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I have an idea for a new Star Wars Imperial craft that coulda-shoulda been made.
Basic idea for craft:
We have Imperial Special Ops. A small SEAL team-like set up would surely exist within the Imperial forces.
SO, my craft idea is a small, specialized combat transport for those teams.
Role necessities:
Shields (protection for solo-operations and hot extractions)
Hyperdrive (for solo-trips behind enemy lines, away from Imperial support ships)
6 man cargo capacity, with weapons
"Invisible" profile (must blend-in with other Imperial ships (not a remarkable design)
More heavily armed than a typical Imperial craft, for close support and un-supported "hot" extractions
My idea to fulfill that role:
Tie- Combat Weaponized Transport
Cover story: cargo support craft for Tie squadrons, using compatible equipment and parts
Craft:
Derivative of Tie Advanced x1
Same size. front, and basic shape
Wings/arrays: Armoured, flat verical panel extension from flat panel to ground (with lower array in "normal" position, but protected.
Ball cockpit: weapons bay, with retractable panels covering heavier cannons and proton torpedo launcher
Tie Advanced x1:
![]()
Added portion: "cargo box" set behind the ball, reminiscent of the Tie/sr shape, but smaller:
![]()
What is visible from front:
A small "window" just above the ball (with the ball top "razed" to lower the profile- 2'-3' tall extension.
In that cargo box:
Front: a side-by-side seating in the cockpit (ALA A-26 Invader and B-25 gunships)- either 2 pilots, pilot and gunner, or pilot and commander
Back: room for 6 Spec-Ops troopers, 3 per side, seated facing one another on jump-seats (ALA "classic" spec-ops drop ship)
Shape:
Back-drop (open "hatch=like" (vertical protection)
Small "winglet"- provide rear embedded-antenna and "sprayer" location (to provide cover), etc
It need to look like, on the OUTSIDE like an "updated" Tie/sr concept, with the cockpit in the normal location
BUT, have an overly armed and armoured craft that looks "under-protected"
(The kind of thing that looks "background" on a flightline, NOT "bad-***")
Squadron:
Based DIRECTLY upon the operation style of HSC-84 and HSC-85. Those are the 2 Navy helo squadrons that support SEAL operations, often with 1 or 2 ship detachments to work with squadrons in the field.
So, a solo pilot, among standard or 181st pilots, would ALSO make sense.
I propose "337th Imperial Support Squadron" with the callsign: "Spectres" or "Spectre Hawks" AND "Travellers" (to support cover story)
"Travellers" is used in "normal" flights and in-public, using the callsign "Traveller #"
While on missions, that changes to "Spectre #"
So, ship 3 of the squadron is "Traveller 3" normally, while it becomes "Spectre 3" during ops.
(The names Spectre and Traveller are set-in-stone, for me.)
My inspiration:
The 09 Scion xB.
I've been part of a club that emphasized "themes" and shows. I also can't leave anything well-enough alone.
My B WAS "moonshine runner" themed, with "retro" parts.
Those parts had to come off, so I decided to change things.
I was looking at the xB's ahape and realized the window-shape looks like the upper-part of a Tie Advanced or Tie Bomber. The xB also drives and performs (with a few small mods and suspension corrections- only a few hundred dollars, really, and the whole "feel" changes completely).
It really isn't a tie-fighter (as a more "sports car" is more suitable. It also isn't really a Tie-bomber, as a pick-up would be closer. So, I thought about what it is, what looks like, and what is good at ...
It performs above what it should, it has a deceivingly huge inside (I've moved tables and cabinets 5' tall, 3' wide, and 2.5' deep- with the back seat dropped, and the front seats up, and occupied. Still it's a "compact car" and, basically, a Corolla 4-door/seat box-truck.
That translated to a spec-ops small-team transport- where a Tie Shuttle is too small and a Lambda is too large and "showy."
I will be "themeing" the B as this craft. If I get back into shows, I plan to make 4-6 2/3 to 3/4 scale seated and armed troopers in the back, with my Tie helmet in front.
I will also build several models of it, converting a "Darth Vader" Tie Advanced model
Images to come later ...
