Millennium Falcon Spaceship (SW)

The Millennium Falcon was one of the first “OH MY GOD MOM AND DAD I HAVE TO HAVE THAT” Star Wars toys. It was a vehicle, but because of its size it was also a playset. Most kids really need both hands to fly it too – they need friends to “attack” it with TIE Fighters.

This vehicle had it all – let us count the ways:
- a lowering ramp
- lowering struts
- the top cover and cockpit cover came off to play inside it
- the cockpit still fit two figures in it alone (yeah, I know, in the film it seats 4)
- top quad guns with a connected gunner’s chair
- rotating radar dish
- electronic sounds (not really movie authentic, but SOUNDS!)
- a Jedi training ball
- smuggler panels to hide figures in
- an actual dejarik table (the space chess thing)

I originally got the Falcon from a garage sale, and despite some missing pieces (everyone seems to lose the Jedi training ball) I deemed it awesome.

The Falcon came out in SW, ESB, and ROTJ boxes, each time changing the picture to something relevant. On the SW box, it was surrounded by stormtroopers. On the ESB box (which dropped “Spaceship” from the name) it was a Cloud City scene with appropriate figures. On the ROTJ box it appears to be on Tatooine with characters from Jabba’s. It also has Nien Nunb strangely enough. The Tatooine scene may be referring to a deleted scene where the gang made it back to the Falcon during a sandstorm on Tatooine.

Why should you own this vehicle? Five reasons:

1. All those cool features listed above.

2. It is the ultimate showpiece: everyone recognizes what you have displayed, you don’t have to explain it.

3. It’s the Falcon, man. It made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs!

4. You can fly the thing, or just have Chewbacca fix it with tool from the Maintenance Energizer.

5. Vehicle and playset. Ooooh, yeah.

Backstory:

The Falcon started life as a Correlian Engineering Corporation built YT-1300 stock light freighter. It was about 60 years old by the Battle of Yavin, even appearing in Revenge of the Sith (in the scene where they crash land on Coruscant). It was damaged sometime after and was heavily rebuilt by an enterprising technician. It was stolen by a pirate, and eventually won in a sabacc tournament by Lando Calrissian about five years before the Battle of Yavin. Later, Han Solo won it from Lando in another game of sabacc, and used it for smuggling. He was boarded by Imperials shortly before the Battle of Yavin and had to jettison his cargo for Jabba the Hutt. It was instrumental in the Battle of Yavin and the destruction of Death Star II.

It has many modifications, including jamming equipment and faster engines. Armaments include a hidden laser, a top and bottom quad laser cannon, and concussion missile launchers (which took out the second Death Star). The Falcon is still serving as primary transport for Solo and family in the novels.