Britain’s mad scientist built a life-size TIE Silencer from ‘The Last Jedi’

By Mark Austin December 10, 2017

I Built a FULL SIZE Tie Fighter/Silencer

Colin Furze is a certifiably insane inventor with millions of subscribers to his YouTube channel, where he posts videos that embrace the very definition of “don’t try this at home.” In the past, he’s built a fully operational thermite cannon, a microwave that becomes a video game console, and even a home-built hoverbike that he piloted around the countryside. He was even featured on Top Gear, when he modified an amusement park bumper car to set a speed record.

For his newest project, he wanted to do something really big. But what’s a guy to do when he already has a life-size AT-ACT Walker in his back yard? After his last project, eBay challenged him to create a life-sized replica of a TIE Silencer fighter from the latest Star Wars film The Last Jedi.

The blueprints for something like that can’t be found just laying around, so Furze did the next best thing. “We were sent a TIE silencer toy via eBay,” Furze explained to Empire Online. “We measured this toy, and just scaled everything up.”

When completed, the massive replica was 46 feet long and 14 feet high. After it was built, the team moved it to the front lawn of a historical landmark, the Burghley House in Stamford, for the public to enjoy.

They got everything they needed for the project from eBay, apart from the steel frame. It took a team of up to five people about six weeks to build. Furze doesn’t have any special qualifications for what he does, he just has an avid interest in gadgets and construction. “In theory, I still am a plumber,” Furze told Empire Online in an interview from the build site. “Because it’s the only thing I’ve got qualifications for.”

Joining him on the project was James Bruton, a robot engineer, who created an authentic replica of the BB-8 droid. Using only parts from eBay, Burton created the droid using 3D-printed parts, balancing weights, and an internal magnet.

With more Star Wars films on the way, what’s next for Furze? “It’d have to be pretty big,” he said. “They’ve just announced three more films, right? That’s three more potential projects!”

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Mark’s first encounter with high-tech was a TRS-80. He spent 20 years working for Nintendo and Xbox as a writer and…

Deals

The 11 best Father’s Day deals that you can get for Sunday

Data from a workout showing on the screen of the Apple Watch Series 8.

Father's Day is fast approaching and there's still time to buy your beloved Dad a sweet new device to show him how much you love him. That's why we've rounded up the ten best Father's Day tech deals going on right now. There's something for most budgets here, including if you're able to spend a lot on your loved one. Read on while we take you through the highlights and remember to order fast so you don't miss out on the big day.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 -- $200, was $230

While it's the Plus version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 that features in our look at the best tablets, the standard variety is still worth checking out. Saving your Dad the need to dig out their laptop or squint at a small phone screen, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 offers a large 10.5-inch LCD display and all the useful features you would expect. 128GB of storage means plenty of room for all your Dad's favorite apps as well as games too. A long-lasting battery and fast charging save him the need for a power source too often too.

Deals

The Apollo wearable is proven to help you sleep better (and it’s on sale)

Apollo wearable worn during sleep in bed.

This content was produced in partnership with Apollo Neuro.
Stress, anxiety, and insomnia are all concerning things that just about everyone struggles with at one time or another. Maybe you can sleep, fending off insomnia, but you lack quality sleep and don’t feel rested in the morning. Or, maybe when it’s time to kick back and relax, you just can’t find a way to do so. There are many solutions for these issues, some work, and others don’t, but one unlikely area of support can be found in a modern, smart wearable.

Medicine is the obvious choice, but not everyone prefers to go that route. There is an answer in modern technology or rather a modern wearable device. One such device is the Apollo wearable, which improves sleep and stress relief via touch therapy. According to Apollo Neuro, the company behind the device, which is worn on your ankle, wrist or clipped to your clothing, it sends out waves of vibrations to help your body relax and reduce feelings of stress. It's an interesting new approach to a common problem that has typically been resolved via medicine, therapy, or other more invasive and time-consuming techniques. The way it utilizes those vibrations, uniquely placed and administered, to create a sense of peace, makes us ask, can it really cure what ails us? We’ll dig a little deeper into how it achieves what it does and what methods it’s using to make you feel better.

Space

What comes after Webb? NASA’s next-generation planet-hunting telescope

An illustration shows how NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory would measure the atmosphere of distant planets.

When it comes to building enormous, complex space telescopes, agencies like NASA have to plan far in advance. Even though the James Webb Space Telescope only launched recently, astronomers are already busy thinking about what will come after Webb — and they've got ambitious plans.

The big plan for the next decades of astronomy research is to find habitable planets, and maybe even to search for signs of life beyond Earth. That's the lofty goal of the Habitable Worlds Observatory, a space telescope currently in the planning phase that is aimed at discovering 25 Earth-like planets around sun-like stars.