turbolaser

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Manufacturer:
  Taim & Bak

• 

From the Movies

The surface of both Imperial Death Stars were dotted with heavy weapon emplacements, including immense turbolaser towers. These defenses were designed against large scale threats, such as capital ship attacks, and were too ponderous to track fast-moving vessels such as Alliance starfighters.

Similar weaponry of a smaller scale was employed aboard the Millennium Falcon, and the Trade Federation battleships of a generation previous.

From the Expanded Universe

Heavy ship weapons require immense power in order to cut through the dense armor and deflectors they're designed to counter, as well to punch through planetary shields and similar defenses. To that end, turbolasers are equipped with turbine generator and capacitor banks to build up and store the necessary energy required to make a super-charged laser blast. Turbolasers often have cryogenic components to help cool the weapon in between firings as well. Because of the time required to build up energy, turbolasers have a lower rate of fire than standard laser cannons in return for its increased firepower.

Behind the Scenes

The turbolasers seen in the films are readily recognizable by their characteristic recoiling sleeved barrels. The ones on the Death Star's surface were built at various scales to accommodate effects filming. Some laser cannons were motorized, and up to 41 centimeters tall or larger, while others stood 19 centimeters tall.