TIE/LN starfighter

TIE/ln starfighter "Sienar Systems' basic TIE Fighter&mdash;a commodity which, after hydrogen and stupidity, was the most plentiful in the Galaxy."

- Corran Horn

The TIE/ln starfighter, often referred to as the TIE Fighter, was the standard Imperial starfighter seen in massive numbers throughout the Galactic Civil War.

Details
The TIE/ln, a descendant of the T.I.E. starfighter and the V-wing, both developed for the Galactic Republic, was manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems. Its design was inspired from Scimitar and the Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor.



The TIE/ln's engine is the most precisely manufactured propulsion system in the galaxy, and with no moving parts, is low-maintenance. The lack of combat shields, hyperdrive, and life-support systems, in concert with the advanced engine design, reduces the mass of the fighter and confers exceptional maneuverability.

Primary armament is a pair of powerful laser cannons. These cannons were relatively powerful, and a well-placed hit on a starfighter or medium transport could damage or destroy it. It did not carry missile tubes, but such weapons could be added on if necessary.

Due to the lack of life-support systems, each TIE pilot had a fully-sealed flight suit superior to their Rebel counterparts. The absence of a hyperdrive also rendered the fighter totally dependent on carrier ships when deployed in enemy systems. TIE/lns also lack landing gear, anothr mass-reducing measure. While the ships are structurally capable of "sitting" on their wings, they are not designed to land or disembark their pilots without special support.

TIEs were designed to attack in large numbers, overwhelming the enemy craft. The Imperials used so many that they came to be considered symbols of the Empire and its might. They were also very cheap to produce. Contrary to popular belief, the ships did possess ejection seats, but the nature of space warfare often resulted in pilots riding their craft down to a swift end rather than ejecting and risking slow death by heat loss and oxygen starvation.

The design choices of the TIE/ln could arguably be explained by Imperial military philosophy, which viewed the starfighters and their pilots as an expendable asset. Though Imperial pilots were of an elite stock, they also considered themselves expendable, in accordance with their ideological training. Like stormtroopers, TIE pilots were addressed by a number, such as DS-61-2 (the first two letters indicated the posting, the next two or three digits indicated the squadron number, and the last number indicated the pilot's ranking in the squadron). This procedure reduced them to being no more than anonymous and standardized operatives of the Imperial war machine. This attitude was further reflected by the lack of any sentimental attachment to particular TIEs by TIE pilots. As far as they were concerned, every fighter, whether reconditioned or factory-fresh, is identical.



The side view of a TIE/ln's radiator panels curiously resembles the emblem of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, but it is not clear if the similarity was intentional.

Due to their distinct shape, TIE/ln came to be referred to occasionally as "eyeballs" by enemy pilots.

The original TIE/ln had performance parity with heavier-built X-wings but they generally enjoyed numerical advantage. A newer variant, the TIE/ln "Line" fighter boasted improved engines and more powerful weapons, surpassing contemporary Rebel fighters. It had been intended that the TIE/ln would be replaced by the TIE Interceptor, but the collapse of the Imperial government into sectionalism precluded this. As the Galactic Empire retreated, more and more factories found themselves behind New Republic lines and ceased production. The New Republic made limited use of captured TIEs, equipping them with shields and assigning them to sectors where they weren't considered a symbol of the Empire. Their most notable use in New Republic service was at the Battle of Adumar.

By the time the peace treaty was signed, the Empire (now known as the Imperial Remnant) began to use export starfighters manufactured by other races (such as the Sullustan SoroSuub Preybird-class starfighter) because they lacked the manufacturing facilities to build new TIE Fighters.



The basic TIE/ln fighter inspired a number of other Imperial starfighters manufactured by Sienar Fleet Systems, which became collectively known as the TIE series.

Behind the scenes

 * Originally meant to have a blue color on the hull, this was abandoned when blue-screen filming made the fighters transparent. The original TIE/ln fighters seen in A New Hope were relatively white in color; the TIEs of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were more grey with a gradual blueish hue added during post-production.


 * The ship's appearance was inspired by bow ties.


 * The sound for TIE Fighters was created by combining an elephant's scream with the noise of a car driving on wet pavement.


 * In the X-wing computer game series, the TIE Fighter lacked the rechargeable shields possessed by Rebel craft and other Imperial fighters. While dangerous in large numbers, one on one they were easy pickings for other craft to the point where a few scenarios in the games called for a player-controlled TIE Fighter to go up against modern Rebel craft.


 * Rob Coleman originally considered putting TIEs into the end of Revenge of the Sith, but Lucas decided to show V-wings instead, pointing out that the Empire would have twenty years to build TIEs.

Appearances



 * Rogue Planet
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Star Wars: Battlefront
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
 * Mist Encounter
 * Star Wars: Droids
 * "The Pirates of Tarnoonga"
 * Star Wars: Imperial Ace
 * Star Wars: Rebellion
 * Star Wars: Rebel Assault
 * Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire
 * Star Wars: X-wing
 * Darth Vader: Extinction
 * Star Wars: Empire
 * Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
 * Star Wars: Ewoks
 * "Battle for the Sunstar"
 * Routine
 * Prey
 * First Impressions
 * Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
 * X-wing Marks The Spot
 * Trooper
 * LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * Star Wars Infinities: A New Hope
 * The Star Wars Holiday Special
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
 * Star Wars: Force Commander
 * Vader's Quest
 * Imperial Spy
 * Death Star Pirates
 * Walking the Path That's Given
 * Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed
 * Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
 * Moment of Doubt
 * Star Wars: TIE Fighter
 * Star Wars: X-wing vs. TIE Fighter
 * Star Wars: Demolition
 * Shadows of the Empire
 * Star Wars: X-wing Alliance
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * A Day in the Life
 * Lucky
 * Into the Great Unknown
 * X-wing series
 * Thrawn Trilogy
 * Dark Empire
 * Dark Empire II
 * Empire's End
 * Jedi Academy Trilogy
 * Dark Apprentice
 * Champions of the Force
 * I, Jedi
 * Darksaber
 * Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
 * The Hand of Thrawn Duology
 * Junior Jedi Knights: Kenobi's Blade
 * Young Jedi Knights: Heirs of the Force
 * Young Jedi Knights: The Lost Ones
 * Young Jedi Knights: Darkest Knight
 * Young Jedi Knights: Jedi Under Siege
 * Force Heretic I: Remnant
 * Force Heretic III: Reunion