![]() 1US primacy prevented the emergence of global and regional hegemons. Since 1945, US global leadership has defended international law and protected the democratic order. “Strike aircraft” mostly filled this void, and of those in use by countries other than NATO allies, Russia’s Sukhoi Su-24 is probably the best.Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, Air University Press. Most fighters could carry a few bombs for targets of opportunity on the ground, so there wasn’t much need for a dedicated anti-ground plane. Jet airplanes could carry more bombs and deliver them much faster than prop-driven jets. Modern Equivalent: Sukhoi Su-24 Xinhua News Agencyīy the end of World War II, dive bombers were an obsolete concept. Unlike the consistently inept TIE fighters, the bombers did their job well, and it would have worked if Han Solo hadn’t landed his ship inside a giant space worm, the one thing deadlier than the bombs above. The bombers drop charges that keep the Falcon pinned in place, making it unsafe to venture to the surface above. Other than Darth Vader’s personal fighter, the bombers are the first TIE variants we see, showing a fleet that relies on more than just its cheapest craft to get the job done. We first see the TIE Bomber in The Empire Strikes Back chasing the Millennium Falcon into an asteroid field. ![]() Star Wars Match: TIE Bomber Courtesy Lucas Film LTD Modern Equivalent: Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II De Agostini Picture Library ![]() Much like the P-47, Y-Wings became adept at running the gauntlet of combat, bombing their targets, and bringing their pilots back alive despite heavy structural damage. Its slow speed and poor maneuverability made it a lackluster dogfighter, but its ability to take a beating and carry heavy weapons payloads saw it find good use as an attack aircraft against large star ships and ground targets. The earliest versions of it were first used by the Republic during the Clone Wars, but it later found extensive service with the Rebel Alliance. The Y-Wing is perhaps the longest serving fighter/bomber aircraft of the Rebel Alliance. Star Wars Match: Y-Wing Starfighter Courtesy Lucas Film LTD Designed originally as a fighter, it too found great usage as an attack aircraft best suited to destruction of large targets. The Y-Wing starfighter closely resembles the the P-47 in its role among the Rebel Alliance’s air fleets. 50 caliber machine guns on each wing, coupled with rockets and up to 2,500 pounds of bombs wreaked havoc on German ground forces and supply lines. P-47s were the heaviest and largest fighter/bomber airplanes of their time, weighing up to 8 tons when fully armed. On each of its distinctive elliptical shaped wings bristled four. It was a high performance aircraft capable of reaching faster speeds than many other contemporary fighters of the time, and its excellent maneuverability made it effective in combat. The Spitfire was an extremely versatile single seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and a number of other nations throughout the Second World War. ![]() No Star Wars aircraft is more synonymous with the Rebel Alliance than the X-Wing, and no aircraft was more synonymous with the Allied effort of WWII than the British Supermarine Spitfire. Historical Inspiration: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Here we match up Star Wars fighters with their WWII counterparts and their modern equivalents. It’s easy to see how the war and the action flicks it spawned inspired the galactic dogfights of the Star Wars films. Action heroes frequented the silver screen in large numbers, and none were more glamorous than fighter pilots. An X-Wing T-70 does battle with a TIE fighter in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.ĭuring George Lucas’s childhood in the 1950s, World War II was still very much a part of popular culture despite being safely in the rearview mirror.
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