R2-D2 has had plenty of heroic moments in the Star Wars films, animated series, and comics, but he’s never taken center stage quite like this before.

According to the team at io9, Corridor Digital has released an impressive new fan film that puts R2-D2 in control of an X-Wing fighter as he attempts to outrun and outfly Imperial TIE Fighters. The short incorporates GoPro footage from Rotor Riot’s racing drones, which were filmed chasing each other and crashing. Additionally, 3D-printed cockpits were created for the X-Wing and TIE Fighters, which were digitally added to the film along with a rousing musical score.

It’s an amazingly fun piece that has just enough real touches to make it more convincing than some of the fully CGI dog fights that we’ve seen. The stop motion animation of the stormtroopers and R2 was a great touch, and the reveal of the villain at the end of the video was also a very amusing.

The ending of the video also features a few glimpses of the making of the short, which Corridor Digital  and Rotor Riot expanded into a standalone 20 minute behind-the-scenes piece. In the video posted below, you can see some of the unaltered drone footage, and the many crashes. The team also reveals how they achieved the look of their 3D-printed objects as well as the CGI models that they integrated into the finished footage.

What did you think about this Star Wars drone dog fight video? Ready primary targeting systems and share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Image: Corridor Digital