Well... the point is that both the films and the series have multiple examples of atmospheric flight, and one can't help wanting to explore the topic further. Recently, EC Henry on YouTube decided to calculate the drag coefficient for some of the most important ships in the Star Wars universe, and regardless of the differences, one thing is certain: they should stay in orbit.
If you've seen The Mandalorian, you might remember the Razor Crest landing on Trask... or should I say “splashdown” because Grogu, Mando, and their passenger ended up headfirst in the water. The scene also works as a small tribute to Apollo 13, but this is just an isolated example of spaceships operating in an atmosphere. Hoth, Dagobah, Cloud City, Naboo, Coruscant! Star Wars is no stranger to atmospheric flight, and that automatically raises a question: How good is the aerodynamics of its spaceships?
Star Wars Aerodynamics Are “Magical”
EC Henry on YouTube starts with a simple introduction: The drag coefficient of a cube is 1.05, that of a sphere 0.47, and a “tapered body” sits at 0.04. The ideal is to obtain a very low coefficient, as in the classic F-14 with 0.03. However, the simulator indicates that the X-Wing has a coefficient of 0.45, barely better than a sphere. The TIE Fighter is a horror at 0.98 (almost a flying brick), the TIE Interceptor doesn't improve much with 0.78, and the Y-Wing beats both with 0.68.
The “best cases” lead us to the ARC-170, which takes some details from real aircraft and has a coefficient of 0.39. The A-Wing has several models, but registers a coefficient of 0.17. Finally, the optimal example is (not surprisingly) the Royal Naboo N-1, untouchable in the hands of a skilled pilot. Its drag coefficient is 0.1, the lowest in the group, but still far from real aircraft.
