Starfighter
"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".
Examples
The following are some examples of starfighters from various media franchises:
- 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)
- Hawk's Fighter (2-person spaceship—pilot in front, passenger behind—with retractable grappling talons, 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 series by various villains)
- Zaad Fighter (nicknamed "Shark" seen in the two part episode Flight of the War Witch)
- U.N. Spacy
- The Barota
- The Zentradi
- Fighter Pod
- Variable Device
- Variable Glaug
- Parallel World U.N. Spacy
- VF-XX Zentradian Valkyrie
- VF-2SS Valkyrie II
- VF-2JA Icarus
- Metal Siren
- Border Worlds
- Series X Dagger Light Fighter
- Series Y Stiletto Heavy Fighter
- Series Z Sabre Very Heavy Fighter
- Bounty Hunters
- AP-6364 Piranha Light Fighter
- AP-7031 Barracuda Heavy Fighter
- AP-8050 Hammerhead Very Heavy Fighter
- Bretonia
- B-224-F Cavalier Light Fighter
- B-907A Crusader Heavy Fighter
- Civilian
- CTE 750AE Starflier Very Light Fighter
- CTE-1270AV Startracker Light Fighter
- CTE-1500 Hawk Light Fighter
- CTE-3000 Falcon Heavy Fighter
- CTE-6000 Eagle Very Heavy Fighter
- Corsairs
- M10 Class Titan Very Heavy Fighter
- M3 Class Legionnaire Light Fighter
- M7 Class Centurion Heavy Fighter
- Kusari
- J7P-7Q Drake Light Fighter
- J10-15P Dragon Heavy Fighter
- Liberty
- BDR-337 Defender Heavy Fighter
- LZF-6364 Patriot Light Fighter
- The Order
- 07A Anubis Very Heavy Fighter
- Pirates
- Z-2010 Bloodhound Light Fighter
- Z-3005 Wolfhound Heavy Fighter
- Rheinland
- 72-ARKM-G3 Banshee Light Fighter
- 90-ARKM-N9 Valkyrie Heavy Fighter
- The Protoss
- Corsair support fighter
- Interceptor attack drones
- Scout superiority fighter
- Phoenix superiority fighter
- The Terrans
- Wraith superiority fighter
- Valkyrie superiority fighter
- Viking fighter/walker
- Tau'ri/Earth (USAF fighters)
- The Goa'uld
- The Wraith
- The Ancients (also known as Alterans or Lanteans)
- The Ori
- Other Races
- In the SG1 episode "Space Race" The craft participating in the race are fired upon by unmaned drones as part of the first stage.
- In the SGA episode "The Long Goodbye" Two life pods are retrieved apparently from unseen starfighters that destroyed each other as they fought.
- In the SGA episode "The Daedalus Variations" Unnamed but powerful starfighters are deployed when the Daedalus disables their mothership.
- In SGU, the "Blueberry Aliens" have FTL-capable, shielded small attack vessels. They can also be used to board enemy ships.
- In SGU, several fleets of unmanned drone fighters are encountered. These fleets are unshielded but use swarm tactics to overwhelm their opponents. Each swarm is controlled from a central command ship from which they are deployed. It is unclear if the fighters themselves are FTL-capable or if they rely on their command carrier to deploy them. They have been seen to operate at vast distances to the carrier implying FTL or that the carrier left them behind.
- 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
Other Properties
See also
References