TIE/Advanced fighter
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| Star Wars craft | |
 |
|
| TIE/Advanced x1 Starfighter | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sienar Fleet Systems |
| Specification | |
| Type | Starfighter |
| Length | 9.2 meters |
| Weapons | 2 SFS FS-1 Laser cannons |
| Shield | Yes |
| Hull | Reinforced durasteel-alloy |
| Crew | 1 |
| Top Speed | 103MGLT/Lightspeed |
| Troop Capacity | none |
| Affiliation | Galactic Empire |
| Cargo Capacity | |
| Passengers | N/A |
The TIE/Advanced fighter, also known as the TIE Advanced x1 or Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, is a prototype starfighter in the fictional Star Wars universe. Flown by Darth Vader during the Battle of Yavin, many of its best design features were later incorporated into the TIE interceptor and the TIE Advanced production model dubbed the TIE Avenger. The TIE Advanced x1 was designed by Darth Vader himself. Vader wanted a custom fighter built to his exacting specifications, and it is likely that Sienar Fleet Systems used the craft as a test-bed for systems development. In the Videogame Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader the player gets the information that the TIE/Advanced fighter was the prototype for the TIE interceptor.
The TIE Advanced x1 featured an original spaceframe and reinforced durasteel-alloy hull, with an elongated rear deck and matching bent wings covered with radiator-panels. The vessel had an ionization reactor and paired twin-ion engines for a more powerful drive system than the standard TIE fighter. Acceleration was only slightly improved due to the added mass of the vessel; a good deal of the extra power was bled off to the shield generators. While less maneuverable than standard TIE fighters, it could take a beating (This is shown by Darth Vader's fighter surviving a collision with a TIE Fighter wingman ) .
The TIE Advanced x1 had twin heavy-blaster cannons in a fixed, front-mounted position. In addition to its shields, it had a modest hyperdrive but no life support system. The Empire decided not to order the TIE Advanced x1 in large quantities, citing their excessive cost. Privately, some Imperial Navy strategists admitted that the Navy was afraid to purchase a fighter with a hyperdrive, fearing that it would give bureaucrats an excuse to slash orders for new capital starships.
The Empire instead opted for the TIE Interceptor, which featured the TIE Advanced x1's drive system in a more compact ship. Although the TIE interceptor lacked a hyperdrive and shields, it was blindingly fast, incredibly maneuverable, and significantly cheaper than the TIE Advanced x1. By the Battle of Endor, the large increase in TIE interceptor production meant the end of production for the TIE Advanced x1.
The fighter flown by Vader was repaired when he reached an Imperial outpost. It was stowed aboard the Executor and was vaporized when the ship collided with the second Death Star. In the video game Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy It is seen in a hangar within Darth Vader's stronghold on Vjun.
In early blueprints for the Imperial-I Star Destroyers, craft known as TIE Assault Craft could be seen as part of the fighter-complement. These bent-wing craft might have been TIE Advanced x1s with a different name.
The original TIE Advanced fighter also makes an appearance in Star Wars: X-Wing and Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance. However, in Star Wars: TIE Fighter, the TIE Advanced is replaced by the TIE Avenger. Vader's Tie Advanced appears in the Gamecube games Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 2 and 3. In the games the fighter is equipped with Cluster Missiles. The ship also appears, both as an adversary, and a playable ship in Lego Star Wars II. In Tie Fighter, squadrons of Tie Advanced Fighters were shown and they were said to be developed by Admiral Zaarin. When going into lightspeed, the TIE Advanced uses a hyper drive. When the TIE Advanced is not in hyperspace, it uses twin ion engines.
[edit] Sources
- Star Wars Adventure Journal, quarterly, edited by Peter Schweighofer, WEG, 1994-1997.
- Star Wars Sourcebook, Bill Slavicsek and Curtis Smith, WEG, 1987.
- The Stele Chronicles and its continuation in Tie Fighter: The Official Strategy Guide, Rusel, DeMaria, David Wessman, and David Maxwell, Prima Publishing, 1994. Supplemented by TIE Fighter: The Collector's CD-ROM game by LucasArts, 1995.
- Heir to the Empire, volume 1 in The Thrawn Trilogy, Timothy Zahn, Bantam Spectra Books, 1991.
- Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, Bill Smith, Del Rey Books, 1996.
[edit] External links
- TIE Advanced x1 on Wookieepedia: The Star Wars Wiki
- Star Wars Databank | TIE Advanced x1 Starfighter\
- TIE Advanced x1 at Galactic Voyage
| Vehicles of the Galactic Empire | |
|---|---|
| Entries in italics denote vehicles from the Expanded Universe | |
| Ground vehicles | |
| AT-ST | AT-AT | AT-TE | 74-Z Speeder Bike | Juggernaut | AT-PT | TIE crawler | |
| Starfighters | |
| TIE Fighter | TIE Interceptor | TIE Bomber | TIE Advanced x1 | TIE Avenger | TIE Defender | TIE/D fighter
TIE Hunter | TIE Phantom | Assault Gunboat | Missile Boat | Skipray Blastboat | A-9 Vigilance |
|
| Capital ships | |
| Star Destroyer | Super Star Destroyer | Executor | Nebulon-B Frigate | Corellian Corvette
Lancer-Class Frigate | Interdictor Cruiser | Carrack-Class Light Cruiser |
|
| Other | |
| Lambda-class shuttle | Death Star | Walker Dropship | World Devastator | Sun Crusher | |
| See also | |
| Star Wars air vehicles | Star Wars aquatic vehicles | Star Wars ground vehicles | Star Wars starfighters | Star Wars support craft |
|
