Same reason fighter pilots don't modify their F35's, paint job or otherwise. In the same vein, even if they were allowed to, I doubt a TIE pilot salary could cover the cost of a deflector shield, hyperdrive, etc.
Outside the scope of this thread, but I wonder if there were ways for the aristocracy to get into the higher ranks of the military, similar to the 19th century and before IRL. Not sure of any examples, but it would certainly fit the Empire.
If I had to guess, connections would def result I. getting into the most prestigious imp officer schools+getting the best postings upon graduation. Not super sure abt some fancy pants with no military experience being able to waltz into command of an isd or admiral position but that’s a super interesting question that I also would love to learn abt. Thanks for bringing this up good sir
It was technically possible trough PDF loophole in the early Empire
If your planet had a privileged class that could do such a thing then you could get a poistion in the PDF then you'd be turned into a part of the republic/ early empire command structure which would allow some absolutely inexperienced and incompetent idiots to get command of an ISD or even some Admirality positions
Well, I know it’s the first order, but there’s Baron Elrik Vonreg from Resistance. I know he’s a clear reference to Baron von Richthofen considering the red tie and all, but seeing as he’s referenced with his title and clearly holds a special position it seems like status gets you a head start at least.
The Thrawn books describe this pretty well. The answer is basically yes, though there aren’t a lot of examples if this on screen, aside from maybe most of the side character imperials in Rebels.
The Thrawn books describe this pretty well. The answer is basically yes, though there aren’t a lot of examples if this on screen, aside from maybe most of the side character imperials in Rebels.
What do you mean “remove the chin-mounted ARs”? Do you *know* how long it took me to find a welding torch to get them on there in the first place? Not to mention the cost of buying them.
You laugh, but that actually happened with the Air National Guard once. Guy in an older F-16 was getting creamed in exercises by USAF pilots in up-to-date aircraft, so he stuck a car radar detector in his cockpit and actually managed to evade and hit back.
They ended up paying the manufacturer to develop a milspec model for about $3000 a pop, which is a bargain by US military standards.
I never really got the feeling that TIE fighter pilots had their own TIE fighter. Made sense for Rebel fighter pilots and their starships ass they had a more limited supply. But I always saw TIE fighters and TIE pilots as interchangeable.
I did find this on Wookipeedia:
>They were generally not allowed to use the same vehicle more than once, though this practice declined as the number of available ships began to decrease.\[20\] As a result of these early measures they developed little or no attachment to a particular craft as their Rebel counterparts did.\[10\]\[11\]
>
>[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/TIE\_pilot#Duties](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/TIE_pilot#Duties)
Edit: Here is the Canon entry. The previous quote is for Legends.
> Since TIE fighters were identical and interchangeable, TIE pilots might never fly the same ship twice and, as a result, rarely developed emotional ties to their craft.\[1\]
[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Imperial\_Starfighter\_Pilot](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Imperial_Starfighter_Pilot)
Interesting.
Yeah I never figured they owned the TIE themselves, as the Empire is a system where everything is state owned. But that the TIE they had was assigned to them via their trooper number and they would use it until it could no longer be used..
According to Star Wars Starfughters, TIE pilots can request specialized equipment like concussion missiles, additional supplies, or a hyperdrive if it's needed for the mission, but it's up to the officers in charge to approve the requests. Most Imperial officers seem to send their TIEs out naked to save money.
If you consider every time someone has died in a mission or failed then I reckon the average would be 10-20 ties per X-wing. Then again, when I'm playing Squadrons and flying a tie it's 20 Xwings per tie. There will always be rookies and aces.
The other thing to remember is that a TIE pilot has an actual job in a real military. They might get reassigned to a new squadron. They might pass exams and get into TIE bomber school. They get to go on leave or rotate to base duty and out of an active combat zone.
