Revealed - Why didn't R2-D2 use his hover rockets in the OT.

[Beast]

The latest Holonet news explains why R2-D2 doesn't seem to have the leg feature during the OT timeframe. Apperantly his warrenty on them expired, and they were swapped out. Pretty funny, but the Holonet News is official cannon for the movies. :D

IA Caps Droid Rocket Warranty at 20 Years

RORDIS CITY, NUBIA - Rescinding previous consumer documentation that guaranteed a "lifetime" of reliability in their after-market astromech hover rockets, Industrial Automaton has now capped the warranty at 20 standard years. This decision affects all optional R2, R3 and R4-adapted leg-bracket and barrel-housed propellant rocket systems. IA is instead recommending feature swap outs after 20 years, regardless of actual logged hours of operation. The decision stems from a costly out-of-court settlement IA paid to a Sump port worker injured by a falling droid. CEO Julynn Kentas was light-hearted in deflecting media accusations of consumer fraud. "The term 'lifetime' has always been vague at best," she said. "Twenty years is still a long time. That's almost two Devlikk lifetimes, after all."

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[Battle Droid]

Interesting, they would've came in handy for our little Droid in the OT though. :)

[Pendo]

I think he uses them in ANH, just off screen. When Ben, Luke and co. see the Millennium Falcon for the first time. You see R2 strugling to get down the stairs, then the screen pans away but a second later he is down on the ground. There is no way that little Astro Droid could get down there that fast, without his rockets :D.

PENDO!

[Battle Droid]

Maybe he fell down the stairs? lol :D

[Jargo]

He does a butt slide down all the steps :crazed:

[Rogue II]

Originally posted by EMPEROR JARGO
He does a butt slide down all the steps :crazed:

Oh gee, I can see it now....Hasbro is proud to present its next EU figure- X-Games R2-D2: with street luge and rollerblade features.:rolleyes:

[bigbarada]

Nice way for the official site to CLA (Cover Lucas' ***).

Aren't we supposed to see Artoo climb some stairs in Ep2?

[Amanamike]

Im suree George will have it explained in episode 3, especially if we all get on the case of this and how it wrecks the originals, or he will do what the one guy said, he will use his rockets to get down stairs on ANH and they will put that scene in on the next re release of the trilogy wiht extra footage again

[bigbarada]

I don't think Artoo having rockets in Ep2 will wreck the original films. There is a 24 year gap between Ep2 and Ep4 thus it is only natural that not all of Artoo's parts would be fully functional. How many cars from the 1960's that you know of, that have been driven everyday, still work as well as they did when they rolled off the factory floor? Probably none. Plus, if Artoo is getting passed on from master to master and is involved in the Rebellion, I highly doubt they would concern themselves with his booster rockets if he is only needed to help pilot starfighters.

It's not a big deal and poses no continuity problem.

[JediTricks]

I thought we saw R2-D2 walking down stairs in the docking bay 94 entering scene of ANH using 2 legs and nothing else.

[pthfnder89]

Originally posted by JediTricks
I thought we saw R2-D2 walking down stairs in the docking bay 94 entering scene of ANH using 2 legs and nothing else.

Hmm.. I'm not sure which part you're refering to. I thought Docking Bay 94 was flat.

Parsonally the only inconsistancy that bothers me about R2s rockets is his seeming lack of mobility when Luke first takes pssesion of him in ANH. "Oh, I guess you're too small to run away from me if I take this (the restraining bolt) off huh?"

It's seems like if the booster rockets were standard on all astromechs (or even a popular option) Luke would have been more careful when taking off the restaining bolt.

I like the idea that the rockets simply wore out over the years though. It makes sense, and the droids owners might have just removed them altogether and fitted R2 with some more useful tools in the rockets place.

[Rogue II]

Originally posted by pthfnder89
I like the idea that the rockets simply wore out over the years though. It makes sense, and the droids owners might have just removed them altogether and fitted R2 with some more useful tools in the rockets place.

I like the wear and tear story the best. He could have been out of fuel as well.:rolleyes:

[JediTricks]

pthfnder89, it's in a scene that was originally cut but added back to the film for the SE, I believe. Watch when Jabba's just left and "the gang" are walking into the docking bay from the side.

[Jargo]

I can confirm that too. Luke and Ben are just walking into the bay as Luke says "what a piece of junk!" and right before that there's a shot of Threepio getting to the bottom of the steps and R2 is just seen behind him waddling from one step to the other sort of leg over leg. How he balances his chubby feet on the narrow steps I don't know but he definately steps down a single step as if he's walking. Probably had kenny inside with his feet stuck out the bottom or something.
If he has all these gizmos inside him that are modular then it goes without saying that they're optional extras much like a car stereo in base models is optional and extra. An owner picks the tools for the jobs the droid will be occupied in. Presumably the boosters are for starship repairs to the Naboo royal and diplomatic vessels. We've seen R2 roll onto the top of the starship but that was using some kind of gravity or magnetic pull to keep him secure while the ship was in flight. If the ship was stationary he would have used the booster rockets to get round the hull and do the job faster.
On Geonosis he uses the boosters he's equipped with for a purpose other than that of his repair duties but equally necessary.
After the prequels and in the intervening years he passes from owner to owner and is no doubt refitted for the tasks he's required to do. This is probably not including external repairs to vessels so he doesn't need the expensive booster rockets or expensive fuel. he's fitted with more utility arms and tools suitable to military use perhaps or illicit data transfer and retrieval. I'm summising and hypothesising here but I think it makes sense. I don't think that R2 having rockets in the prequels ruins his appearance in the OT. I think his ability to get down stairs by waddling should be redressed though as that's just plain silly. :)

[JediTricks]

It's definitely Kenny in there, you can almost always tell because when Kenny's in there, the "feet" are connected to the "body" by 2 silver accordian tubes where Kenny's legs went.

[Amanamike]

I like the "Out of gas" theory. Maybe he just cant carry that much fuel?? Oh well I dont care still is a cool shot of him flying ove3r the gap there.