Heir to the Empire[]
"The TIE fighters launched, accelerating away from the Chimaera and then leaning hard into etheric rudders to sweep back around it like the spray of some exotic fountain." Timothy Zahn, Heir to the Empire, page 10. This directly contradicts the current text, which is stating that the etheric rudder was developed by the New Republic. It was probably reverse engineered by the Republic, but if it is present in ordinary TIE fighters by the time of the Thrawn campaign, it is highly unlikely that it was not developed by the Empire.
- Keep in mind "etheric rudder" was mentioned in the X-wing novels, which take place over a time period chronologically beginning 3 years BEFORE the Thrawn Trilogy takes place. Rogue Squadron picks up two years after the Battle of Endor while the end of the hunt for Zsinj in Allston's books leads directly into The Courtship of Princess Leia, set about a year prior to the Thrawn Trilogy. Ambaryerno 02:35, 10 June 2009 (UTC)
Principle?[]
What principle do these etheric rudders use? Are they simply a form of thrust vector control like the system used in the Mikoyan Project 1.44?
- I am of the understanding, as per Timothy Zahn in the Heir to the Empire: The 20th Anniversary Edition, Hyperspace is the same as the Ethereal Plane, where terms like "etheric", "ether", and "ectoplasm" refer to in one way or another. The same alternate dimension that does not conform to the laws of physics as does Realspace and allows faster-than-light propulsion necessary for interstellar travel. I am also of the understanding these devices operate in two dimensions simultaneously, Realspace and Hyperspace, and thus would logically produce sufficient drag/friction/traction to afford space transports the flight characteristics very similar to atmospheric aircraft. Likewise this drag/friction/traction is also the logical reason space transports lack infinite acceleration in the vacuum of space in the Star Wars Galaxy. I am now curious if I should include this information in the article? -- Frank V Bonura 03:25, August 1, 2018 (UTC)
Special Invention[]
- What source indicates that they're a special invention, rather than the control equivalent of the regular rudder pedals found on aircraft? jSarek 00:11, 28 October 2007 (UTC)