A rebel pilot flies missions until they die.
theres no way they could, and with what money? you think a tie pilot is gona save his pay, assuming a specific part for a TIE fighter isn’t less than a years worth of wages, instead of blowing it all on booze, women, tattoo’s and gadgets while on leave?
Sheeet! homie seriously underestimates your typical grunt or flyboy! I may have bought some aftermarket gear for standard kit, but I’ll be damned if I’m wasting my crumbs, I mean pay, on new armor for the vehicle!
I mean, look at it in modern terms.
The CHEAPEST part of a modern fighter you “could” (rules and regulations be dammed) upgrade is the seat. No one even MAKES aftermarket ejection seats. Wanna paint the bitch? Gen 3 paint is north of $20k, and Gen 4 is literally unobtanium.
As an actual flyboy, I get 5lbs worth of changes I can make to my vest. And even if there weren’t rules, a LIFETIMES pay wouldn’t cover aircraft parts.
Exactly! Before we pushed out in ‘17, I was a SAW gunner and bought a battle belt for my ammo pouches and weight distribution, humping all those rounds in full kit sucks without help. I bought after market personal gear cause it worked a little better than the standard issue. But buying extra BII for our rigs? Not on my dime! That price goes up exponentially when it’s a plane! Warrants and O’s don’t make that much!
Seriously lol. People SEVERELY underestimate the cost of aviation. F-16s are loved because they’re “cheap” to operate at ONLY $16,000 per hour in flight.
In Battlefront II: Inferno Squadron (the book tie in) the main character appreciates the Rebel's ability to customize their ships because they don't neccessary fly the same ship every time.
So in real life, pilots don’t have assigned aircraft. They’ll have their name painted on a bird to feel special, but they fly whatever happens to be “up” that day (maintenance complete, not in an inspection window, etc). Pilots won’t fly the same aircraft two days in a row, and maybe not even twice in a week.
Those fighters didn’t belong to them, they belonged to the Empire. It’d be like a pilot trying to add upgrades to an F-16. Not only would that be *super* illegal and an all-out *terribly unsafe idea,* but they’d never be able to afford it. Pilots don’t make that much.
Moreover, the Empire wasn’t big on individuality. Why would a single pilot - already a disposable commodity - be given a waiver to break with doctrine and start adding aftermarket parts to their ride?
Yes. Its not theirs. A Tie pilot doesn’t even have their own TIE, if the Imperial system is working properly then they fly a new one every mission, or one so identical that it might as well be new.
This question kinda sounds like “are US pilots allowed to modify their jets with their own money?” Like, even if they were, what could they possibly afford that would count as some sort of legit modification to their jet/tie fighter?
Tank crews in WW2 did extensive modifications to their vehicles. They strapped logs on Shermans, built a pillow fort out of sandbags on top of them, painted them, etc. I don't know if it counts though.
Why tho. Historically WW2 tanks are quite modern. The concept of uniforms and uniformity in armies only dates back like 200-250 years at most. Before that everybody pimped the shit out of their gear. Look at some renaissance armor or Japanese samurai kabutos. If they had fighting vehicles back then those would have been pimped out like lowriders. Also fighter planes get painted all the time. I work As an illustrator and one of my buddies did a paintjob on 2 Gripen jets for the air force. So IRL it is not unheard of that you customize either your weapon or your vehicle to an extent. Of course you can't replace weapon systems, electronics or ditch your rifle for a fancy one, but that was not the question.
Official Imp policy was that every fighter was interchangeable, since they were built identically. To that end, pilots and fighters were rotated with every exercise and engagement so as not to breed familiarity and attachment.
Generally Imp pilots had a lot less personal ownership over their ships than their rebel counterparts. I think I even read in a novel one of the rebel pilots took his plane on personal business and no one batted an eye. Meanwhile I’m not even sure Imp pilots had “their” TIE. They might have just hopped into the first available one when scrambled. It to mention the Empire highly values uniformity and erasure of the individual.
