Virtual Wings: Cygnus Spaceworks Alpha-class Xg-1 Star Wing Pilot Report

“Okay, now this is something different.” I’d test flown the four TIE variants that had comprised the vast majority of the Empire’s forces during the days of the Galactic Civil War. Of the four, the TIE Fighter (TIE/LN or “Eyeball”) was as expected, the TIE Bomber (TIE/sa

or “Dupe”) was a slug, the TIE Interceptor (TIE/in or “Squint”) was a hotrodded deathtrap, and the TIE Avenger (TIE/ad or “Bright”) was a world beater. But the Empire hadn’t exclusively fielded TIE series craft.

While rarely seen in line forces, the Imperial procurement groups had recognized the need for a hyperspace-capable fighter armed with warhead launchers and ion cannons to serve a role analogous to the Y-Wing. Assigned primarily to scout squadrons, the craft would be used for advance scout duties and during rapid capture operations where ion-cannon armed transports would prove impractically slow. Cygnus Spaceworks, designers of the Lambda-class T-4 shuttle and Sentinel-class landing craft, answered the procurement call with the Alpha-class Xg-1 Star Wing.

Utilizing a folding wing system similar to the larger shuttle designs, the Alpha-class, commonly known as “Assault Gunboats” was able to have a shipborne footprint similar to a standard TIE/ln design. Armed with two laser cannons, two ion cannons, and a large warhead launcher bank, the Assault Gunboat was more than capable as a heavy scout or long-range escort. The Assault Gunboat also carried heavy shielding, and was often equipped with a beam system.

It was also designed to operate semi-autonomously, with landing skids, and a pressurized cockpit that eliminated the need for the TIE pilot’s bulky environmental suit. Entering the craft was much closer to entering a Y-Wing cockpit than a typical Imperial fighter design. After verifying my familiarity with the controls, we closed the canopy and I powered the ship up.

After experiencing a series of TIE craft, the lack of the engine howl was jarring. I had to double check that the engines were even running given that only a quiet hum reverberated through the craft. Unlike the TIE engines, the hum was the extent of engine sounds during normal operations. While the Assault Gunboat could rack launch like a TIE craft, the corporation’s examples were kept in the simpler and more maintainable grounded landing section. Takeoff was a simple matter of calling for clearance, gliding out of the hanger bay on repulsors, and transitioning directly into spaceflight as the wings lowered to flight position and the gear retracted.

Powering into the practice area, the Xg-1’s biggest flaw became readily apparent. Much like the Y-Wing, it was slow and especially ponderous in comparison to the fast as thought maneuvering of most of the TIE series craft. Small wonder that the Gunboat generally fared poorly against X-Wing and A-Wing starfighters, but was more than a match for the typical pirate forces.

Engaging targets showed off the design’s strengths. With ion cannons and lasers mounted above and below the cockpit, respectively, maximum firepower could be brought on target quickly and accurately. The gunboat’s multipurpose weapons bays could normally house a load of sixteen concussion missiles, or twelve proton torpedoes. The cockpit itself had excellent visibility, which came as a relief after hours in TIE cockpits.

Combat proved my earlier theories correct. Against slower, less maneuverable legacy fighters, the Gunboat could easily hold its own. However, faster, more maneuverable foes could easily hit and run, wearing down the massive shield shell without taking more than a stray hit or two. Only advanced units equipped with a tractor or decoy beam stood a chance under these conditions.

The Gunboat was much more like the Rebellion/Republic fighters that it opposed than like most other single-seat craft in the Imperial arsenal. That the design largely dead-ended there, save for some rumored extremely advanced prototypes spoke more about Imperial procurement priorities than it died about the performance of the Xg-1 itself.

Virtual Wings: Sienar Fleet Systems TIE/ad PIREP

"You've got a what?" I was incredulous. The TIE/ad, also known as the TIE Advanced, TIE Avenger, or "Bright" to Rebel/Republic pilots, was one of the rarest finds outside of Imperial remnants. There were two others even more rare, but this...

The tech grinned. "Right this way. They never bothered to put environmental systems in these either, so you'll still need your EV suit, but I think you'll get a kick out of this one."

He wasn't kidding! Originally based on Darth Vader's one-off TIE Advanced x1, production Avengers used radically cut wing panels with a quartet of wingtip lasers, built in warhead launchers, and provision for a small hyperdrive. It also sported shields similar in strength to an A-Wing, but could out turn and out run any fighter fielded by the Rebellion/Republic during the Galactic Civil War. It had originally be slated to re-equip all TIE squadrons operating the TIE Fighter, however cost and Imperial doctrine dictating unshieled short-range fighters meant that the TIE Interceptor went into high rate production while the Avenger was restricted to a few elite unites.

Initial start-up and launch was standard for the type. The engine howl was as familiar as always, but once clear of the hanger pattern, what a difference between this and the other TIE variants I'd flown! At full throttle, the Bright tore through space like a scalded Gundark, leaving my A-Wing chase bird rapidly in its wake. Maneuvering was similarly aggressive. At 90% throttle, the Bright could practically turn on a ten credit chip and give you back nine credits of change.

