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The 008 heavy landspeeder was a combat landspeeder employed by the Galactic Empire.
Characteristics
Fast and maneuverable, the 008 heavy landspeeder was a useful addition to the Imperial arsenal. However, the 008 suffered one design flaw that was detrimental in battle: simultaneous firing of all its weapons caused the craft to become unstable. This was believed to be due to the twin aft cannons—which lacked the excellent microtronics of the forward counterparts—being forced to divert power from the lateral stabilizers.
Each speeder was eight meters in length, with a minimum crew of one pilot and one gunner. Standard armament included two rear-mounted fire-linked medium blasters and a forward fire-linked double laser cannon. Speeds of 315 kilometers per hour were possible and the landspeeder had a flight ceiling of three meters.
History
As of the Battle of Yavin the 008 heavy landspeeder was a new acquisition for the Imperial Army and was still undergoing test deployments on planets including Goroth Prime. There it quickly became a favorite of their pilots. Being a combat design the 008 heavy landspeeder was sold exclusively to militaries, namely the Empire's but, as with many kinds of technology, there were less-than-legal means of purchasing them.