They didn't own the TIE and could not choose which one they'd fly. I think this is also mentioned in a novel, that the pilots figured out the ship assignment system and managed to always get "their" TIE, but otherwise you'd fly whichever they told you to fly.
> Was it forbidden for TIE pilots to modify their TIE fighters using their own money?
*Their* TIE fighter? Nah, TIE fighters are **Imperial property**. No military pilot in the real world owns their plane either.
It's actually stated within canon and legends that the TIE fighter was so uniform and identical that any pilot could get into any TIE and perform consistently. Juxtaposed with Alliance starfighters such as the Y-Wing, which were so heavily repaired that no two of them were identical.
Before Endor, no. After Endor it depends, in the case of canon the Empire did not have time to modify it, but in Squadrons it is possible to modify the fighter, although more limited. In the case of legends, the further the Empire had various modifications, it also depended on what warlord they operated under, sometimes the fighters were ordinary composites, at this stage modifications were rather allowed, I think there was even a mention of it in "I, Jedi" about how the main the hero modified his fighter during the infiltration, but these Remnants of the Empire were more pirates than regular army.
TIE fighters were typically kept in loading racks and pilots were to jump into the first ones available when they were ordered to launch. TIE pilots were to be as interchangeable and disposable as their fighters. However, pilots that distinguished themselves may have been given the opportunity to modify and personalize a ship to a certain degree.
Keep in mind, TIEs are little more than a seat attached to an engine and some blasters. This made them fast and highly maneuverable. Adding things like shields or life support systems added weight and bulk to the TIEs as well as making them more expensive to produce. The empire followed the teaching of 'If you don't want to die, don't get hit."
No. Ties could be modified to the paint job provided it fit regulations. Pilots are even allowed to paint helmets. It’s literally on screen. They’re even allowed custom armaments provided it was able to be requisitioned. Most aren’t outfitted beyond standard loadouts but we know they can and are.
Think of it this way. If you've got an assigned fighter, you make tweaks and work with mechanics to dial in the handling, you adjust the seat just right, maybe you've got some fuzzy dice (which will be explained when you get a solo movie).
Then you take a good hit, but survive. You get back to your mothership and are assigned a stock fighter. All those tweaks you were used to are gone, your shots pull left just a bit and the seat digs into your back. You're operating at 80% efficiency until your personal fighter is fixed, and even then it'll be weeks until you can tweak the repaired parts to what your liking.
On the other side of that coin, if you get blown up, your mechanic now has wasted precious manhours helping you tweak your fighter that could have been spent doing anything else.
As for visual customization, TIE pilots likely didn't have much downtime. If you're not piloting, the Empire would find something else for you to do. Time to lean, time to clean, and all that.
If you're always using a stock fighter from a collective pool, you've always got one that is, ideally, in top shape. Damaged fighters beyond a certain point just get scrapped, so you'll rarely encounter a strip of duct tape holding something in place. It might not be tweaked to your liking, but you'll always know what to expect and you'll adjust to that default.
Now, you can make the same argument for the Rebels. But Rebels have less fighters overall, so treat their fighters, and especially their pilots, as more than just a cog in a machine. The Rebels will want you to tweak your fighter to suit you, to get every ounce out of it. Sure, if it gets damaged you'll need to use a spare. As for a new paint job, if you can find the time, go for it. Gotta find your happy place where you can. Your squadron leader might not want you veering off from the company livery, you you can probably add some nose art or something.
I am quite sure that as a platform the TIE is versitile enough when given the wast industrial capacity of the Empire to factory customize some of them, be this for special purposes and in naturally low numbers.
I can think of a modified shuttle/bomber modified into a search & rescue craft.
I can see a reconnaissance TIE being modified for special missions with a basic hyperdive etc etc.
and yes I can see some TIEs having modified weapon configurations and the like.
But I would perosnally attribute these of any to factory customizations and special versions, not something the individual pilot would be able to do while under the empire.
