AN 'EMPIRE' AT 40: BACK IN THE EMPIRE's SIGHTS...

Still avoiding Imperial pursuits in and out of the asteroid field.

The space slug escape has now seen the Falcon back in the targeting scopes of the Empire, as the Star Destroyer Avenger gives chase. The hyperdrive should be fixed but soon proves to be malfunctioning again, to the chagrin of Han Solo and the anger of Chewbacca.

"It's not fair..."

A selection of behind the scenes shots from the continued filming of cockpit scenes set in the cramped Falcon set at Elstree.

The expanded but still cramped Falcon cockpit pit set at Elstree, atop a raised platform for camera access.

A great image of a pensive Leia, later used by artist Al Williamson in the Marvel Comics adaptation of the film, during the asteroid cave entry scene.

Anthony Daniels in the cockpit for a rehearsal.

A penny for her thoughts?

"You don't know what it's like being stuck in there, they get you up in the cockpit and you can't get out. You're surrounded by blue screens, lights, Vista Vision cameras, lots of trucks and the whole bit. It starts getting on people's nerves. Peter and Tony are two guys working in costumes that are really hot and uncomfortable. I was on the Swamp Planet set and decided to walk over to their sound stage. You could feel the tension as you walked on the set. You could cut it with a knife. Tony's all upset because he's not going to put his headpiece on until Carrie gets her last little hair in place because he knows when they say, We're ready, Carrie, It's going to take her ten minutes to get up into the spot and get everything going. Darn it, I missed it. But another time Harrison went berserk and took a saw and started sawing the Falcon!. Harrison just went, 'That's it'. and started sawing. The Millennium Falcon is made out of wood. It looks like metal the way they paint it up. It looks real nice. Everyone was saying, 'You tell him to stop. No, you tell him. I'm not going to tell him. Excuse me, Mr.Ford, will you stop destroying our set?' I missed that day. I heard it was great."

Mark Hamill recalls the woes of filming on the Falcon cockpit set to Questor magazine - August 1980

Fisher and Daniels once again have fun behind the scenes.