Starfighters are small, personal spacecraft used in space dogfights, patrol, strike and escort operations. They are classified as light, medium and heavy.
Capital ships such as carriers contain a complement of fighters, as most figters lack a jump drive. Among the Kilrathi, starfighters perform the main offensive and tactical effort as well as fighter-bombers.
Comparing Confed and Kilrathi fighters, it has been obvious that human fighters are outnumbered, with the human pilot experience and advanced technology giving them a slight edge.[1]
Terran Confederation[]
Terran Confederation fighters are equiped with several subsystems such as acceleration absorbers, afterburners, Auto-guidance, Back-up systems, cockpit, communication system, computer system, cooling system, ejection system, electrical system, flight recorder, fuel, ion drives, landing gear, life support, mine dropper, missile lock, missile rack, nav. sensors, power plant, shield generator, tracking sensors,[2] landing thrusters[3] and tractor beams.[4]
Weapons include Laser Cannons, Mass Driver Cannons, Neutron Guns and missiles.
Gun power is generated by blaster generators, whose stored power decreases with each shot (dependent upon the type of gun) but the storage capacitors regenerate with time.[1]
Kilrathi[]
Kilrathi fighters are optimized for speed and maneuverability. All Kilrathi warriors are trained as both soldiers and pilots and only the best are assigned to fighters. In space fighter combat, the Kilrathi behave like predators against larger, faster prey, like their primordial ancestors.[5]
They tend to attack in tight formations surrounding and overwhelming their opponents.[5] When a wing of fighters attack as a group, with each ship slightly behind and to one side of the leader, they form a lethal array of firepower.[1][5]
The sight of a group of Kilrathi heading straight at a pilot pumps up adrenaline and brings a state known as "Furball Fever" making rookie human pilots to try to slug it out. This form of pilot error has been responsible for most first-mission casualties than any other.[1]
Solitary fighters are usually decoys sent out to engage the enemy, assume a defensive posture, and lure him to an ambush.[5]
Elite fighter pilots are honored as heroes. Personalized fighters are constructed for particularly notable Aces, often with technical inovations to optimize his fighting style, a gift by the leader of their clan. Those modified fighters also bear individualized markings, also recogniseable by their aggressive manner and high performance.[5]
Fighters can be almost impossible to run down if they go purely on the defensive but they are still vulnerable to simple marksmanship, a guided missile, or taunts to make the pilot into going on the offensive.[5]
Mission data was collected by Terran Intelligence and computer analysis determined specific behavioral profiles based on ship type, aiding Terran pilots to develop a strategy. The patterns depented on fighter type, its amount of damage suffered, and state of engagement.[1]
Kilrathi ships have integrated gun targeting and firing schemes allowing them to consistently hit an enemy ship moving in almost any kind of movement at normal speeds. This is compensated with speed changes and the sliding maneuver, which is not translated perfectly by the Kilrathi's computer systems.[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Mike Harrison, Wing Commander I and II: The Ultimate Strategy Guide, The Academy Years
- ↑ Wing Commander I Blueprints
- ↑ Chris McCubbin, Official Authorized Wing Commander Confederation Handbook, FLIGHT DECK PROTOCOL, CS TIGER CLAW
- ↑ Wing Commander Academy
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Chris McCubbin, Official Authorized Wing Commander Confederation Handbook, Kilrathi Tactics Document C776b-12