(Focusing extra money and time to putting together Tie Pilot kit to get 501st approved. tat comes first.)
Basic idea for craft:
We have Imperial Special Ops. A small SEAL team-like set up would surely exist within the Imperial forces.
SO, my craft idea is a small, specialized combat transport for those teams.
Role necessities:
Shields (protection for solo-operations and hot extractions)
Hyperdrive (for solo-trips behind enemy lines, away from Imperial support ships)
6 man cargo capacity, with weapons
"Invisible" profile (must blend-in with other Imperial ships (not a remarkable design)
More heavily armed than a typical Imperial craft, for close support and un-supported "hot" extractions
My idea to fulfill that role:
Tie- Combat Weaponized Transport
Cover story: cargo support craft for Tie squadrons, using compatible equipment and parts
Craft:
Derivative of Tie Advanced x1
Same size. front, and basic shape
Wings/arrays: Armoured, flat verical panel extension from flat panel to ground (with lower array in "normal" position, but protected.
Ball cockpit: weapons bay, with retractable panels covering heavier cannons and proton torpedo launcher
Tie Advanced x1:
Added portion: "cargo box" set behind the ball, reminiscent of the Tie/sr shape, but smaller:
What is visible from front:
A small "window" just above the ball (with the ball top "razed" to lower the profile- 2'-3' tall extension.
In that cargo box:
Front: a side-by-side seating in the cockpit (ALA A-26 Invader and B-25 gunships)- either 2 pilots, pilot and gunner, or pilot and commander
Back: room for 6 Spec-Ops troopers, 3 per side, seated facing one another on jump-seats (ALA "classic" spec-ops drop ship)
Shape:
Back-drop (open "hatch=like" (vertical protection)
Small "winglet"- provide rear embedded-antenna and "sprayer" location (to provide cover), etc
It need to look like, on the OUTSIDE like an "updated" Tie/sr concept, with the cockpit in the normal location
BUT, have an overly armed and armoured craft that looks "under-protected"
(The kind of thing that looks "background" on a flightline, NOT "bad-***")
Squadron:
Based DIRECTLY upon the operation style of HSC-84 and HSC-85. Those are the 2 Navy helo squadrons that support SEAL operations, often with 1 or 2 ship detachments to work with squadrons in the field.
So, a solo pilot, among standard or 181st pilots, would ALSO make sense.
I propose "337th Imperial Support Squadron" with the callsign: "Spectres" or "Spectre Hawks" AND "Travellers" (to support cover story)
"Travellers" is used in "normal" flights and in-public, using the callsign "Traveller #"
While on missions, that changes to "Spectre #"
So, ship 3 of the squadron is "Traveller 3" normally, while it becomes "Spectre 3" during ops.
(The names Spectre and Traveller are set-in-stone, for me.)
My inspiration:
The 09 Scion xB.
I've been part of a club that emphasized "themes" and shows. I also can't leave anything well-enough alone.
My B WAS "moonshine runner" themed, with "retro" parts.
Those parts had to come off, so I decided to change things.
I was looking at the xB's ahape and realized the window-shape looks like the upper-part of a Tie Advanced or Tie Bomber. The xB also drives and performs (with a few small mods and suspension corrections- only a few hundred dollars, really, and the whole "feel" changes completely).
It really isn't a tie-fighter (as a more "sports car" is more suitable. It also isn't really a Tie-bomber, as a pick-up would be closer. So, I thought about what it is, what looks like, and what is good at ...
It performs above what it should, it has a deceivingly huge inside (I've moved tables and cabinets 5' tall, 3' wide, and 2.5' deep- with the back seat dropped, and the front seats up, and occupied. Still it's a "compact car" and, basically, a Corolla 4-door/seat box-truck.
That translated to a spec-ops small-team transport- where a Tie Shuttle is too small and a Lambda is too large and "showy."
I will be "themeing" the B as this craft. If I get back into shows, I plan to make 4-6 2/3 to 3/4 scale seated and armed troopers in the back, with my Tie helmet in front.
I will also build several models of it, converting a "Darth Vader" Tie Advanced model
Images to come later ...
(Focusing extra money and time to putting together Tie Pilot kit to get 501st approved. tat comes first.)
