YouTube channel Hacksmith Industries specializes in attempting to replicate technology seen in movies and TV with as much accuracy as possible in the real world. From a working Back to the Future hoverboard to a flaming Ghost Rider skull helmet, holding back clearly isn’t in their nature. So it’s only natural they would eventually attempt to bring some of the sleek and shiny tech seen in The Mandalorian into reality.
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After creating picture-perfect replicas of the helmet and spear wielded by titular Mandalorian Din Djarin (played by Pedro Pascal), the team set their sights on something a bit more ambitious: the jetpack. People both professional and… less so have been attempting to create such a feat of technology ever since the first drunk person said, ‘hey, what if people could fly?’ Unfortunately, there are reasons this particular breakthrough has eluded science for so long, and the Hacksmith crew admitted they couldn’t feasibly manufacture an actual working flying machine, at least not the size of the piece seen in The Mandalorian.
What they could do, however, was fabricate a stunningly faithful replica of the dazzling piece of tech from The Mandalorian, with even some aesthetically accurate flamethrowers coming out of swiveling nozzles at the bottom. This wasn’t just some fragile cosplay-style pack cobbled together from insulating foam. They cut out sheet metal, welded it all together, and managed to fit small fuel tanks in there for the flamethrower portion, all without compromising the screen-accurate look. A little circuit board shoved in there also allowed for control of the whole rig, just like Djarin himself did in the sow (minus the actual flying, unfortunately).
Fan recreations are too often more like interpretations rather than perfect replicas, so when a team goes above and beyond like Hacksmith Industries, it really stands out. Not content to be like the rest, there’s clearly a reason they’ve amassed almost 12 million subscribers, and they’re not even done with their Mandalorian series yet. Star Wars fans should certainly watch their career with great interest.
Season 3 of The Mandalorian is still a ways off, and there’s plenty of speculation to be had about it. But for now, watching a team of talented individuals like this blur the line between fantasy and reality certainly seems like a capital way to pass the time.
The Mandalorian is now available on Disney Plus.
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Source: Hacksmith Industries/YouTube
