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Digger crawler

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Digger crawler
Production information
Manufacturer

Corellia Mining Corporation[1]

Model

Digger crawler[1]

Class

Wheeled[2]

Cost
  • 150,000 credits (new)[2]
  • 60,000 credits (used)[2]
Technical specifications
Length

36.8 meters[3]

Height/depth

20 meters[3]

Maximum speed

30 km/h[3]

Engine unit(s)

Girodyne Ka/La steam powered nuclear fusion engines[1]

Crew

46[2]

Passengers
Cargo capacity

50 tons[1]

Consumables

2 months[1]

Usage
Era(s)
Affiliation
[Source]

The Corellian Mining Corporation Digger crawler was a model of sandcrawler.

Contents

[edit] Characteristics

Digger crawlers were powered by ancient steam-powered nuclear fusion engines. Giant treads allowed them to cross difficult terrain. The crawlers had to be extremely stable to prevent the vehicle from toppling over when caught in powerful sandstorms, and were therefore the best way for the Jawas to cross the harsh deserts of Tatooine while avoiding attacks from Tusken Raiders who tended to stay away from these massive vehicles.

Sandcrawler schematics.

About half of a digger crawler's volume was devoted to cargo space—originally for ore, these areas were quickly retrofitted as storage areas to hold Jawa salvage. The rest of the vehicle contained workshops for tinkering with and repairing technology found among the dunes.

Captured droids and equipment were pulled into the storage areas via an extendable magnetic suction tube formerly used for drawing ore. A retractable front-loading hatch also allowed the Jawas to claim larger materials. Any reclaimed scrap was added amid the maze of junk spread throughout the cluttered hold, or melted in the giant central smelting area.

The vehicle's bridge, located on top of the sandcrawler, was surrounded by a series of tiny windows. The clan's chief could often be found in this command center, which provided an excellent view of the desert. Scouts also kept watch for glints of metal that might indicate hidden treasure, aided by scanners and metal detectors. Only a small amount of the crawler was used for the crew, and Jawas often slept six in a cabin the size of an average humanoid's closet.

Digger crawlers required a lot of repair-work and over time many took on altered appearances as parts were added or replaced, as such some looked completely different or may have had varying capabilities. One popular modification were the addition of crane-arms, top mounted or extended out side panels.

[edit] History

A digger crawler.

The digger crawlers were brought to the planet by Corellian miners who hoped to find ore resources on the planet. When this plan backfired, they were abandoned along with the rest of the mining equipment.

These sandcrawlers came to be used by the native Jawas for the following millennia as scavenging and peddling vehicles. As a result, the crawlers became an important component of Jawa society, providing a home and a transport for scouring the desert in search of the droids, wrecked starships, and scrap metal that their economy thrived on.

Traditionally, half of a given Jawa clan would remain in their village or desert fortress, while the other half would reside within a sandcrawler to support the rest. While the tank-like vehicle's thick armor plating provided significant protection, a sandcrawler could be disabled by several well-aimed blaster shots.

Because of their age, the sandcrawlers required constant repair, although many moisture farmers noted that their Jawa owners seemed to be capable of maintaining them forever. Sandcrawlers were rarely seen together, though they convened annually at mysterious Jawa swap meets in the Dune Sea. At these clandestine gatherings, numerous clans would commune to exchange scraps, sell droids, buy technology, or even arrange inter-clan marriages.

In 14 ABY, during a mission to Tatooine, Jaden Korr had to negotiate with a few Jawas, and got into a digger crawler. Jaden retrieved an R5 astromech droid, amongst a pile of other disabled droids.

[edit] Behind the scenes

The original concept art for the Sandcrawler was possibly inspired by Hotel du Lac in Tunisia. These assumptions are taken because of the extreme resemblance the hotel has with the vehicle. And since filming largely took place in Tunisia, this is unlikely to be a coincidence.

Concept art by Ralph McQuarrie.

The name "sandcrawler" may be inspired by sandwalkers, an Arab mythological creature that roams the desert at night, stealing camels, and only leaving crab-like tracks. The Jawa's stealing of droids may be similar to the sandwalkers' stealing of camels.

During filming of A New Hope, only the bottom part of the sandcrawler was built for close-up scenes in the Tatooine desert. The moving shots of the sandcrawler was realized through a miniature remote-controlled model.

A blue sandcrawler appears in an episode of the Cartoon Network TV show The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. However, the sandcrawler in the episode is under the possession of a similarly blue Tusken Raider (who is uncharacteristically friendly to the show's protagonist) rather than Jawas.

During the end credits of the documentary The Beginning: Making Episode I, a series of short clips are shown from The Phantom Menace with visual jokes added in by ILM. In one clip, a sandcrawler is seen racing a Podracer in the Tatooine desert.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Non-canon appearances

Wookieepedia has a collection of images related to Digger crawler.

[edit] Sources

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Arms & Equipment Guide
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Star Wars: Behind the Magic
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