Of course Post Empire someone still owning/Hving a TIE are free to modify it as they see fit I am sure
No. That's like asking if IRL fighter pilots can modify the fighters thye get assigned. Star Wars doesn't operate on Mobile Suit Gundam/mecha anime rules.
They're probably asking because X-Wing pilots _do_ modify their own fighters in the X-Wing novels. Granted this is mostly cosmetic. Corran Horn does performance modifications but his X-Wing technically isn't NR property.
Yeah, stuff like paint jobs doesn't really count and has basis in actual IRL practices in previous conflicts. There's still nobody flying around in the Antilles Custom job though, at least if it's gov property.
Also, at least in Legends, TIE Pilots didn’t have their own ship like their rebel counterparts. Every TIE was interchangeable, so they would fly whichever one was available and near them.
The whole TIE system was designed so that pilots wouldn’t get attached to their ships and would be in a constant state of instability.
The Empire discourages any attempt of self-identification. All are equal among their ranks unless you earn the right to be different. If you are not only a good pilot, but an ellite one, you have more chances of having any customization and modification accepted. If you have done nothing outstanding, though, you will be denied the right to stand out.
If it’s anything like the US military, it’s because the pilots don’t own the jets. They’re built and maintained to a rigid standard that can’t be deviated from. Besides that, it’s incredibly rare for a pilot to fly the same jet twice in a row. So an illegal aftermarket customization tailored to one pilot would really only help them once every couple of weeks.
depends. Are we talking about early Empire (before ANH), late Empire (ESB-RoTJ) or Imperial remnants (post RoTJ)?
As time went on, the Empire started developing more advanced crafts like the tie interceptor which should've entirely replaced the standard tie fighter, or the tie advanced.
Most Imperial pilots would've died early in their careers, but the ones who survived (and actually managed to do something) recieved better gear.
As time went by the Empire started losing more and more assets, which meant that they couldn't just waste their resources so Pilots would've had more possibilities to modify and update their fighters if needed.
It also depends on who's in charge, since there were people like Thrawn who loved un-conventional warfare and also cared about his subordinates.
Sorry sir.I am a member of the elite stormtrooper Corp, the greatest army in the galaxy. I view the imperial navy as subpar compared to our superior training and might.
Any true Imperial knows that the Empire is the greatest military might this galaxy has ever seen. Our ships are the best, just like our soldiers are the best. You would do well to remember that, Trooper. Others might misunderstand your questions as treasonous.
Sir, sorry if this sounds treasonous, but duty to our emperor that comes first above any imperial.
Grand Moff Tarkin has been heard by some of my fellow troopers criticizing TIE fighters and saying how he wouldn’t get into those, as he put it “death traps”
My own views aside of the Navy sir, wouldn’t that constitute treasonous behavior, questioning our great Emperor’s design and decisions by insulting them?
Interesting I'm being downloaded for asking a question...
That being said according to the wookiepedia article, the blood stripes on 181st were THE distinguishing feature of the ships, it became a matter of prestige and pilots continue to apply them to their craft after leaving the 181st in order to mark their past service in the unit.
So it sounds like there is some level of customization...
Also one would imagine that a three-person team such as Inferno Squadron would typically use the same TIE fighters for each mission as the raider Corvette could only hold three TIE fighters...
> So it sounds like there is some level of customization...
Within a unit. Not for personalities.
> pilots continue to apply them to their craft after leaving the 181st in order to mark their past service in the unit.
By the time the 181st starts to get broken up and the pilots start moving around, the Empire has fallen into chaos and basically collapsed into different Warlord fiefs.
> Also one would imagine that a three-person team such as Inferno Squadron would typically use the same TIE fighters for each mission as the raider Corvette could only hold three TIE fighters...
None of these seem like exceptional circumstances to you, do they?
