User:82 Airborne
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[edit] Non-Boxen
Hi, I'm Eight-Two Airborne. No, not part of that famous division. I've made a number of edits to Wookieepedia, but they were unregistered. I might post a "personal story" here later. I've also read a large number of Star Wars books.
Favorite author: tie between Timothy Zahn, Aaron Allston (love the humor), and Matthew Stover.
Favorite starfighter: TIE Defender
Favorite capital ship (1.6 km and below): Tie between Venator, Providence, and Impstar Deuce
This user supports the NJO over the prequel.
Real-life: I've discovered Wookiepedia since just after it was moved from Wikicities. However, I did not start taking a professional interest in it until fairly recently. The "82 Airborne" account was not added until September 2006. Before this, I have made contributions using a variety of IP addresses-most actively 75.31.22.136. I have read most of the X-Wing novels (but not comics) and a number of NJO novels, plus many pre-NJO's.
The first Star Wars book in the EU I've read is Starfighters of Adumar. I had just watched the movies, and I wanted to read a novel where the main character was someone at least vaguely familiar. Hence, Wedge Antilles. Hence, my interest into the EU...
Then came The Truce at Bakura, the rest of the X-Wing series (not including the Admiral Zsinj storyline), and many more Star Wars EU novels.
[edit] Top Seven Technologies That I Think Are Underexploited
- Disruptors-disruptors are very powerful, no doubt. They are supposedly short-range only-but that's not necessarily true. After all, the DXR-6 rifle was very useful as a long-range sniper weapon. Scale it up a few times, and you have yourself a very powerful anti-capital ship weapon.
- Rotary Blasters-The Z-6 was a bit of a failure only because of its non-man-portability. However, its fast rate of fire means that it would make a great emplaced weapon. Once again, scaled up a few times, it could potentially drive the quad laser cannon and the point-defense laser cannon out of business. Perhaps, disruptors could be mounted instead of regular blasters, for a very powerful punch.
- Large-scale Ion Cannons-we've all seen a few ion blasts from a planetary ion cannon disable an Impstar Deuce. Now, since Booster Terrik was able to mount a superlaser on his Errant Venture, which used more power than a v-150, it's conceivable that mounting a streamlined ion cannon on the scale of a v-150 can be fitted to the spine of an Imperial or a Victory. That would give it one huge-ass anti-shipping weapon. Or, for that matter, a planetary turbolaser.
- Inertial Missiles-Proton torpedoes and concussion missiles gave their position away by the bright propellent trail, which really isn't necessary. Pack a torpedo or missile with plenty of high explosives, and let its momentum carry it into range, guided by a few puffs of oxygen or nitrogen gas. Then, when it's within a few decameters of its target, light up the energy casings and the propellent. By that time, it would be too late for evasion.
- Stealth Technology-the StealthXs were painted a flecked matte-black, which rendered them hard to see. It is hard to see why this wasn't implemented into earlier fighters-most of the dogfighting is visual-based, which means that such a color scheme would be nearly invisible. Add some jammers, duct the engines, use missiles like those described above-and there goes a semi-stealthy fighter, far less expensive than a StealthX.
- Slugthrowers-Yes, you read right. Most blasters are inaccurate and short-ranged out to less than a hundred meters, and the blasters that can reach that far (i.e. DC-15) are too long to be convenient. There are the long-range blasters (like the real-world long rifles) and the fast rate of fire, short-range rifles (like the submachine guns of real life). No wonder the troops are trained to spray and pray. Now, encase an explosive small-caliber round in energy, like a bowcaster, use a magnetic driving force, like a coilgun (or even a plasma-based propellent, for that matter), add a repulsor-based recoil dampener, and you have a very powerful rifle. Considering that a modern rifle like a M-16 can hit out to around 300 meters, and that, even cased in plasma, the rounds are invisible and far faster than a blaster bolt, plus the explosive capability, this type of weapon can prove more useful and lethal than a blaster.
- Bomblet generators/Concussive Energy Generators-I think that these are the same thing on different scales; I'm not sure. The former was seen on Nym's Havoc; the latter was mounted on the Imperial Heavy Repeater. In either case, the device fires orbs of concussive energy that goes boom upon contact. A very useful device, I think, especially given the concussive generator's fast rate of fire. Unfortunately, they aren't much seen elsewhere...