Tycho
07-29-2008, 08:13 AM
I was considering how well the PT helped establish the evolution of the starfighters, or if it did at all.
TPM
We just saw N1's (with hyperspace engines up front) and Vulcher Droid Fighters.
AOTC
The Jedi were using Delta-7 fighters that resembled mini-Star Destroyers. I need to check references to see who made these, but they're reminscient of Kuat Drive Yards' larger military transport ships.
The Geonosian Fighters used ion engines that were later incorporated in other vehicles.
The Republic Gunship added "S-foil" sort of wings to the arsenal and looks a little like Incom's style. Not sure though.
The Separatist Gear won't stay too relevant throughout the Star Wars saga, but whoever is supplying the laser power is shooting red (versus green), thus implying that the Tabanna gas or something being used is later a supplier for the Rebellion. Both factions fought to overthrow the government - one to Separate, and one to Restore the Republic, dissolving the Empire.
The AT-TE might be Balmorra Industries which later produced the AT-ST and AT-AT I believe. Anyway, the walkers have their own evolutionary line with many design variants like the AT-AP and the AT-RT.
CLONE WARS
The V-19 Torrent Starfighter continues with the large wing S-foil type of ship. The design might also relate to the Lambda class shuttles and landing ships, due to the center wing configuration.
Anakin modifies his Delta-7 style fighter to add hyperdrive engines, as the ships are otherwise dependant on front-loading hyperspace rings, adding engines to them, reminscient of the Naboo N-1s.
ROTS
The Jedi Starfighter has evolved a better cockpit cannopy one assumes, with the "eye-ball" style which will be used again in even more modern ships.
Someone like Raith Sienar must have been eyeballing the Torrent, though I don't believe it actually was Sienar. And the V-wing resulted by putting solar pannels on the S-foil wings of fighters and switching to ion drives to power them. Hyperdrives were not included on these interceptor crafts.
Incom's high point in working WITH the government was probably the ARC-170 fighter. Its non-solar-powered S-foils split into multiple stabalizer wings and the craft had multiple uses as a bomber, a flying fortress, and a fighter. Incom would later leave government contracts behind it and most of its staff would defect to the Rebel Alliance.
ANH
Incom's arrival with the Rebellion brought with it the X-wing fighter. A smaller version of a fighter ship like the ARC-170 with all the firepower controlled by a single pilot in the craft versus a larger crew. The X-wing proved a very superior fighter.
The Y-wing was unrelated to other ships.
Sienar's TIE Fighters were the natural evolution of the "eyeball cockpit" merged with the V-wing's solar powered S-foils and ion engines. They were mass-produced to overwhelm attackers and enforce patrol zones, with no hyperdrives and no shields. Like a lot of Imperial gear - it was made on the cheap, to dominate by numbers versus technology (in a fighter anyway).
The Star Destroyer continued to evolve from Kuat Drive Yards changing and altering designs from the Republic Cruisers and so forth.
ESB
The AT-AT was the pinnacle of the walkers, but if 4 legged machines were faster than 6 legged ones, they were less stable and vulnerable to grappling harpoons.
The Snowspeeders were converted air speeders made to operate in cold weather. They're unrelated to other craft.
The Twin Pod Cloud Car seems to have some resemblance to Geonosian Fighter technology.
The TIE Bomber continued the TIE program.
ROTJ
The TIE Interceptor was the answer by the Empire to pack more firepower onto fighter ships. Now a TIE could carry missiles and fire quadrangled lasers from the wing tips, equaling the firepower of an X-wing. The Interceptor was the most deadly of the government sponsored starfighters when it attacked in numbers.
The A-Wing might be related to the old company who manufactured the Delta-7 Jedi fighters, it has similarities, but improves the design with more firepower and hyperspace engines, plus more manueverablitily with its flight flaps.
The B-wing was a joint effort of the Mon Calamari and ex-Incom employees to take a design like the X-wing's, and convert an s-foil ship into a very powerful assault fighter capable of flying in multiple formations and carrying a wide variety of armaments. I'm not sure if B-wings can out-perform X-wings in all areas concerned, but they definitely carry much more firepower.
I would say the OT ships DID improve on designs until you arrive at the X-wing and the TIE Interceptor. B-wing fans can make a case, but I'm not altogether sure about that. I prefer the X-wing.
