Star Wars 10 Coolest Technical Facts About TIE Fighters

Star Wars: 10 Coolest Technical Facts About TIE Fighters

One of the most recognizable and iconic ships in the Star Wars universe was the dreaded TIE Fighter. Here are some awesome technical facts.

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Following the demise of the Republic and the rise of the first Galactic Empire, the Emperor quickly took steps to re-brand all ships in the fleet with designs that supported his fanatic ideology. One of the most recognizable and iconic was the dreaded TIE Fighter, a straightforward starcraft capable of decimating opposing fleets with a combination of speed and killing power.

Here are ten of the coolest technical facts about the Star Wars TIE Fighter, from its design roots to its engine sound, and all the variants that came afterward.

10 That Iconic Sound

Star Wars fans could be forgiven for thinking that the TIE Fighter’s signature engine roar was produced by sound design whiz Ben Burtt, but that’s not entirely the case. Actually, the distinctive high-pitched roar had been used in several movies already, beginning with 1958’s The Roots of Heaven.

He then mixed the sound with a recording of a car driving upon wet pavement, simulating the “wet” effect of their pass. The result was one of the most recognizable (and popular) sounds in the entire Star Wars catalog.

9 Its Roots Are From The Clone Wars

When Palpatine took control of the Republic, one of his first orders of businesses was to do away with everything it stood for, in favor of his gunmetal-grey Imperial ideology. This meant abandoning old ship designs in favor of a completely new approach, which included the TIE Fighter.

However, many ships took their cues from Republic designs, and the TIE was no exception. Its predecessor was the Alpha 3 V-Wing starfighter, used in the latter stage of the Clone Wars. The V-Wing was fast, maneuverable and very hard to hit – traits which would find their way into the TIE Fighter design years after.

8 They Have No Hyperdrive

In contrast to the Rebel Alliance’s X-Wings and other craft, TIE Fighters had no hyperdrive functionality. They were designed to be carried by a larger ship such as a Star Destroyer, and deployed in squadrons to accomplish their task, before returning.

The lack of a hyperdrive motivator meant that any pilots who lost their mother ship would be effectively stranded in deep space. TIEs were designed for mass-deployment in swarms, which meant keeping build costs down.

7 They Were Built No-Frills

TIE Fighters were envisioned by Grand Moff Tarkin as a craft that could be mass-produced quickly and cheaply for the purpose of swarm attacks. He saw the value in greater numbers versus technological advancements, which the TIE would embody in every facet of its design.

They lacked the aforementioned hyperdrive, reinforced plating and energy shields found on other craft such as X-Wing, both to keep costs down, and to greatly increase speed and maneuverability. With far greater numbers to deploy, opposing squadrons could be overwhelmed and decimated in minutes.

6 The TIE Pilot’s Mantra

The TIE Fighter was a model of cheap cost-effectiveness, but it didn’t stop there. Like all personnel serving in the Imperial military, TIE pilots were expected to see themselves as a number, not an individual. Their mantra was one of subservience for the sake of a greater cause.

As such, TIE pilots were conditioned to see themselves as much expendable as the craft they piloted. Those who survived multiple battles were considered ace fighter pilots in the Empire, as few would last more than a few missions before meeting their doom. If all else failed, TIE pilots weren’t afraid to kamikaze opposing ships in order to die in service to the Empire.

5 TIE Interceptors Were Built To Counter The X-Wing

The traditional TIE Fighter was designed for mass production and swarm tactics, but the Empire realized that it needed to upgrade the line in order to counter fast and nimble craft such as the Rebellion’s A-Wing. The result was the TIE Interceptor, a far more intimidating successor of the original.

This dagger-shaped fighter was designed primarily with a narrower and sleeker profile, making it much harder for enemy craft to target. They would see extensive use in the final days of the Rebel/Imperial conflict, including the battle of Endor and the destruction of the second Death Star.

4 Vader’s TIE Was Never Mass Produced

Darth Vader flew an advanced prototype known as the x1 during the battle of Yavin. It was designed with a sleeker profile in mind, it sported shields, and a hyperdrive motivator, making it one of the most decked out variants in the line.

The x1 would never see a full production run. Rather, Sienar Fleet Systems took its proof-of-concept technology and implemented it across several TIE variants, including the Bomber and the Interceptor.

3 The TIE Bomber Had Teeth

The slowest and most vulnerable of the TIE line was definitely the TIE Bomber, a variant used to deliver devastating payloads on enemy capital ships and hostile worlds. Their ordinance pods could be filled with a number of lethal weapons, or swapped out for a secondary cockpit.

Although the Bomber was considered a sitting duck due to its design, it still packed a heavy amount of firepower which included concussion missiles, proton torpedoes and orbital mines. This gave them enough rabid firepower to hold their own against a fighter squadron, if push came to shove.

2 The Clawcraft

The Expanded Universe (Legends) material continued the Star Wars story long after the events of Return Of The Jedi. Decades after that climatic battle, the TIE Fighter still saw service, as did a few knockoffs such as the Nssis-class Clawcraft.

This TIE derivative blended traditional Chiss Clawcraft designs with a TIE Fighter’s cockpit, while sporting a shield generator and a hyperspace beacon system that allowed it to jump to lightspeed without the need for an auto-nav computer.

1 Its Creator Designed The Death Star

The Empire awarded the build contract for the TIE Fighter line to Sienar Fleet Systems. Its founder Raith Sienar was a skilled engineer who valued simplicity and effectiveness with streamlined designs. One of his ideas revolved around the concept for the Expeditionary Battle Planetoid, a massive spherical station that could be deployed during large-scale conflicts.

He abandoned the idea, but the concept was stolen by Darth Sidious and turned over to Count Dooku, who used his Separatist connections with the Geonosians to develop a far more terrifying weapon – the Death Star. Sienar also undertook a contract from Darth Sidious to create the sleek-looking Scimitar for his apprentice, Darth Maul. Early indications of TIE design can also be identified in that craft.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/star-wars-tie-fighters-technical-facts/

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