Class-6 escape pod
The Class-6 escape pod was a standard emergency craft created by Corellian Engineering Corporation and used on many of their designs, such as the CR90 corvette.
Characteristics
The Class-6 escape pod was equipped with four escape thrusters, and several maneuvering thrusters positioned around the pod.
Each pod could carry up to six individuals and was fitted with a viewscreen connected to externally mounted holocameras.
The escape pod was designed to accommodate only living passengers.[2]
History
During the first battle of Tatooine in the Galactic Civil War, the Corellian corvette Tantive IV was captured and boarded by the Imperials. Meanwhile, R2-D2 — the astromech droid onboard, who carried the stolen plans of the first Death Star — overrode a Class-6 escape pod's computer to allow mechanicals to enter. R2-D2 and C-3PO, his protocol droid companion escaped the beleagered Tantive IV in the pod and crash landed on Tatooine with it.[2]
Imperial escort carriers utilized by Storm Commandos also carried Class-6 escape pods, or another escape pod of a similar make.[3]
Behind the scenes
The escape pod model constructed for A New Hope was built by Industrial Light & Magic in one week. It was a rush job that consisted of two one-gallon paper paint buckets stuck on top of each other. The top one was truncated, but the bottom one was left whole. Lorne Peterson was one of the modelmakers involved with this project.
During the Wedge Campaign mission Relics of Geonosis, several escape pods were seen ejected from Sarkli Piett's Imperial escort carrier and littered around on Geonosis that were given a similar design to the Class-6 escape pods, although it was not made clear if they were intended to be Class-6.
Appearances
- "When the Desert Wind Turns: The Stormtrooper's Tale"—Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina
- Empire 8
- Star Wars Journal: Captive to Evil
- Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope novel (First appearance)
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope junior novel
- Star Wars (1977) 1
- Droids (1986) 6
- Super Star Wars
- File:SWG logo sm.png Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
- The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader (Indirect mention only)
- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
Non-canonical appearances
- LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Non-canonical appearance)
- LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (Non-canonical appearance)
- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (Non-canonical appearance)
Sources
1977 Topps Star Wars Series 3 (Card: The Escape Pod is jettisoned!) (backup link)
Star Wars (Pack: Land of the Jawas playset) (backup link)- Artoo Detoo's Activity Book
- Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game (Picture only)
- The Star Wars Sourcebook (Picture only)
- Star Wars Sourcebook, Second Edition (Picture only)
- Star Wars Screen Entertainment
- Star Wars Technical Journal of the Rebel Forces (as Corellian Corvette Escape Pod)
- Star Wars: The Power of the Force (1995)
Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Premiere Limited- The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
- Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive
- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide
Visual Guide Chapter 4: Artoo's Mission on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)- Millennium Falcon Owner's Workshop Manual (Picture only)
- File:StarWarsLCG Logo.png Star Wars: The Card Game – Edge of Darkness (Card: The Tatooine Crash) (Picture only)