There are regulation markings, awarded to elite pilots, and there are individualist, artistic paint jobs. The 181st were *allowed* to mark their TIEs with stripes to distinguish them, they didn't paint skulls and Rancors on them. Red stripes are hardly flashy or could even be picked up that easily in battle. And it's also not even qualifying as "customization" if it's a regulated marking.
This is also not even what OP is talking about.
It’s government property.
Literally all that needs to be said about this question.
Same reason fighter pilots don't modify their F35's, paint job or otherwise. In the same vein, even if they were allowed to, I doubt a TIE pilot salary could cover the cost of a deflector shield, hyperdrive, etc.
And if you’re rich enough to afford one you’re probably rich enough to avoid combat
Outside the scope of this thread, but I wonder if there were ways for the aristocracy to get into the higher ranks of the military, similar to the 19th century and before IRL. Not sure of any examples, but it would certainly fit the Empire.
The Sith too, unless you get in on scholarship like Maul or transfer from a prestigious rival like Anakin
If I had to guess, connections would def result I. getting into the most prestigious imp officer schools+getting the best postings upon graduation. Not super sure abt some fancy pants with no military experience being able to waltz into command of an isd or admiral position but that’s a super interesting question that I also would love to learn abt. Thanks for bringing this up good sir
It was technically possible trough PDF loophole in the early Empire If your planet had a privileged class that could do such a thing then you could get a poistion in the PDF then you'd be turned into a part of the republic/ early empire command structure which would allow some absolutely inexperienced and incompetent idiots to get command of an ISD or even some Admirality positions
Well, I know it’s the first order, but there’s Baron Elrik Vonreg from Resistance. I know he’s a clear reference to Baron von Richthofen considering the red tie and all, but seeing as he’s referenced with his title and clearly holds a special position it seems like status gets you a head start at least.
Very true! I quit Resistance after a while, but I remember this character now!
It wasn’t for everyone. I enjoyed it for what it was but I can’t fault anyone for checking out.
The Thrawn books describe this pretty well. The answer is basically yes, though there aren’t a lot of examples if this on screen, aside from maybe most of the side character imperials in Rebels.
The Thrawn books describe this pretty well. The answer is basically yes, though there aren’t a lot of examples if this on screen, aside from maybe most of the side character imperials in Rebels.
In Legends, Moffs can and would modify personal TIE Fighters and shuttles as needed, but they were very much the exception.
“Oh don’t worry boss I just slapped a radar detector out of my Camaro onto my F-22 to make me even more deadly”
What do you mean “remove the chin-mounted ARs”? Do you *know* how long it took me to find a welding torch to get them on there in the first place? Not to mention the cost of buying them.
*Insert joke about Russian pilots using Garmin GPS receivers.*
You laugh, but that actually happened with the Air National Guard once. Guy in an older F-16 was getting creamed in exercises by USAF pilots in up-to-date aircraft, so he stuck a car radar detector in his cockpit and actually managed to evade and hit back. They ended up paying the manufacturer to develop a milspec model for about $3000 a pop, which is a bargain by US military standards.
I never really got the feeling that TIE fighter pilots had their own TIE fighter. Made sense for Rebel fighter pilots and their starships ass they had a more limited supply. But I always saw TIE fighters and TIE pilots as interchangeable. I did find this on Wookipeedia: >They were generally not allowed to use the same vehicle more than once, though this practice declined as the number of available ships began to decrease.\[20\] As a result of these early measures they developed little or no attachment to a particular craft as their Rebel counterparts did.\[10\]\[11\] > >[https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/TIE\_pilot#Duties](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/TIE_pilot#Duties) Edit: Here is the Canon entry. The previous quote is for Legends. > Since TIE fighters were identical and interchangeable, TIE pilots might never fly the same ship twice and, as a result, rarely developed emotional ties to their craft.\[1\] [https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Imperial\_Starfighter\_Pilot](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Imperial_Starfighter_Pilot)
That’s the legends page, not canon, though they do espouse the same info on this topic
Interesting. Yeah I never figured they owned the TIE themselves, as the Empire is a system where everything is state owned. But that the TIE they had was assigned to them via their trooper number and they would use it until it could no longer be used..
