Star Wars Fan Builds His Own Jet-Powered Landspeeder
If you grew up while the original Star Wars trilogy was in the pop culture ether, you probably at [...]
If you grew up while the original Star Wars trilogy was in the pop culture ether, you probably at one point or another wished you had that cool-but-crappy-looking landspeeder that Luke uses in the first movie. It's got a great design and, let's be honest, kids will ride pretty much anything once. That there was never a full-sized version is arguably not surprising, but the lack of riding versions for kids is probably a hole in the market given how completely the Star Wars brand has managed to capture kids' imagination and space on retail store shelves since its inception.
Anyway, YouTuber and builder Colin Furze created a full-scale replica, complete with a jet engine, using parts he bought on eBay. The online auction site sponsored the video, so let this be a lesson to you: if you do cool enough crap with it, you might be able to get eBay to pay for your eBay purchases.
This is not Furze's first rodeo as far as Star Wars is concerned: he already constructed a huge Imperial Walker and a TIE Fighter more or less the same way. And, as with almost everything Star Wars, his bit came in the form of a trilogy...this time, with the final installment coming out just in time to capitalize on enthusiasm about the final installment of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The film will be in theaters later this month.
For now, though, you can enjoy the majesty -- and the almost-hitting-his-head-on-a-piece-of-plexiglass -- of Furze taking his practical, eBay-powered, jet-engine-powered landspeeder out for a little drive. And they said the Star Wars fandom was no fun anymore. Ha!
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, Keri Russell, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, and Carrie Fisher.
Are you excited about the end of the decades-long Skywalker Saga? Let us know how you feel about it in the comments. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens in theaters on December 20th.
Star Wars is also headed to the Disney+ streaming service. The Mandalorian is now streaming on DIsney+. A show following Obi-Wan Kenobi is in the works, with Ewan MacGregor returning to the role. A series about Rogue One's Cassian Andor is also in development.