TIE fighter

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This article is about the fictional spacecraft. For the LucasArts computer game, see Star Wars: TIE Fighter.

TIE fighter
Star Wars vehicle
A pair of standard TIE/LN starfighters
First appearanceStar Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker (1976 novel)
Created byColin Cantwell
Information
Affiliation
Made bySienar Fleet Systems
Sienar-Jaemus Fleet Systems
Auxiliary vehicles
Ejection seat
General characteristics
ClassSpace superiority fighter
ArmamentsSFS L-s1 laser cannons (2)
Maximum speed
  • 4,100 G (maximum acceleration)
  • 1,200 km/h (746 mph; maximum atmospheric speed)
  • 100 MGLT (megalight per hour; subluminal speed)
PropulsionSFS P-s4 Twin Ion Engines
PowerI-a2b Solar Ionization Reactor
Length7.2 meters (23 ft 9 in)
Width6.7 meters (21 ft 11 in)
Height8.8 meters (28 ft 11 in)
Population volume1 pilot

The TIE fighter or Twin Ion Engine fighter is a series of fictional

Star Wars expanded universe
. Several TIE fighter replicas and toys, as well as a TIE flight simulator, have been produced and sold by many companies.

Origin and design

Colin Cantwell created the concept model that established the TIE fighter's ball-cockpit and hexagonal panels design for Star Wars (1977).[1] Star Wars creator George Lucas liked the basic design consisting of two panels connected by a stick with a ball-shaped cockpit, but Cantwell's concept had few details.[1] Joe Johnston created additional details, such as the cockpit window and the attachment points between the solar panels and the hull.[1]

Initially given a blue color scheme, the TIE fighter models for the first film were grey to film better against a bluescreen; TIE fighters in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) shifted back to being a muted blue. Sound designer Ben Burtt created the distinctive sound of the TIE fighter in flight by combining an elephant call with a car driving on wet pavement.[2] In the book The Sounds of Star Wars, the engine roar is likened to German Junker Ju 87 "Stuka" bombers, which used sirens to frighten civilians during air raids. This could have been a possible inspiration for the sound. Combat scenes between TIE fighters and the Millennium Falcon and Rebel Alliance X-wing fighters in Star Wars were meant to be reminiscent of World War II dogfight footage; editors used World War II air combat clips as placeholders while Industrial Light & Magic completed the movie's special effects.[3] Darth Vader's distinct TIE Advanced x1 in Star Wars was designed to make it instantly recognizable,[4] and the TIE Interceptors featured in Return of the Jedi were designed to look fast, deadly, sleek and frightening.[1]

The

Jedi starfighter, created for Revenge of the Sith (2005), was designed to bridge the appearance of the Jedi starfighter in Attack of the Clones (2002) and the TIE fighter design from the original trilogy.[5] The V-wing starfighter, seen at the end of Revenge of the Sith, also makes the distinctive TIE fighter sound when flying by a Star Destroyer. Dark Horse Comics' Sean Cooke designed the TIE predator for Star Wars: Legacy (2006), set 130 years after the events of Star Wars, to appear both reminiscent of and more advanced than the original TIE fighter.[6]

Designers for The Force Awakens (2015) had numerous discussions about how much to "update" the TIE fighter for the first sequel film set 30 years after Return of the Jedi.[7] They retained the starfighter's design but altered its aesthetic to suggest improvements to the vessel's manufacturing process and materials.[7]

Depiction

Star Wars literature states that

Jedi interceptor into the new starfighter.[8]

TIE fighters have two hexagonal wings fitted with

Legends sources there was disagreement on this issue.[14]

Star Wars literature also holds that TIE fighter pilots are considered an elite group within the Imperial Navy, relying on their quick reflexes and fearlessness to survive multiple tours of duty. Training involves hundreds of flight hours learning to coordinate as a team and intense psychological conditioning to put the accomplishment of their mission above other considerations.[15][16][17][18] As such most TIE fighter pilots have a life expectancy of less than a year.[19] TIE fighter pilots wear self-contained flight suits with life-support systems connected to reinforced vacuum-sealed flight helmets. These helmets feature ship-linked communications and displays.[16][20]

TIE variants

In addition to the standard TIE/ln fighter (also available as the TIE Light Duty training craft, as seen in the Jump to Lightspeed expansion pack to Star Wars Galaxies), a variety of other TIE craft appear throughout the films.

