INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Boeing might be taking the last crucial steps to prepare for its first crewed Starliner capsule spaceflight, but it also busy turning
sci-fi into reality right here on Earth & by helping Disney build X-Wing large-scale starfighters to celebrate the opening of the ‘Rise of
the Resistance& ride at Disney World in Florida.
Earlier this week when the ride opened during an evening ceremony, X-Wings &roughly the
size of a family van& flew over the event, as described by The Drive, which first identified earlier spy shots of the vehicles as
potentially being based on Boeing aerial cargo drone
Boeing has since confirmed its involvement, but they aren&t providing more info than that the X-Wings were indeed their aircraft.
In the
clip below, you can see the X-Wings ascend vertically into the night sky, then hover and rotate before heading out
Don&t go squinting to see if you can spot Poe Dameron at the controls, however & these are unpiloted drones based mostly likely on the Cargo
Air Vehicle design Boeing has recently shown off, which sports six rotors (you can see them in close-ups of the X-Wing included in the
gallery at the end of this post).
Astute observers and Star Wars fans will note that the X-Wings feature the split-engine design introduced
in the T-70 variant that are flown by the Resistance in the current trilogy, as opposed to the full cylinder engine design on the T-65 from
That makes perfect sense, since the Rise of the Resistance ride takes place during an encounter between the Resistance and the First Order
during the current trilogy timeline.
As for Boeing CAV, it recently completed a three-minute test flight during which it demonstrated
forward movement, after flying outdoors during a hover test for the first time earlier this year
The cargo drone is designed for industrial applications, and can carry up to 500 lbs of cargo, but it still in the testing phase, which
makes this Star Wars demonstration even more interesting.
[gallery ids="1921346,1921347,1921348,1921349"]
