were too dangerous to use for someone without Force-enhanced kinesthetics.

[@amdreallyfast]

I worked at the Washington State University materials science lab for antimatter research as a lab tech several years back. Storage is the primary trouble. The best storage at the time could store, maybe, 2^10 positrons, which is about 10^20 times short of a gram. Got a ways to go :)

[@borisalvadzhiev621]

Expected "Surprise Lightsaber", wasn't surprised, rather satisfied!

[@tolotos95]

Antimatter engines? Got one for ya: A "NUG-Schwarzschildreaktor", freshly imported from the PerryRhodan-Universe. High acceleration and velocity,uses only little fuel which can also be produced mid-flight, and can be combined with different means of propulsion, with thrusters but also with force field engines.

[@lockheedx33]

2:28 That’s a Falcon Heavy

[@GlitchedBlox]

gaycha

[@titchelessar]

7:27 Look Nerdist, this is a Star Wars video. As much as I love it, you can't just throw in Star Trek engines at the end.

[@TheRunesmythe]

Interesting things to consider here with engine types. As for your "outro" (don't like that word-that's-not-a-word, but its works) I'd read somewhere that's what made lightsabers so dangerous to use without proper training and Force abilities; the lack of weight and resistance when swinging one was simply something an untrained, non-Force user couldn't accurately compensate for, at least not enough to make it viable, widely used weapon. It took years of training, Force sensitivity and Jedi reflexes to make a lightsaber a plausible weapon to take into battle.

[@schuylerdade]

My favorite part is always just Kyle yelling at the crew about related topics.

[@deusfromotf3119]

props for the Wilhelm Scream!

[@lulucreates2830]

When he mentioned anti-matter engines, I immediately thought of the matter/anti-matter engines of the Enterprise in Star Trek.

[@d.dementedengineerc99isurf26]

As did I.

[@RamdomView]

4:40 The Coca-Cola corporation was contracted to help design nuclear pulse drives because the nuclear devices used would be cylindrical, and since Coca-Cola already manufactured drink machines... 5:20 We've tested Nuclear Thermal drives.

[@wolverine8658]

great vid as always, I would like to see the same aproach on the SA-23E Mitchell-Hyundyne Starfury from Babylon 5

[@timogul]

It's been pointed out in the fiction that while a lightsaber blade is weightless, it produces a gyroscopic force, and this force resists rotation, essentially making it feel more or less like the blade has weight.

[@GnLeugim]

The thing is, for a space fighter (space only, not atmospheric one) there would not be dogfights, or at least as we know them and see them on SW or other movies. Dogfights are a result of how aircraft fly, they have to keep on moving for lift. In space you don't need that, you also don't need aerodynamics (little drag) Thrust would be needed in all axis of movement. In the end, space battles would end up looking like small gun platforms, strafing up and down, right and left rotating and shooting each other. Nontheless, great video ;)

[@GnLeugim]

oh wait, you've done a video about that xD

[@SoccerBoyAP]

9:54 - unless you are Darth Bane then your lightsaber is weightless!

[@jamesburleson1916]

You forgot about NTRs Nuclear Thermal Rockets. They use a fission reactor to heat, really any fuel to high temperatures before ejecting it out of the nozzle. The color of the exhaust is determined by the fuel used, for instance Hydrogen would make the nice red engine color. NTRs are more than capable of the thrust to weight necessary to achieve orbit and they have high enough specific impulse that a single stage to orbit with a usable payload. They might however, violate a few treaties about nuclear reactors in space.

[@JBTriple8]

Great Episode X-Wings are my favorite Spacecraft in fiction fun to Play on Star Wars Battlefront II as well

[@brooksd2617]

These are amazing please don’t stop

[@deusexaethera]

If I could design my very own starship, I'd build a Borg Cube -- not because I like the Borg, but because a cube is the most sensible shape for a spacecraft that can move in 3 dimensions. Just stick a bigass engine in the center of each face of the cube -- no need to rotate the spacecraft before you can accelerate or decelerate in any given direction.

[@DStrormer]

Very good episode. One question. Wasn't there some research into collecting naturally appearing antimatter from above thunderstorms? I know I remember reading something about that a while ago.