Setting up some simulated threats in the practice area, the Bright could easily hold its own in 4-on-1 dogfights against A-Wings. Where things got dicey was when enemy pilots started bringing advanced missiles to the party. The Avenger's shields could shrug off a few laser hits, or even a standard Concussion Missile, but an Advanced Concussion Missile was a killing shot the moment it hit.

Common tactics for the Imperial squadrons that equipped the Avenger with to slash in, kill a few enemies with missile shots, dogfight if the odds favored them, and if not, throttle up and disengage. The Avenger's superior speed made it easily possible.


Cockpit comfort was typical TIE, however, which was to say minimal. I couldn't imagine spending hours stuck in one of these EV suits on a multiple jump hyperspace patrol. Then again, had I been an Imperial Navy pilot, it would certainly have beaten most of the alternatives I could be flying.

The Rebellion was fortunate this ship hadn't reached wider use before the Battle of Endor. Going up against squadrons of these, rather than TIE Interceptors, could have been absolutely disastrous for Rebel squadrons.

Virtual Wings: Sienar Fleet Systems TIE/IN Interceptor PIREP

Finally, we were getting into the interesting portion of the Imperial ships! While the TIE/ln Fighter and TIE/sa Bomber were certainly interesting from historical perspectives, the next ship, the TIE/IN Interceptor, or "Squint", was well known as a hot-rod to match the classic A-Wings. I hoped I wouldn't be disappointed.

The Squint had been designed prior to the Battle of Yavin, but was not yet in heavy use at that point. Afterwords, given the superiority shown by the X-Wings and A-Wings of the Rebel Alliance, production of the Squint had been increased. By the time of the Battle of Endor it constituted roughly twenty percent of mainline Imperial fighter squadrons.

With its bent wings and visibility cutouts, plus heavier armament and greater speed and maneuverability, the Interceptor certainly looked as though lessons had been learned from the design of the Eyeball. Unfortunately, the Empire had once again chosen to streamline production by forgoing shields, life support, and hyperdrive assemblies. This decision meant that most Squint squadrons were still reliant on external motherships for support, wore bulky environmental suits in the cockpit, and were still seriously vulnerable to any stray laser blasts during combat.

After the now familiar procedures to access the cockpit of the TIE series fighters and start up, I made my way out of the hanger by and towards the corporation's practice zone once again. With a speed of 111 MGLT, the Squint could run away from anything in the Rebel fleet save the A-Wing. Even slowed slightly for maneuvering and cannon recharge, it was still more than a maneuverability and speed match for the X-Wing, much less Y-Wing or B-Wing strike fighters.

The corporation's version had been retrofitted with shields, which was a common field upgrade even in Imperial task forces where resupply was limited and a Star Destroyer's supply of advanced fighters was a precious commodity. A slightly boosted reactor allowed both shield and laser recharge rates to be maintained without loss of speed, however, in heavy combat, speed definitely began to suffer as shields and lasers began drawing more power. Another common retrofit, a beam weapon, would further exacerbate the problem when used.

In the practice area, I matched up against a few A-Wings for some simulated combat. Without shields, I could manage 1v1 and 2v1 combat pretty well, but found myself quickly overwhelmed beyond that. With shields, 4v1 was managable.

To my mind, there was no question that had the Empire begun fielding this ship earlier in the Galactic Civil War, or perhaps had they been willing to invest in widespread adoption of shields for their Squints, the GCW might have had a dramatically different outcome.

Virtual Wings - Sienar Fleet Systems TIE/ln PIREP

The company had invited me back. This time, I’d be sampling their aggressor birds, ex-Imperial craft that were used primarily to provide dissimilar craft training for client contracts, but also led a second life teaching pilots the ins and outs of these lethal craft.

First up was the standard bearer of the Imperial Fleet, the TIE Fighter. Nicknamed “Eyeball” by Rebel/Resistance pilots, the scream of its twin ion engines was known throughout the galaxy. Produced in massive quantities, it could still be found equipping backwater garrisons, forming the basis of various ugly hybrids, and in the hands of private militias and collectors.

While not produced with hyperdrives, life support, beams, or shield systems, various field modifications adding some or all of these systems were also common. However, without an upgraded reactor, performance suffered with these modifications. Provision for mounting warhead launchers was standard, and since these did not degrade the flight envelope, they were fitted often enough in Imperial service that their presence could never be discounted.

The cheap, spare design was completely intentional. It made it possible to mass produce the fighters with low-skilled conscript labor forces, and minimally trained pilots flying their expendable ships were a core Imperial doctrine during the rule of Emperor Palpitane. No hyperdrive meant those same pilots would be unable to escape during deployments.

Entering the TIE Fighter was an experience unto itself. Unlike Alliance snub fighters which were designed with landing gear, TIEs were designed to sit in racks and be launched via an external controller. While the wing panels were reinforced to allow them to be used as landing skids, this was largely an emergency-only procedure, save in some ground-based garrison locations. As such, ingress required the assistance of a crew chief to help me get into position, and ensure that my life support systems were properly connected.