In Star Wars film and television

Imperial variants

  • TIE Advanced x1: Darth Vader flies a TIE Advanced x1 (or just "TIE/x1") in many media, most notably in the original Star Wars during the climatic Death Star battle. According to background material, the limited-run TIE Advanced x1 was designed to Vader's personal specifications and was only flown by himself and select Imperial pilots. Compared to the TIE fighter it is faster and more maneuverable with greater structural integrity, equipped with a deflector shield, hyperdrive, reinforced armor-plated hull and improved SFS L-s9.3 laser cannons. The "bent-wing" configuration was intended to improve energy collection while maintaining the same speed and maneuverability.[21]
TIE/sa bomber
  • TIE/sa bomber: Introduced in The Empire Strikes Back, TIE/sa bombers are seen bombing asteroids in the hunt for the Millennium Falcon. The design stems from an unused "TIE boarding craft" concept originally developed for A New Hope.[22] The TIE bomber's double-hull design led ILM's modelmakers to dub the ship a "double chili dog" fighter.[22] The TIE/sa, or TIE Surface Assault Bomber, was designed within the Star Wars universe for the Imperial Navy to conduct surgical strikes against targets in space or on planetary surfaces. It features two cylindrical pods: the starboard-side pod housing the pilot in a pressurized cockpit with a pair of L-s1 laser cannons, and a port-side pod carrying two bomb bays that can launch a variety of ordnance including missiles, bombs and orbital mines. Its "bent-wing" configuration increased the energy-collection surface area to match the bomber's power requirements while a reinforced hull allowed the bomber survive back-blast during atmospheric bombing.[23]
  • TIE/sh shuttle: Also featured in The Empire Strikes Back, a TIE/sh shuttle is seen ferrying
    Captain Needa (Michael Culver) to Darth Vader's Super Star Destroyer. Like the TIE/sa bomber, this shuttle design stems from an unused "TIE boarding craft" concept developed for A New Hope.[24] Known also within the setting as the TIE Command Shuttle, the craft was based on the TIE/sa bomber but replaced the bombardier pod with a luxurious cabin suitable for Imperial dignitaries and naval officers. In the event the vessel is attacked, the TIE shuttle carries a pair of laser cannons and deflector shields.[25]
TIE/IN interceptor

First Order variants

  • TIE/fo space superiority fighter: The Force Awakens features the First Order TIE/fo space superiority fighter, which is superficially similar to the Empire's original TIE fighter but with several technological upgrades. Built by Sienar-Jaemus Fleet Systems, it features superior firepower, speed and maneuverability with a pair of SJSF L-s9.6 laser cannons and twin SJFS P-s6 ion engines aided by superior solar cell wings and higher-capacity energy converters. Perhaps the biggest difference is the fact that the TIE/fo features deflector shields – a recognition by the First Order that compared to the Galactic Empire it must take measures to safeguard its more limited supply of pilots.[41][42][43]
  • TIE/sf space superiority fighter: Also featured in The Force Awakens is the TIE/sf fighter, one of which is stolen by Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Finn (John Boyega) as they escape the First Order. Piloted by members of the First Order Special Forces, this model is superior to the First Order's TIE/fo. It is equipped with a hyperdrive, superior shielding, twin ion reactors, a pair of forward-facing L-s9.6 laser cannons, an aft Lb-14 dual heavy laser turret with full 360-degree rotation, and a missile/mag-pulse launcher.[44][45]
  • TIE/ba interceptor: First appearing in Star Wars Resistance, the TIE/ba interceptor is a model of TIE interceptor deployed by the First Order. One ship was used by Major Elrik Vonreg during the late-New Republic era in his encounters with the New Republic and the Resistance.
  • TIE silencer: First appearing in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the TIE/vn Silencer is the Interceptor-winged personal starfighter of Kylo Ren.[46]
  • TIE whisper: Kylo Ren flies a custom-model TIE/wi fighter in The Rise of Skywalker.[47]

