The Air Alderaan StarSpeeder 1000 was a modified StarSpeeder 1000 spaceliner used by interstellar travel agency Star Tours to operate passenger flights between 2 to 0 BBY. It was named after the Core World planet Alderaan as well as Air Alderaan, the official spaceline for the Imperial Senate, which was a fellow member with Star Tours in the Galactic Tourist Bureau.
Description
Sturdy and trapezoid-shaped, the Air Alderaan StarSpeeder 1000 was a spin-off of the original Star Tours StarSpeeder 1000 passenger liner, uniquely designed[1] and named after the Core World[3] planet of Alderaan[1] between 2 to 0 BBY.[4] It could accommodate up to forty passengers at a time. Both sides of the Starspeeder 1000 featured five automatic doors that provided access to the rows of seats, while its exterior was painted light grey with a red Aurebesh letter Aurek and its front side sported a Star Tours logo. An astromech droid was also loaded into a proper socket outside of the ship.[1]
The transport was equipped with advanced hyperdrive and deflector shield systems as well as two flash cannons and two concealed laser cannons, a defensive armament to be used in case of safety-threatening encounters. It was crewed by a pilot, an astromech droid and a systems analyst.[1]
History
The Air Alderaan StarSpeeder 1000 was flown exclusively by the interstellar Star Tours travel agency sometime before 0 BBY.[2][5]
Behind the scenes
The StarSpeeder 1000 Spaceliner Collection
- "We've been working on the Star Tours toys for about two years now. During the past two years, we have had a great relationship with Walt Disney Imagineering. They provided us with tons of reference material for the Starspeeders and other new characters. That partnership helped us capture wonderful details including the tiny droids seen on top of each of [the Starspeeders]."
- ―Disney Product Developer for Toys and Games Brad Schoeneberg
The Air Alderaan StarSpeeder 1000, along with StarSpeeder 1000, Bespin Direct StarSpeeder 1000, Dantooine Express StarSpeeder 1000, Naboo Spacelines StarSpeeder 1000 and Tatooine Transit StarSpeeder 1000 were first revealed at Celebration V, the seventh Celebration in the series of Star Wars fan conventions sponsored by Lucasfilm, held in August 2010.[7] It was later introduced on The Walt Disney Company website in 2011 as a papercraft model[8] based on the original StarSpeeder 1000 first introduced in the Star Tours: The Adventures Continue simulator ride theme park attraction located at Disneyland in California and Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida. The ship was also released in the same year by Hasbro in the StarSpeeder 1000 Spaceliner Collection, a set of die-cast toys for the Star Wars: Star Tours toy line.[6][7]
The StarSpeeder 1000 Spaceliner Collection, along with the Star Tours toys released, were developed over a two year period, during which the designing team consulted reference material provided by Walt Disney Imagineering that allowed more detailing on the toys.[6]
According to a Star Tours: The Adventures Continue poster sign, only Star Tours flew StarSpeeder 1000s, which confirms Star Tours ownership of this vessel.[2][5] The Japanese version, however, indicated that it was part of a separate company which was affiliated with Star Tours via the Galactic Tourist Bureau.
Sources
Star Wars: Star Tours toy line (Pack: StarSpeeder 1000) (backup link) (First mentioned)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15
Star Wars: Star Tours toy line (Pack: StarSpeeder 1000) (backup link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
- ↑ Star Wars: Empire at War: Prima Official Game Guide
- ↑
Convenient Daily Departures: The History of Star Tours on StarWars.com (backup link) (original link is obsolete)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1
IMG_0659 on EndorExpress (backup link)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Star Tours – These Are The Souvenirs I'm Looking For on the Disney Parks Blog (backup link)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Disney Collector Panel reveals new details, toys for Star Tours 2 at Star Wars Celebration V by Rick Brigante on www.insidethemagic.net (August 13, 2010) (backup link archived on June 2, 2013)
- ↑ Star Tours StarSpeeder Fleet on family.go.com (backup link archived on July 28, 2013)