TPM
We just saw N1's (with hyperspace engines up front) and Vulcher Droid Fighters.
AOTC
The Jedi were using Delta-7 fighters that resembled mini-Star Destroyers. I need to check references to see who made these, but they're reminscient of Kuat Drive Yards' larger military transport ships.
The Geonosian Fighters used ion engines that were later incorporated in other vehicles.
The Republic Gunship added "S-foil" sort of wings to the arsenal and looks a little like Incom's style. Not sure though.
The Separatist Gear won't stay too relevant throughout the Star Wars saga, but whoever is supplying the laser power is shooting red (versus green), thus implying that the Tabanna gas or something being used is later a supplier for the Rebellion. Both factions fought to overthrow the government - one to Separate, and one to Restore the Republic, dissolving the Empire.
The AT-TE might be Balmorra Industries which later produced the AT-ST and AT-AT I believe. Anyway, the walkers have their own evolutionary line with many design variants like the AT-AP and the AT-RT.
CLONE WARS
The V-19 Torrent Starfighter continues with the large wing S-foil type of ship. The design might also relate to the Lambda class shuttles and landing ships, due to the center wing configuration.
Anakin modifies his Delta-7 style fighter to add hyperdrive engines, as the ships are otherwise dependant on front-loading hyperspace rings, adding engines to them, reminscient of the Naboo N-1s.
ROTS
The Jedi Starfighter has evolved a better cockpit cannopy one assumes, with the "eye-ball" style which will be used again in even more modern ships.
Someone like Raith Sienar must have been eyeballing the Torrent, though I don't believe it actually was Sienar. And the V-wing resulted by putting solar pannels on the S-foil wings of fighters and switching to ion drives to power them. Hyperdrives were not included on these interceptor crafts.
Incom's high point in working WITH the government was probably the ARC-170 fighter. Its non-solar-powered S-foils split into multiple stabalizer wings and the craft had multiple uses as a bomber, a flying fortress, and a fighter. Incom would later leave government contracts behind it and most of its staff would defect to the Rebel Alliance.
ANH
Incom's arrival with the Rebellion brought with it the X-wing fighter. A smaller version of a fighter ship like the ARC-170 with all the firepower controlled by a single pilot in the craft versus a larger crew. The X-wing proved a very superior fighter.
The Y-wing was unrelated to other ships.
Sienar's TIE Fighters were the natural evolution of the "eyeball cockpit" merged with the V-wing's solar powered S-foils and ion engines. They were mass-produced to overwhelm attackers and enforce patrol zones, with no hyperdrives and no shields. Like a lot of Imperial gear - it was made on the cheap, to dominate by numbers versus technology (in a fighter anyway).
The Star Destroyer continued to evolve from Kuat Drive Yards changing and altering designs from the Republic Cruisers and so forth.
ESB
The AT-AT was the pinnacle of the walkers, but if 4 legged machines were faster than 6 legged ones, they were less stable and vulnerable to grappling harpoons.
The Snowspeeders were converted air speeders made to operate in cold weather. They're unrelated to other craft.
The Twin Pod Cloud Car seems to have some resemblance to Geonosian Fighter technology.
The TIE Bomber continued the TIE program.
ROTJ
The TIE Interceptor was the answer by the Empire to pack more firepower onto fighter ships. Now a TIE could carry missiles and fire quadrangled lasers from the wing tips, equaling the firepower of an X-wing. The Interceptor was the most deadly of the government sponsored starfighters when it attacked in numbers.
The A-Wing might be related to the old company who manufactured the Delta-7 Jedi fighters, it has similarities, but improves the design with more firepower and hyperspace engines, plus more manueverablitily with its flight flaps.
The B-wing was a joint effort of the Mon Calamari and ex-Incom employees to take a design like the X-wing's, and convert an s-foil ship into a very powerful assault fighter capable of flying in multiple formations and carrying a wide variety of armaments. I'm not sure if B-wings can out-perform X-wings in all areas concerned, but they definitely carry much more firepower.
I would say the OT ships DID improve on designs until you arrive at the X-wing and the TIE Interceptor. B-wing fans can make a case, but I'm not altogether sure about that. I prefer the X-wing.