No strings or CG here; it’s all science and craftsmanship.

For the most part, Japan gets its science fiction fix from domestic sources. Between Gundam, Evangelion, and a host of other made-in-Japan giant robot anime and video game series, there’s not a whole lot of room for foreign franchises to flourish.

The exception, though, is Star Wars. New releases in the saga are major movie events in Japan, with demand strong enough to ensure they actually premiere in Japanese theaters at roughly the same time as they do overseas. Rogue One opens in Japan on December 16, and so Japanese Twitter user @HanakiMasatoshi decided to celebrate by building a model of Star Wars’ Millennium Falcon. Oh, and to help his stand out from all the other models of the iconic starship that have been built by fans over the years, he built one that levitates.

@HanakiMasatoshi achieved the amazing effect by using a magnetic levitation system from Dutch company Crealev that allows the object to hover 70 millimeters (2.8 inches) above its base.

▼ The floating portion, prior to having the Millennium Falcon built around it.

This is actually @HanakiMasatoshi’s second time building a floating reproduction of Han Solo’s pride and joy, having previously put together a model that levitated at a more modest height last year, around the time The Force Awakens debuted.

With the Star Wars franchise planning to release a new film every December until at least 2019, hopefully we’ll also be seeing annual updates to @HanakiMasatoshi’s flying fan tributes.

Source: IT Media
Featured image: Twitter/@HanakiMasatoshi