Tantive IV
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| First appearance | Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker (novel) (1976) |
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| Affiliation |
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| General characteristics | |
| Class | Corvette (modified CR90/CR70 corvette) |
| Armaments |
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| Defenses | Shield generators |
| Length | 150 metres (490 ft) |
The Tantive IV /ˈtæntɪˌvi/ (also referred to as the Rebel blockade runner) is a fictional spaceship in the Star Wars film series. It was used by Leia Organa in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and was the first vessel audiences saw when Star Wars premiered in 1977. Other Corellian corvettes, which share the Tantive IV's design, appear in Return of the Jedi and in the Star Wars expanded universe's books, comics, and games.
The ship's design stems from initial concepts for the Millennium Falcon. When Space: 1999 featured a ship called an Eagle Transporter with an appearance similar to the Industrial Light & Magic's Falcon design, the modelmakers redesigned the Falcon and adapted the initial design for the Tantive IV. The revised model was scaled down, with replacements for outsized components and a different cockpit. This also explains the 194-centimeter model's intricacy, which would have been necessary for depicting the prominent Falcon. Although not visible in the first Star Wars film, modelmakers hung a miniature Playboy centerfold on the cockpit's starboard bulkhead. The Tantive IV was the last model completed for the film.
The model was altered slightly for Return of the Jedi, with the addition of windows along the ship's spine and larger weapons. These modifications were removed in the 1990s. The Republic cruiser in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was designed to be reminiscent of the blockade runner's shape.
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