Republic PR-8 “Parasite” Speeder
Custom design (1/72)
♦ Completely original design/story
♦ Rotating blasters
♦ Slide-
♦ Retractable landing leg
♦ Attached to AF Republic Gunship
♦ Poseable Clone Pilot
The Build
I built a similar model many years ago when AMT re-
It was near the end of completion that I decided to make it a “parasite” fighter similar to many German and American WWII designs. The idea was that a large carrier plane would fly near a battle zone, at which time the pilots of the “parasites” could release themselves to fight. The Republic Gunship seemed an ideal candidate, so I made a modified launch rack that I could attach to the lower missile racks without drilling or gluing anything to the existing gunship.
Backstory
With the success of heavier speeder bikes, such as the BARC, the Republic commissioned Aratech to design a heavy assault speeder capable of withstanding high atmospheric pressures. The idea was to attach speeders to the underwing racks of an LAAT/i Gunship (one per wing), which would launch once a cruiser entered a planet's atmosphere. Then, these parasite fighters would detach and launch independently of the gunship, thus providing planetary escorts.
After several failed attempts, Aratech designed the PR-
The single engine of the Parasite Speeder allowed high speeds, but required external flaps to control movement. While these steering veins provided excellent maneuverability, they became useless if damaged. To compensate for the extreme heat the engine produced, two cooling vents were added to either side of the vehicle, with an additional vent attached to the canopy. This third vent also cooled the cockpit and produced breathable air for when the vehicle reached a low altitude.
Armament consisted of two heavy rotating blaster cannons powered by a single forward generator. The rotation of these blasters coupled with the targeting systems afforded the pilot extreme deadly accuracy. However, this heavy offense was the only real defense the speeder had. The Parasite was vulnerable from the underside and carried no shielding whatsoever. This was expected of such a small vehicle, but meant the pilot had to selectively attack the most threatening targets first, then provide cover for other vessels.
The Parasite was a direct response to the heavy gunship losses due to Separatist anti-
Due to the cost and limited adaptability, the Parasite Speeder never saw full-