"Best Science Fiction Space Fightercraft (Round 1A)" Topic

Feels odd as an old SF fan saying 'not my genre" but this is video games and a sprinkling of TV and movies. Nothing here for the book reader and I doubt even the TV and movie people can discuss "best" in any terms other than "coolest looking."

This is one point at which I feel George Lucas has a lot to answer for--importing WWII dogfighting into SF, and doing it in the form of a lot of pointless buzzing around and cool explosions. Actual WWII fighters had different capabilities, formations and tactics, but none of that made it to the big screen.

I'll go be a buzzkill elsewhere now.

Nothing here for the book reader…

Guess "Battle Rider (Cyteen)" doesn't ring a bell?

None of them ring a bell for me.
I did see Independence Day, but can't remember the alien thingies enough for them to have made an impression. I'm totally unfamiliar with everything else.
🤷

It's my poll suggestion. But in reality, I know that space fighters are probably not realistic in any form, at least not as manned craft. Drones/AI craft make much more sense, both from the situational environment, high-end performance, and cost.
Drones don't require life support or safety equipment, are not hindered by high G-forces, and every ounce of fuel solely goes to maneuvering/accelerating the craft, not to lugging along a meatsack pilot.
So space fighters are probably nonsense as a sustained future development, no matter how they'd actually behave and function in reality.
But we still love ‘em!

And John, you've never heard of an A-wing or a B-wing?!?

"Battle Rider (Cyteen)" is the only one that isn't an airplane in space. Got my only vote.

Point. If it had said "ridership" and "Downbelow Station," I'd have caught it immediately, but I'd given up on Cheryh by Cyteen--and there the riderships are mentioned, but not described. They're just launched and recovered all pretty much in one scene.

And John, you've never heard of an A-wing or a B-wing?!?

Are they obscure Star Wars thing?
I didn't get any immediate memory jog, so no vote from me.

One could legitimately game Star Wars fighters with just about any Great War biplane rules.
Add Snoopy on/in his doghouse and the Red Baron.

David Weber and Steven White had Fighters in the latter Starfire series of books. But the series was inspired by a set of boardgames. (named Starfire, Starfire II, etc.)

It was an A-Wing that sunk the Super Star Destroyer, with a bridge critical hit!
YouTube link

Yep. The A-Wing and B-wing are from Return of the Jedi in the original trilogy of films. Kinda hard to miss, really. The A-wing looks like a flying shovel head. The B-wing looks like a lower-case "t" (and not at all like a B).

And in fact there is a miniatures game for Star Wars fighters loosely based on the very successful Wings of War/Glory WWI fighter game.

But as I said, this isn't about realism. If you want realism in SciFi, go visit the Atomic Rockets site: link

This is about "that's cool" whether in visual format looks or written description.

You know, they'd be cool if they were different. As for "A-wing" and "B-wing" you'd have lost me too, Parz. Don't remember any such names from the movies.

A pity. You could actually do stuff in a WWII movie with the different fighter types varying in armament, range, speed, armor and handling at different altitudes. And I love the bit in A Piece of Cake where they're arguing about formations. But when I see SF fighters in movies and TV, evidently everyone on both sides is flying the same Sopwith Camel (or the same P-51) and the only differences are cosmetic.

Do they actually name the A-Wing and B-Wing in RotJ?

They're, either way, the only ones I'm familiar with on the list, and they're boring bit players, so I'm voting Other.

ETA: I guess I've seen the alien fighters from Independence Day, but they're too boring to even get a name.