From what I've heard Star Wars is still using tech from thousands of years prior, and while there are innovations, older craft can still compete with newer craft. So how old is the Millennium Falcon? In the real world you can use a 747 for about 20-40 years (depending on use and the quality of repairs/maintenance). The Falcon seems to be a pile of junk, by the time Han solo has it, other than being extremely fast.
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1Legends acceptable?– Null ♦Commented Mar 25, 2015 at 14:33
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13She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid.– phantom42Commented Mar 25, 2015 at 14:34
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@null everything is open for this– HimarmCommented Mar 25, 2015 at 14:34
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2You want real world old? The last B-52 bomber rolled off the assembly line in 1962. 50 years later (and with many upgrades and modifications) the US is still flying those airframes as their primary front line bomber and plans on it through 2040... 80 years!– SchwernCommented Mar 25, 2015 at 15:06
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@Schwern yeah i know where still using some pretty old f16's, and until that new design theyve been working on for the last 10 years is finally done, they will continue using these f 16s lol.– HimarmCommented Mar 25, 2015 at 15:09
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1 Answer
At the time of A New Hope:
Canon - 51+ years
According to the Millennium Falcon IncrediBuilds book, she's been flying the friendly skies for over ninety years by the time of the First Order (emphasis mine):
There are legendary ships, and then there's the Millennium Falcon. For over nine decades, this YT-1300 freighter has sailed across the stars, doing so much more than hauling cargo. Under captains like Lando Calrissian and Han Solo, she's been involved in notorious gambling exchanges and epic smuggling capers. She's outraced kilometer-long star cruisers and holds an unconfirmed record for the Kessel Run. She's even helped topple the Galactic Empire and played a part in winning desperate battles against the First Order.
If we make the assumption that this is dating from the time of The Force Awakens (which seems reasonable), then the Falcon would have been built no later than 24 years before the events of The Phantom Menace1. Since A New Hope takes place 27 years after The Phantom Menace, the Falcon would have been at least 51 years old in that film.
Legends - 60 years
The first chapter of the 2008 novel Millenium Falcon depicts her first day off the assembly line, in the year 60 BBY:
CORELLIAN ENGINEERING CORPORATION ORBITAL ASSEMBLY FACILITY 7
60 YEARS BEFORE THE BATTLE OF YAVIN[...]
Kantt swung back to the transparisteel pane. The droid hadn't moved and was probably continuing to pump fuel into YT 492727ZED.
[...]
"That YT," he added when Kantt glanced at him. "A hero's birth if I ever witnessed one. When has that happened?"
Kantt made a face. "It's a freighter, Bon. One of a hundred million."
Bon grinned. "If you ask me, more like one in a hundred million."
Star Wars: Millenium Falcon Chapter 1
So the Falcon is 60 years old in A New Hope.
1 According to Leland Chee, Return of the Jedi took place 36 years after The Phantom Menace, and The Force Awakens took place 30 years after that. (36+30)-90 = -24
answered Mar 25, 2015 at 14:33
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6@Null There's a "Han shot first" joke in there, but I'm not going to make it Commented Mar 25, 2015 at 14:38
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2Is there confirmation that YT-1300 in RotS is the Falcon in-universe, and not just another random YT-1300? Commented Mar 25, 2015 at 14:45
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4@phantom42 According to Wookieepedia, Lucas did confirm this. Unfortunately the page they cite has been taken down, so I'm trying to find another source Commented Mar 25, 2015 at 14:45
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3@SaturnsEye How do convert my cat's age to spaceship years?– LexibleCommented Mar 25, 2015 at 15:33
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3@Lexible Subtract 9, multiply by 42, convert to parsecs, and blend on medium until slightly crisp. Commented Feb 8, 2016 at 4:09