Backwards tailslide

"Let me show you a trick—a backwards tailslide."

―Poe Dameron, to Kazuda Xiono —

The backwards tailslide was a starfighter maneuver in which the user would briefly drift next to an asteroid before throttling their ship and blasting off away from the asteroid. A pilot would perform the maneuver by piloting their starfighter into an arc-like movement, avoiding the asteroid themselves and causing pursuers to crash. The maneuver was utilized by both Resistance Commander Poe Dameron and Resistance spy Kazuda Xiono during the investigation of a G-class freighter in an asteroid field near the planet of Castilon in 34 ABY.

Description[]

"Ha, see what I did there? Adjust the stabilizers, engage the throttle, and pull back on the stick."
"I can do that in my sleep."

―Poe Dameron and Kazuda Xiono —

Listen (file info)^[1]

BackwardsTailslideXWing2 — A TIE fighter is destroyed after an X-wing starfighter pilot performs the backwards tailslide.

The backwards tailslide was an evasive starfighter tactic utilized to redirect pursuing combatants into asteroids, primarily by piloting a fighter into an arc above an asteroid. The maneuver was performed by first adjusting the fighter's stabilizers and then engaging the throttle before pulling back on the ship's control stick, causing it to arc upward, briefly drifting next to the asteroid before blasting off and forcing pursuing craft to crash into the asteroid. However, failing the maneuver could also result in the starfighter itself colliding with the asteroid and thus scraping or otherwise damaging its hull.^[1] The maneuver could also be performed with slight modifications.^[3]

History[]

"Don't worry CB-23. I know what to do."
[CB-23 warbles]
"Trust me. I can do this! I hope."

―Kazuda Xiono and CB-23 —

Listen (file info)^[1]

BackwardsTailslide-SignalFromSectorSix — Kazuda Xiono successfully performs the backwards tailslide.

At some point, a pilot flying a T-70 X-wing starfighter outmaneuvered a TIE/fo space superiority fighter via the backwards tailslide, causing the TIE fighter to collide with a nearby asteroid and explode.^[4] T-70 X-wings were especially adept at performing the maneuver, and notable pilots skilled in the maneuver included Temmin Wexley and C'ai Threnalli.^[5] In 34 ABY,^[2] during the Cold War between the First Order and the New Republic,^[1] the Resistance pilot and Commander^[6] Poe Dameron demonstrated the maneuver to Resistance spy Kazuda Xiono using a T-70 X-wing starfighter in an asteroid field near the planet Castilon. Xiono attempted to replicate the maneuver in his own X-wing twice but failed both times, scraping his starfighter on asteroids. Xiono stated after the first attempt that he had gone too fast and not given himself enough time to arc, while on the second attempt, Dameron told him that he was overthinking it.^[1] He attempted a slightly-customized^[3] version of the maneuver once more when the two were ambushed by Warbird gang pirates and forced to split up. Xiono successfully used the tactic to outmaneuver the pirate pursuing him, after which he escaped alongside Dameron as the remaining pirate also fled.^[1]

Behind the scenes[]

The backwards tailslide first appeared in "Signal from Sector Six,"^[1] the seventh episode of the first season of the Star Wars Resistance animated television series which premiered on November 11, 2018.^[7] The maneuver was first previewed on September 14 in a trailer to introduce the Ace Squadron, which was posted on the official Star Wars YouTube channel.^[8] It was indentified as the backwards tailslide when the episode premiered.^[1]