In December of 2019, Walt Disney World opened the Rise of the Resistance attraction at its then-new "Star Wars": Galaxy's Edge area. What better way to celebrate than by partnering with Boeing's NeXt division to transform a pair of experimental garden shed-sized 20-by-17.5-foot drones into X-wings for the opening ceremonies? (Don't worry — if you missed them, you can see the Boeing X-wings on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.)
The Boeing CV2 Cargo Air Vehicle doesn't operate the way an actual X-wing starfighter would, of course. In "Star Wars," according to Wookiepedia, the T65B X-wing uses four 4j.4 fusial thrust engines. To power these engines, manufacturer Incom installs a Novaldex 04-Z cryogenic power generator and a set of cryogenic capacitors inside the S-foils. There also are four GBk-585 hyperdrive motivators for entering hyperspace. How else would you exceed the speed of light?
Boeing's X-wing, conversely, is an experimental drone with X-wing body cladding. But the underlying electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is still cool as far as real-world technology goes, with its six pairs of stacked propellers (12 total) providing redundancy in case one motor fails, as well as enough thrust to carry 500 pounds. Boeing NeXt started prototyping in 2017 and wind tunnel testing in 2018, completing 150 test flights by the following year.
While the CV2's future looked promosing, Boeing NeXt was shut down in 2020 after major financial hits because of Boeing's 737 Max grounding headaches and the COVID-19 pandemic. Maybe if they'd settled for some plain cubicles instead of pouring cash into HOK-designed offices with "liquid metal" ceilings, glass-plate coffee tables suspended from propellor nose cones, and flying-saucer lighting, they could have saved a few bucks.
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Point is, the CV2 eVTOL never entered production. According to Electric VTOL News, Boeing NeXt crafted "at least two" CV2s. This makes sense, since it crafted "at least two" X-wings. While Boeing's goal was to make large deliveries and intra-factory complex materials handling fast and cheap, Disney had entertainment uses in mind. Right, why revolutionize delivery speeds and lower transportation costs when we can create temporary diversion at a theme park?
Actually, a little positive public relations might be a smart way to break through general apprehension and skepticism toward drones and shed some of their stigma. When regular drones fall from the sky during a light show, it's scary. With drones the size of Volkswagens, it's more terrifying, so they need all the PR help they can get.
Even though the recent "Star Wars" movies and shows have had a mixed reception, to put it mildly, it's still exciting to see an X-wing fly overhead. However, Boeing's CV2 never had a chance to succeed in the marketplace. Maybe it could have if Boeing had taken advantage of the CV2's entertainment value before the 737 Max/pandemic problems. Thanks to Disney, the CV2 went from "obscure delivery tool" to "spaceship that brought childhood dreams to life." But after Rise of the Resistance's opening weekend, the parks never used them again. It feels like a missed opportunity to show how drones can be safe and useful.
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During those Rise of the Resistance flights, the CV2s were controlled by ground-based operators. But an Aviation Investigation Final Report from the National Transportation Safety Board details a June 21, 2019 "contingency landing" in Beeville, Texas in which a Boeing CV2 sustained "substantial damage." It states, "The pilot does not control the flight path, speed or attitude of the aircraft in flight, all flights are preprogrammed. The only ability the pilot or ground control station operator has to affect the flight is through contingency management via the 'abort to planned zone' (APZ), 'land now' or 'cut power' (terminate the flight) commands."
At first glance, it might seem like the CV2's operators aren't doing much more than babysitting, and a stray 1 or 0 in the drone's code can lead to catastrophe. But testing in a vast, fenced-off airport helps programmers identify bugs, and in the case of that Texas CV2 crash, the drone experienced unexpected high winds that messed with its navigation system.
Still, it's understandable when people have apprehension about autonomous drones. They act sort of like living things, but clearly aren't alive. A study on whether drones can enter the uncanny valley — that is, a feeling of unease as a robot comes closer to being human-like — found that the more animal-like a drone appeared, the more unsettling people found it.. A good example would be if Universal Studios dressed Boston Dynamics robots as Toothless from "How to Train Your Dragon" and let them loose in its park. But that would be silly, right?
Oh, and scientists are developing robots that can change their own batteries. Does that put you at ease?
