The Starfighter Thread!

[Master Rel]

A thread to discuss starfighters from all the various sources of science fiction and science fantasy!

There are so many interesting designs out there, many many many fan made designs that could and should get attention, as well as those that got attention and truthfully did not deserve it.

So let the games begin...provide pics if possible, give your thoughts of the positive and negative if any.

I will start it off...


SA-43 Endo/Exo-Atmospheric Attack Jet





1.  US Marine Corps...bonus points for real world coolness factor...once a Marine!
2.  the design is clean, took in account functionality of planetary defense
3.  sexy nickname, Hammerhead


*****


Original Cylon Raider





1.  the OG compared to the new version IMO
2.  a no fault design, best saucer fighter 'eva
3.  admittedly so, this was an early influence on me and thus gets my support


*****


Original Colonial Viper mark V





1.  easy to love, classic launch tube action
2.  strait forward jet in space
3.  again an early influence, though I must admit I greatly prefer the Cylon Raider design by a wide margin


And you?

[Jev Moldara]

The GunStar, from The Last Starfighter


Still the coolest ship ever conceived.


The Starfury, from Babylon 5


A unique design, in that the pilot stood in the cockpit, it was the first ship to take advantage of Newtonian physics for flight characteristics.


F-108A Panther, from Wing Commander: Prophecy


Just a sweet, sweet design.


GTF Ulysses, from Descent: Freespace


I just love the design of it.

[kewlkev360]

I'll admit, my only exposure to Robotech has been through the PS2 game so I don't know whether you'd consider them starfighters or mechs but they are going here regardless because they are win.

[Master Rel]

The GunStar, from The Last Starfighter
Still the coolest ship ever conceived.


The Starfury, from Babylon 5
A unique design, in that the pilot stood in the cockpit, it was the first ship to take advantage of Newtonian physics for flight characteristics.


F-108A Panther, from Wing Commander: Prophecy
Just a sweet, sweet design.


GTF Ulysses, from Descent: Freespace
I just love the design of it.

Never understood the appeal of the Last Starfighter ship...everyone loves the death blossom but the general look, never appealed to me, but you are in good company as most everyone loves it!

Starfury...love me some B5!

Not familiar with the Panther.

The Freespace one is sweet!


*****

I'll admit, my only exposure to Robotech has been through the PS2 game so I don't know whether you'd consider them starfighters or mechs but they are going here regardless because they are win.

Hmmm, they are certainly mechs...but it does not hurt to include them...though hopefully this does not start a trend...


PS
For me, a starfighter should be a standard/special issue of a given fleet rather than a unique ship or other such like a power ranger or voltron lion ship   

You know, those ships that attack in groups/units/etc.

[kewlkev360]

Hmmm, they are certainly mechs...but it does not hurt to include them...though hopefully this does not start a trend...


PS
For me, a starfighter should be a standard/special issue of a given fleet rather than a unique ship or other such like a power ranger or voltron lion ship   

You know, those ships that attack in groups/units/etc.

Like I said, I'm not familiar with the franchise outside of the game, but in the game they tranformed from mech into a fighter plane looking thing that could fly in space and I seem to recall there being  squadron of them in game but again, my experience is limited to that.  I just thought they were cool. 

[Master Rel]

There are some cool designs in the franchise, as well in other related anime/manga...especially in the aspect of the more modern and higher end shows.





*****


http://conceptships.blogspot.com/

Concept ships site has hundreds of beautiful and interesting ships to dig through 

For example...

[Jev Moldara]

The Origin Jumpworks 300i, from the upcoming Star Citizen MMORPG


Click here for a bigger picture


From outside the realm of canon and even into non-established franchises, I find these to be works of art:

[Master Rel]

Nice finds Jev!

That second ones really grows on you with each re-look  


*****


There are tons and tons of really nice stuff out there...it seems every new digital artist takes a turn at making a handful  













...and back to familiar media sources, this one is disturbing but still a lot of fun!

[Jev Moldara]

Point of Information: The Inquisitor isn't a starfighter. It's a frigate. Even says so right on the image...

Oh, and the bubble fighter? Probably the worst design ever. It's like the designers said to themselves "How dangerous can we make this ship? I know! Let's put an unprotected pilot in a glass bubble with no armor around it and have the rest of the ship rotate around it on the axis!"

[JEStucker]

I'm on the StarFury bandwagon, but I'll one up it...

StarFury "Thunderbolt"



and as I child of the 80's (born in the 70's), I have to admit, Battlestar Galactica had a huge influence, but we can never forget...

Buck Roger's Starfighter (also Col. Wilma Deering)


There are probably others, but I'm having a weak google-fu morning and can't quite recall the names of some of the series that were cancelled within like, 6 episodes or so.

[Master Rel]

Yeah the frigate slipped by, it was in a collection of starfighters...still nice design!

The bobble fighter, lol, that is why I said disturbing!


Onto more design goodness!

[Master Rel]

Found a Russian designer...some good stuff..

(with linking issues lol...let me work on those)


















Many many more here...

http://karanak.deviantart.com/gallery/

[JEStucker]

Found a Russian designer...some good stuff..

All I see are a bunch of Red Squares with White "U's" in them... and the links don't seem to work either

[Master Rel]

...I know...that is why I posted...working on the linking...

lol

PS
You could edit your reply and remove all the broken links 

[Jev Moldara]

This one looks like what a TIE-Interceptor would look like if Star Wars had been initially created as an anime film...