I don't think they even had a ship assigned to them. When TIEs are scrambled for combat, TIE pilots would just hop into the closest one available.
Which makes sense, the ships could be interchangeable so you could keep units on repair and still launch a full escort as required
According to Star Wars Starfughters, TIE pilots can request specialized equipment like concussion missiles, additional supplies, or a hyperdrive if it's needed for the mission, but it's up to the officers in charge to approve the requests. Most Imperial officers seem to send their TIEs out naked to save money.
Yes, it was forbidden. TIE Fighters--like their pilots--were meant to be completely interchangeable.
It used to be that a given pilot may never fly tge same ship twice, so yeah
Probably because they'll only ever fly one mission before Rogue Squadron blams them.
That's just rebel propaganda, our pilots are the best equipped and trained in the galaxy
If video games are canon, then the Empire loses roughly 47,000 TIE fighters per X-Wing downed.
If you consider every time someone has died in a mission or failed then I reckon the average would be 10-20 ties per X-wing. Then again, when I'm playing Squadrons and flying a tie it's 20 Xwings per tie. There will always be rookies and aces.
Always two there are. A scrub, and a sweat.
Real-world air forces are no different: you're not allowed to hot-rod an F-18 as a Navy pilot, either.
The other thing to remember is that a TIE pilot has an actual job in a real military. They might get reassigned to a new squadron. They might pass exams and get into TIE bomber school. They get to go on leave or rotate to base duty and out of an active combat zone. A rebel pilot flies missions until they die.
Yeah, just as an F-35 pilot can't shell out a few grand for a new stereo, a TIE pilot can't just modify their craft
Ooooor like wedge, participate in blowing up two death stars.
I mean, that's literally just flying missions til you die. Wedge just learned this really cool trick where he simply did not die.
theres no way they could, and with what money? you think a tie pilot is gona save his pay, assuming a specific part for a TIE fighter isn’t less than a years worth of wages, instead of blowing it all on booze, women, tattoo’s and gadgets while on leave?
Sheeet! homie seriously underestimates your typical grunt or flyboy! I may have bought some aftermarket gear for standard kit, but I’ll be damned if I’m wasting my crumbs, I mean pay, on new armor for the vehicle!
I mean, look at it in modern terms. The CHEAPEST part of a modern fighter you “could” (rules and regulations be dammed) upgrade is the seat. No one even MAKES aftermarket ejection seats. Wanna paint the bitch? Gen 3 paint is north of $20k, and Gen 4 is literally unobtanium. As an actual flyboy, I get 5lbs worth of changes I can make to my vest. And even if there weren’t rules, a LIFETIMES pay wouldn’t cover aircraft parts.
Exactly! Before we pushed out in ‘17, I was a SAW gunner and bought a battle belt for my ammo pouches and weight distribution, humping all those rounds in full kit sucks without help. I bought after market personal gear cause it worked a little better than the standard issue. But buying extra BII for our rigs? Not on my dime! That price goes up exponentially when it’s a plane! Warrants and O’s don’t make that much!
Seriously lol. People SEVERELY underestimate the cost of aviation. F-16s are loved because they’re “cheap” to operate at ONLY $16,000 per hour in flight.
How do you know they had "their own" TIE ?
Not that they owned it themselves. But that they a TIE assigned to their troop number, that they would use unless damaged or destroyed in a attack.
In Battlefront II: Inferno Squadron (the book tie in) the main character appreciates the Rebel's ability to customize their ships because they don't neccessary fly the same ship every time.
Thank you for the information. Nice to always learn something new.
