Starfighter

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This article is about the class of fictional vehicles. For other uses, see Starfighter (disambiguation).

"Starfighter" is a science fiction term used to describe small, fast, usually one-manned craft designed for armed combat (cf starship).

The appearance and use of fictional starfighters is often modeled on fighter aircraft, with little regard for the actual physics of spaceflight. Exceptions include the Gunstar from The Last Starfighter, the Viper from the reimagined series of Battlestar Galactica, and the Starfury from Babylon 5, which are capable of multidirectional orientation. In some cases, the Starfighters are used as atmospheric fighters as well, explaining their looks.

Starfighters are popular as the subjects of flight simulator-like space combat video games, such as the "Wing Commander" and "X-Wing" series. This connection was made explicitly as early as the 1984 film The Last Starfighter in which a video game on Earth is used as a recruiting device for an alien civilization whose starfighters require the same skills as the video game.

In the Star Wars universe, a Starfighter is a blanket term for all small combat space craft, regardless of shields, hyperspace capability, weaponry (unless it carries none), armor, maneuverability and crew. "Snubfighter" (a term first used in Star Wars), though no concise definition has been given, often refers to a fighter carrying shielding, secondary weapons systems such as Proton Torpedoes or concussion missiles, and being hyperspace capable. Starfighters sometimes bear mission designations similar to modern fighter aircraft, such as "strike fighter" and "space superiority fighter".

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[edit] Examples

The following are some examples of starfighters from various media franchises:

[edit] Babylon 5

[edit] Battlestar Galactica

[edit] Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

  • The Earth Defense Directorate
    • Star Fighter (2-person capacity in tandem configuration, four person capacity in side-by-side configuration).
    • Star Fighter mk II (a tandem-seated Star Fighter with two extra stabilizer fins, used in the second season)
  • The Draconian Empire
    • Draconian Marauder (also known as a "Hatchet Fighter")
  • Others
    • Scorpion Fighter (generic starfighter frequently used on the show by various villains)
    • Zad Fighter (nicknamed "Shark" seen in the two part episode Flight of the War Witch)

[edit] Macross

[edit] Robotech

[edit] Space: Above and Beyond

[edit] StarCraft

  • The Protoss
    • Corsair-class support fighter
    • Interceptor-class attack drones
    • Scout-class superiority fighter
  • The Terrans
    • Wraith-class superiority fighter

[edit] Stargate

[edit] Star Trek

[edit] Star Wars

[edit] FreeSpace

  • The Galactic Terran Alliance
    • GTF Apollo space superiority fighter
    • GTF Ares strategic assault fighter
    • GTF Erinyes heavy assault fighter
    • GTF Hercules heavy assault fighter
    • GTF Hercules Mark II heavy assault fighter
    • GTF Loki reconnaissance fighter
    • GTF Myrmidon advanced space superiority fighter
    • GTF Pegasus stealth reconnaissance fighter
    • GTF Perseus interceptor
    • GTF Ulysses space superiority fighter
    • GTF Valkyrie interceptor
  • The Parliamentary Vasudan Empire
    • PVF Anubis light fighter
    • PVF Horus interceptor
    • PVF Ptah stealth reconnaissance fighter
    • PVF Serapis advanced interceptor
    • PVF Seth heavy fighter
    • PVF Tauret heavy fighter
    • PVF Thoth space superiority fighter
  • The Shivans
    • SF Aeshma heavy attack fighter
    • SF Astaroth interceptor
    • SF Basilisk heavy attack fighter
    • SF Dragon space superiority fighter
    • SF Manticore interceptor
    • SF Mara space superiority fighter
    • SF Scorpion reconnaissance fighter

[edit] Other Properties

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.gateworld.net/omnipedia/ships/links/needle-threader.shtml
  2. ^ http://www.gateworld.net/omnipedia/ships/links/needle-threader.shtml
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