Stuck on a desert planet with two blazing suns and an unseemly reputation? Might as well blast around in a hovering hot rod! But you only have 2,500 galactic credits, what vehicle do you choose? The SoroSuub Corporation X-34 Landspeeder, of course!
The X-34 Landspeeder was Luke Skywalker’s transportation of choice while he was stuck on the Outer Rim planet of Tatooine before he joined the Rebel Alliance and learned the Jedi arts. Andy Cohen of iBestTravel and owner of Andy’s Auto Parts in Bladensburg, Maryland, is a lifelong Star Wars fan and has always wanted an X-34 of his own. However, movie props like that don’t grow on trees, so he had to make one himself. Fortunately, he’s friends with Tommy Bostic of Damascus Motors, another big Star Wars fan and master fabricator. One Halloween not too long ago, they built their own X-34 Landspeeder. But first, some (fictional) history.
History of the X-34 Landspeeder
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away … there was a galactic vehicle manufacturer that made a popular personal landspeeder. That manufacturer was SoroSuub Corporation, and that landspeeder was the X-34. The X-34 was a 3.4-meter-long, repulsor-lift hovercraft capable of reaching speeds of up to 155 mph that comfortably sat one pilot and one crew. It featured holographic instrumentation, easy-to-use foot controls, and three air-cooled turbine thrust engines. Capable of up to one meter of levitation, the X-34 could easily glide over rough terrain in style! Unfortunately, after the release of the X-38, resale values dropped considerably, which was good news for young, bored, and broke galactic hot-rodders.
How ILM Built the Real X-34 Landspeeder for Star Wars: A New Hope
The original X-34 was constructed by the British company Ogle Design and was based on a Bond Bug—a three-wheeled, fiberglass-bodied microcar sold in Great Britain between 1970 and 1974. The Bond Bug, designed for two, had a 29-hp engine and could reach speeds of up to 76 mph, similar to popular sedans of the time. However, its impracticality and relatively high price tag made it more of a fashion statement than a functional family vehicle.
To achieve the hovering effects seen in A New Hope, Industrial Light & Magic attached mirrors to the skirts of the X-34 and mounted a broom to kick up dust (referred to as the “force spot” by George Lucas) for distant shots. Up close, it was mounted on a large swingarm that could be edited out or hidden using clever camera angles. Additionally, a little gelatin on the camera lenses helped to enhance the effect. Since Luke Skywalker wasn’t just any well-to-do politician’s son from Coruscant, the X-34 was painted to give it a weathered and patina’d appearance, resembling a galactic rat rod.
How to Build a Replica X-34 Landspeeder
Building a replica X-34 isn’t impossible if you know the right person, like Daniel Deutsch—a master prop maker for Disney in Orlando, Florida. He built his own replica X-34 in 2007, which gained popularity through the internet. Consequently, Tommy reached out to Daniel, who was more than happy to assist the iBestTravel team in creating their own X-34 body using his highly detailed, handmade mold.
The bodywork is the challenging aspect, even with Daniel’s expertise. Fiberglass chop mat is sprayed into individual pieces of the five-piece mold, after which the mold needs to be assembled with fiberglass chop to connect the parts. The entire assembly requires several days to cure and be de-molded properly. Once that is accomplished, transporting the body can be tricky—Tommy had to remove six inches off one wing of his X-34 to fit it into his van!
Once back in Maryland, the next step was to harvest the running gear (minus one front wheel), motor and battery from an electric golf cart. Moreover, creating the distinctive windscreen posed a challenge. Tommy had to carefully suspend a sheet of plexiglass over strategically placed and adjusted propane heaters to achieve the correct curvature. The structure is held together with a simple yet sturdy aluminum tube chassis, and voila! After a little paint, some LED lights, and simulated patina, Andy and Tommy were ready to roll in Skywalker style!
