AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: TAKING OUT THE POWER GENERATOR!

The enemy's objective in destroying the Rebel power generators has been spectacularly achieved, but General Veers has no time to savour the victory, as he and his pilots are killed in a kamikaze run by the last Rebel Snowspeeder, piloted by the injured Hobbie (played by Richard Oldfiend, in scenes shot at Elstree). A pyrotechnics scene filmed without Julian Glover and using doubles in the UK (from an ILM storyboard listed/planned as 20th July 1979), was mixed with animatics in early editing but ultimately cut from Empire for pacing reasons during the post production phase (the filmed exploding cockpit Walker model footage ultimately transfer used to Luke's earlier belly bomb destruction of one of the metal beasts). The idea of a suicidal Rebel fighter craft crashing into an Imperial ship was resurrected to great success for the death of another important Imperial officer, Admiral Piett, during Return of the Jedi's epic space battle, three years later.

2026: Updated filming info provided by Frazer Diamond.

Veers watches the explosion. Film images: Star Wars Screen Caps.com

Storyboard as Hobbie crashes into Veers cockpit.

Hobbie's (Richard Oldfield) damaged speeder heads towards Veers' Walker.

Filmed by the UK Second Unit under the eye of Harley CokEliss on August 15th, 1979, doubles (including stuntmen Peter Diamond and Colin Skeaping) watch the blue screen as Hobbie's speeder heads towards them and the foreground of the set detonates with pyrotechnics.

Call sheet filming info.

Script page from Frazer Diamond/Facebook.