Luke Skywalker's Mini RC Landspeeder

Ever wanted to zip around your living room in Luke Skywalker’s X-34 Landspeeder? Now you can — this project combines a fully 3D-printed landspeeder shell with a modular print-in-place RC chassis that I designed to be reused for future models.

Why This Chassis?

I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel every time I designed a new RC model, so I built a universal, easy-to-print RC chassis as the base.

• Print-in-place design – no crazy assembly required
• Cheap & simple – about $30 with WiFi electronics, or $60 with a full RC transmitter/receiver setup
• Repair-friendly – no over-complication, easy to swap parts
• Best for indoors & smooth concrete – it’s a fun driver, not a rock crawler (no suspension)
• Scalable – chassis is ~140mm long, while the Landspeeder shell is ~250mm

Two Ways to Drive

1. Traditional RC Setup
   • Standard transmitter & receiver
   • Brushed ESC
   • Steering servo
   • 130-sized motor
   • Costs about $60 with Transmitter (plus battery if you don’t already own them)
2. WiFi Control with D1 Mini
   • D1 Mini ESP8266 + my Arduino code
   • Control via the RemoteXY app (iOS/Android)
   • Super simple: flash the D1 Mini, open the app, and my control layout is ready to go — no coding needed
   • Brushed ESC
   • Steering servo
   • 130-sized motor
   • Costs about $30 total

👉 Arduino sketch available on GitHub:
RC Landspeeder ESP8266 RemoteXY Project

Printing & Build Notes

• Chassis prints mostly support-free (a little stringing around the front turnbuckles, but that’s it)
• Adding a few tree supports works fine if you want a cleaner finish
• Uses 8mm x 2mm round magnets for easy access – no fiddly screw mounts or complex clips, just snap-fit with magnets
• Powered by a Bambu Lab 2S Li-ion battery, but you can use any 2-cell Li-ion or LiPo pack

Why Not CyberBrick?

CyberBrick is neat, but it’s expensive and restrictive:

• Uses only 030 motors → slow and underpowered
• Feels more like a robotics kit than an RC model platform
• Harder to scale up to fun, mid-sized vehicles like this Landspeeder (~250mm long)

This project keeps things cheap, modular, and expandable — once you have the transmitter and batteries, adding a new vehicle is only about $15–$25 in extra electronics.

Bill of Materials (BOM)

Common Parts

Option 1: D1 Mini (Wi-Fi RemoteXY Version)

Option 2: Traditional RC Version

Assembly Instructions

1. Rear Axle & Bearings

• Start with the rear bearing holders (the sockets at the back of the chassis).
• If there’s any stringing from bridging, clean it up with a file or snips.
• Press-fit two bearings into each side.
• Slide the axle in from the right rear, through the spur gear (it sits in the chassis cutout), and into the left side bearings.
• Place the three U-clips on the axle:
  • One on each side of the spur gear.
  • One on the inside of the right bearing.
    These are friction fit and just keep things aligned.

• Add the rear wheels and secure them with M2.5 × 6mm screws.

   

             

2. Front Axles

• Take a front axle, slide a bearing on it, and insert it into the steering knuckle from inside to outside while the knuckle is turned outward.
• Press the outer bearing into place.
• Attach a wheel with an M2.5 × 6mm screw.
• Repeat for the other side.

3. Servo Installation

• Insert the steering servo with the spline shaft facing forward and down.

• Use the included self-tapping screws to secure it.

   

   

4. Electronics (D1 Mini Wi-Fi Control)

• Flash the D1 Mini with the included firmware (see [GitHub link] for details).
• Cut the servo and ESC plugs off. Strip the red and black/brown wires.
• Twist the two red wires together, and the two black/brown wires together.
• Tin and solder the red pair → 5V on the D1 Mini, and the black pair → GND.
• Solder the servo signal wire → D1.
• Solder the ESC signal wire → D2.
• The ESC’s BEC powers the servo directly, so no strain goes through the D1 Mini.

• Mount the ESC and D1 Mini with VHB tape and tidy up the wiring.

   

       

RemoteXY Setup:

1. Download the RemoteXY app (Android/iOS).
2. Add a new device → choose Wi-Fi point.
3. Look for the network Landspeeder.
4. No password
5. Once connected, the app interface will appear and you’re ready to drive.

5. Electronics (Standard RC Controller Option)

• Plug the steering servo into Channel 1 on your receiver.
• Plug the ESC into Channel 2.
• Mount the receiver and ESC with VHB tape.
• Bind the receiver to your transmitter (follow your brand’s manual).

6. Motor & Pinion Gear

• Solder the ESC motor wires to the motor tabs.
  • If it runs backwards, just swap the wires.
• Press the pinion gear onto the motor shaft.
• Mount the motor in the chassis: the flat side of the housing locks in place.

• Check the pinion and spur gear mesh.

   

7. Power

• For a clean setup, swap the ESC connector to match the Bambu Lab battery pack (so you can use their USB charger).
• Double-check all wiring for shorts before plugging in.
• The ESC has a switch — you can either keep it, or bridge the pins to have power always on.

8. Wheels & Tires

• Slide the rubber tires onto the wheels.
• Remove the rear ones if you want to do burnouts, donuts, or drifting.

9. Landspeeder Body

• Assemble the Landspeeder shell:
  • Use the pins for the engines.
  • The middle engine strut uses the thinner 3mm pins.
• For attachment:
  • Use 8mm × 2mm round magnets (no screws or complicated mounts).
  • Fit 2 magnets per chassis post and 1 per body hole.
• The magnets make it easy to remove the body for battery swaps or maintenance.

10. Finishing Touches

• Paint or weather as you like. A bit of silver Rub ’n Buff on the side grill looks great, even without full weathering.
• Slide the body on, check fit, and you’re ready.

Final Step: Take it out, cruise the Dune Sea, and pretend you’re a certain moisture-farming kid dreaming of adventure.