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Mikey wrote:And why space-borne fighters are usually shown with wings...

Well, you can still get a degree of sense out of the that - the fact that X-wings launch from a planet, for instance. The other Wars ships don't have them - TIEs have radiators, Y-wings have huge engines, and so on. The Vipers of BSG have "wings" useless for lift, so they probably have another purpose, perhaps to to with guiding the ship down the launch tube. Even in Trek, the fighters shown usually have something attached to the wings, such as weapons.

Wings would also work as something to attach missiles to.

And for having thrusters on like the fighters in B5.

Yeah, that would probably increase maneuverability by a good bit.

They certainly did on the Starfurys. They're how I'd imagine a real life Spacebourne fighter would look like.

Captain Seafort wrote:the fact that X-wings launch from a planet, for instance.

I know that X-wings (and their predecessors) are capable of atmospheric ops. I specifically mentioned space-borne fighters. As far as pylon points, etc., all those usages are excuses to explain the wings. If you truly need something there as an attachment point, use canards or deltas - they would maximize available space more than airfoils would.

TIE fighters also operate in atmosphere... how, not too sure. They've gotta hve some powerful repulsorlifts...

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:TIE fighters also operate in atmosphere... how, not too sure. They've gotta hve some powerful repulsorlifts...

In the X-Wing novels, the TiE 'wings' are actually used as a disadvantage for TiEs in atmospheric combat. There's a time or two where Rogue Squad pilots draw inexperienced eyeball pilots into making too sharp a turn in the atmosphere, ripping their panels off and crashing horribly.

Jordanis wrote:

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:TIE fighters also operate in atmosphere... how, not too sure. They've gotta hve some powerful repulsorlifts...

In the X-Wing novels, the TiE 'wings' are actually used as a disadvantage for TiEs in atmospheric combat. There's a time or two where Rogue Squad pilots draw inexperienced eyeball pilots into making too sharp a turn in the atmosphere, ripping their panels off and crashing horribly.

Hmm, don't remember that. Will have to reread the X-wing novels... not that that's a bad thing, mind you.

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:

Jordanis wrote:

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:TIE fighters also operate in atmosphere... how, not too sure. They've gotta hve some powerful repulsorlifts...

In the X-Wing novels, the TiE 'wings' are actually used as a disadvantage for TiEs in atmospheric combat. There's a time or two where Rogue Squad pilots draw inexperienced eyeball pilots into making too sharp a turn in the atmosphere, ripping their panels off and crashing horribly.

Hmm, don't remember that. Will have to reread the X-wing novels... not that that's a bad thing, mind you.

I'm pretty sure it was an X-Wing novel. It was one of the ones I've read, and I've only bothered with the X-Wing books, I, Jedi, and the Zahn novels.

There was also one occassion when TIEs made themselves easy targets by only manoeuvereing vertically - since they'd spent too much time in atmosphere they forgot about the lack of drag in space.

Bowtie wing-panels often got ripped off in atmosphere.

Jim wrote:Bowtie wing-panels often got ripped off in atmosphere.

They got maneuvered close to the atmosphere and they got ripped off too in one of the X-wing novels...

Would the TIEs be the worst starfighters in sci-fi? At least the originals from ANH?

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:

Jim wrote:Bowtie wing-panels often got ripped off in atmosphere.

They got maneuvered close to the atmosphere and they got ripped off too in one of the X-wing novels...

Would the TIEs be the worst starfighters in sci-fi? At least the originals from ANH?

I can't think of anything I'd less like to be flying in X-Wing Alliance...

Tie Defenders are AWSOME!