Sith Eternal variants

  • TIE/dg starfighter: Also known as the Sith TIE fighter, the TIE Dagger featured in The Rise of Skywalker as a red triangular-wing model of TIE fighter forged in secret for forces operating under the reborn Darth Sidious.[48]
In Star Wars Legends continuity

A number of different TIE designs made their appearance in what is now considered

Star Wars No. 60 and in Star Wars: Complete Locations. Red-modified TIE interceptors are also used by the Emperor
's Royal Guards, as featured in Rage of the Wookiees, another expansion of Star Wars Galaxies.

Additionally, LucasArts Star Wars video games introduce several TIE variants, such as the TIE Hunter starfighter in Rogue Squadron III and the TIE Mauler surface vehicle in Empire at War.[49] The TIE/ad fighter (nicknamed "TIE Advanced" or "Avenger" in-game and derived from Vader's TIE Advanced x1 fighter) and TIE/D Defender — heavily upgraded derivatives of previous craft seen in the Star Wars universe — first appear in TIE Fighter as player-pilotable craft.[30] The plot of Rebel Assault II revolves around destroying the Empire's ability to manufacture the cloaking TIE Phantom starfighter, and a campaign in X-Wing Alliance centers on destroying experimental remote-controlled TIE fighters.

Star Wars literature also introduces TIE varieties. TIE raptors attack Rogue Squadron in

roleplaying sourcebooks introduce varieties that include the TIE/fc fire-control support ship, the TIE/gt ground-attack fighter, the TIE/rc reconnaissance vessel, and the TIE scout.[53][54]

Cultural impact

A TIE fighter model used in filming the climax of Star Wars sold at auction for $350,000,[55] and another TIE fighter from the film sold at auction for $402,500.[56] Fans built a 16-foot-by-20-foot, 1,000-pound TIE fighter float to commemorate Star Wars' thirtieth anniversary as part of the 2007 Gala Parade in Crystal Lake, Illinois.[57] A Wired editor's creation of a TIE fighter model out of Starbucks cups and stirrers prompted the magazine to create a contest for its readers to submit their own art out of similar Starbucks material.[58] io9 mocked the variety of TIE fighters in the franchise, listing four TIE models on its list of the eleven "silliest" Star Wars ships.[59]

Kenner released TIE fighter and TIE interceptor toys during the original Star Wars trilogy's theatrical release, and Kenner's die-cast TIE bomber is a rare collector's item.[22][60][61] Hasbro also released TIE fighter, TIE bomber, and TIE interceptor toys.[62][63][64] Both Kenner and Hasbro also manufactured TIE fighter pilot action figures.[62][65] Lego manufactured TIE fighter, TIE bomber, TIE interceptor, TIE defender, and TIE advanced models.[66][67][68][69] Decipher and Wizards of the Coast published various TIE starfighter and TIE-related cards for the Star Wars Customizable Card Game and Star Wars Trading Card Game, respectively.[70][71] In 2012, Fantasy Flight Games released Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game, a miniatures game with pre-painted and to scale miniature X-wings and TIE fighters. In 1994, LucasArts released the TIE Fighter flight simulator, which casts the player as an Imperial pilot flying a variety of TIE starfighters. TIE starfighters and their variants are also playable in third- or first-person perspectives in several Star Wars titles.[72]

In 2018, a number of Star Wars starfighters had their aerodynamic abilities tested using the

repulsorlifts and deflector shields to give themselves better flight profiles.[73][74]

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External links

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