Flare-S swoop

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Size:
  3 meters long

• Type:
  Swoop

• Manufacturer:
  Mobquet

• 

From the Movies

A more elegant example of the typically crude swoop design, the Flare-S swoop has more in common with speeder bikes than its overpowered brethren. A single-seater bike with a curved chassis, the Flare-S swoop can be found on Outer Rim worlds such as Tatooine.

From the Expanded Universe

A swoop is a dangerously overpowered model of speeder bike popular in cutthroat racing circuits in the galaxy. Often described as little more than "an engine with a seat," swoops incorporate a repulsorlift unit, an advanced turbothruster engine, and very little else. Some swoops can attain speeds approaching 600 kilometers per hour, and can even reach the upper atmospheres of standard worlds, though such high-flying necessitates the use of pressurized and climate-controlled flight suits.

Swoop racing has largely replaced Podracing as the most popular high-speed spectator sport in the galaxy. The Empire invested untold credits in the construction of swoop tracks and sanctioned races can be found from the Core to the Outer Rim.

In the farthest reaches of the Rim, swoop culture has led to the growth of terrifying outlaw bands that use their swoops as symbols of their gangs and as raiding craft. The notorious Dark Star Hellions and the Nova Demons are known for their piracy and murderous ways.

The Mobquet Flare-S is a hybrid of speeder bike and swoop, and considering its intent for the consumer market, offers more safety features than its outlaw cousins. Heavier than the lean racing craft found elsewhere, the Flare-S features a curved and reinforced chassis that helps hold the swoop together during turning maneuvers. Forward control vanes support a central repulsor pod that helps distribute repulsor energy, giving the pilot a greater degree of control. Despite these features, the Flare-S is considerably more difficult to operate than a standard speeder bike.

Behind the Scenes

The Flare-S swoop was developed for the extended Mos Eisley sequences in the Special Edition of A New Hope. An entirely computer-generated creation, the film's sole Flare-S was operated by a cone-headed driver that some development sketches jokingly referred to as "Born to Hover." Though designed for the 1997 re-release of Star Wars, the Flare-S was first revealed in the Shadows of the Empire multi-media adventure. The Flare-S design was resurrected and modified for the swoop's brief appearance in Episode I.