Once inside, visibility was appalling. The huge front window gave excellent forward visibility, but everything else was only visible through monitors connected to external cameras. Beam and warhead warning systems provided some threat detection, but pilots lost a lot of their situational awareness by not being able to see behind them.

Start-up was quick, with the twin Ion Engines providing their characteristic shriek as soon as they were throttled up. We cruised out of the traffic pattern at half power, then throttled up the engines up into a scream to clear into the practice area. Through all this, the cockpit was surprisingly quiet. The engine scream reverberated throughout the hull, but the lack of cockpit air provided a significant deadening effect despite the lack of sound deadening. I found the seating position significantly less comfortable than Alliance fighters, however, likely another artifact of a ship designed for short range use.

In actual combat testing, the TIE Fighter’s biggest advantage was the close grouping of its dual laser cannons. Much like the Y-Wing, the close grouping maximized hits when dual linked. The Eyeball’s legendary maneuverability failed to live up to expectations though. Only slightly better in turning than the X-Wing, the TIE managed only the same max speed while being unshielded and vulnerable. While it was certainly a superior fighter to the Y-Wing or Z-95 Headhunter, it was clearly outclassed against later Alliance craft, and only its massive production quantities and overwhelming numerical advantages had kept it somewhat relevant.
 After returning to base, being helped out of the cockpit by the crew chief, and finally taking off the bulky environmental suit, I mainly felt sympathy for the beings who’d been required to fly these things for the Empire on a regular basis. Every design element seemed to emphasize that the pilot was merely an expendable cog in a massive machine, as mass-produced and replaceable as a Stormtrooper’s blaster, and equally lacking in individual agency. And unlike me, who had a comfortable bed and personal ship to be able to return to, regular TIE pilots had no such luxury. Life in an Imperial squadron or garrison was even more soul-sucking and regimented than flight-ops could ever be.

Virtual Wings: Kuat Systems Engineering RZ-1 A-Wing PIREP

"Looks fast sitting still." was my first impression of the corporation's A-Wing starfighters. While X-Wings and Xg-1 Star Wings make up the workhorses of the corporation's fleet operations, they maintain a flight of four Mark II A-Wings for fast aggressor and recon jobs. Nicknamed Mara, Ashoka, Shalla, and Bhindi, they tend to live up to the A-Wing's reputation as maintenance nightmares.

For my visit, only Shalla was in operational shape, with two others in various maintenance levels, and another in deep regeneration after a rough landing that collapsed the nose skid. I'm told that an average of twenty maintenance hours are required for every flight hour, far more even than what is required for the much older Y-Wings.

It's also worth noting that the Mark IIs are less temperamental than the Mark I versions flown by the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War. Hand-built from whatever was available, then hotrodded for every ounce of speed they could squeeze out, the original A-Wings were sometimes almost as dangerous to their pilots as to the enemy.

The first challenge for me was simply fitting into the cockpit. I'm not built like a Wookie, but neither am I a Sullustian. The A-Wing's cockpit was a tight fit, just one of the reasons the craft had earned the nickname "Slims" by their pilots.

With the canopy closed, visibility was excellent save for straight back. Keeping visual contact with enemy fighters in a dogfight would be simple, provided the pilot can keep enemies from slipping underneath the fighter. Set in the center of the A-Wing's wedge, the fuselage blocks most lines of sight below the fighter.

Spinning up the ship's MPS Bpr-99 reactor and feeding power to the twin Novaldex J-77 Event Horizon engines showed immediately why this fighter was the hotrod of the fleet. Particularly after flying the Y-Wing, the acceleration was rapid as the fighter pushed to its top speed of 120 MGLT, just a hair faster than the Imperial TIE Interceptors that were its primary opponents.

To reduce the maintenance burden a little bit, the Corporation's A-Wings had been modified to fix their wingtip mounted laser cannons straight ahead. While the pivoting system was useful in combat, it was another complex, easily broken system.

Conducting my usual speed checks revealed few surprises. Standard top speed was 120 MGLT, while running max recharge to all systems gave 60 MGLT. Combat configuration with just lasers at increased charge gave 105 MGLT, still faster than a TIE Fighter, while lasers and shields at increased (or only lasers at maximum charge) gave 90 MGLT. Optimal maneuvering speed came around 80% throttle. Combat configured, the A-Wing was still faster than a TIE Fighter or X-Wing, while holding a significant turning advantage, and the ability to simply throttle up and leave the fight on its own terms. Dumping all energy into the engines gave 180 MGLT, and showed why this fighter was the recon ship of choice.

Finally it was time for some dogfight practice. Engaging TIE Fighters was remarkably simple, as the A-Wing's superior speed allowed me to boom and zoom - screaming into gun range, making firing passes, then pulling out of range almost immediately. Against Squints I faced a much bigger challenge, with their lack of shields being somewhat compensated by their heavier firepower and tight weapon grouping.

Much like the B-Wing, the A-Wing is less a jack-of-all-trades, and more of a specialist that's used best in specific roles. Allowed to boom and zoom, or used in maneuvers such as the A-Wing slash, it provided intercept and space superiority capabilities far better than the X-Wing. Used poorly, or when maintenance issues reared their heads, the A-Wing can be more liability than utility.