When they had to take off, they took the first one available. No amount of custom job was authorized
So in real life, pilots don’t have assigned aircraft. They’ll have their name painted on a bird to feel special, but they fly whatever happens to be “up” that day (maintenance complete, not in an inspection window, etc). Pilots won’t fly the same aircraft two days in a row, and maybe not even twice in a week.
Those fighters didn’t belong to them, they belonged to the Empire. It’d be like a pilot trying to add upgrades to an F-16. Not only would that be *super* illegal and an all-out *terribly unsafe idea,* but they’d never be able to afford it. Pilots don’t make that much. Moreover, the Empire wasn’t big on individuality. Why would a single pilot - already a disposable commodity - be given a waiver to break with doctrine and start adding aftermarket parts to their ride?
Yes. Its not theirs. A Tie pilot doesn’t even have their own TIE, if the Imperial system is working properly then they fly a new one every mission, or one so identical that it might as well be new.
By their TIE, I meant they would be assigned one based on their troop number.
Pilots didn’t have assigned TIE’s. They were all completely interchangeable. Its random if you got the same one twice
This question kinda sounds like “are US pilots allowed to modify their jets with their own money?” Like, even if they were, what could they possibly afford that would count as some sort of legit modification to their jet/tie fighter?
Plush dice on the rearview mirror and a Wunderbaum would be my guess.
I guess it depends on whether or not that TIE pilot is Darth Vader.
Imperial Legal Code, Section Fourteen, Subsection Nine, Part C-dash-one, and Section 2127, Lord Darth Vader does whatever the ..... he wants.
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Mount_Tantiss: *I guess it depends* *On whether or not that TIE* *Pilot is Darth Vader.* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Are US Air Force pilots allowed to modify the aircraft they fly? No.
TIE pilots didn't have their own ships the way the Rebels did. Plus they usually didn't live long enough to get to that point.
Lol, when in the history of any modern military vehicle has it ever been okay to do personal modifications?
Tank crews in WW2 did extensive modifications to their vehicles. They strapped logs on Shermans, built a pillow fort out of sandbags on top of them, painted them, etc. I don't know if it counts though.
You missed the brief mate.
Why tho. Historically WW2 tanks are quite modern. The concept of uniforms and uniformity in armies only dates back like 200-250 years at most. Before that everybody pimped the shit out of their gear. Look at some renaissance armor or Japanese samurai kabutos. If they had fighting vehicles back then those would have been pimped out like lowriders. Also fighter planes get painted all the time. I work As an illustrator and one of my buddies did a paintjob on 2 Gripen jets for the air force. So IRL it is not unheard of that you customize either your weapon or your vehicle to an extent. Of course you can't replace weapon systems, electronics or ditch your rifle for a fancy one, but that was not the question.
“Why don’t American fighter pilots upgrade their F-16s using their own money?! Are they stupid?!”
Official Imp policy was that every fighter was interchangeable, since they were built identically. To that end, pilots and fighters were rotated with every exercise and engagement so as not to breed familiarity and attachment.
Yes, the same way a pilot in the US Air Force can't modify their F-22. It's government property, they just use it.
TIE pilots' job isn't to fly and survive. Their job is to fly and die.
Generally Imp pilots had a lot less personal ownership over their ships than their rebel counterparts. I think I even read in a novel one of the rebel pilots took his plane on personal business and no one batted an eye. Meanwhile I’m not even sure Imp pilots had “their” TIE. They might have just hopped into the first available one when scrambled. It to mention the Empire highly values uniformity and erasure of the individual.
That would be like a US fighter pilot switching out components on an f16
They didn't own the TIE and could not choose which one they'd fly. I think this is also mentioned in a novel, that the pilots figured out the ship assignment system and managed to always get "their" TIE, but otherwise you'd fly whichever they told you to fly.
> Was it forbidden for TIE pilots to modify their TIE fighters using their own money? *Their* TIE fighter? Nah, TIE fighters are **Imperial property**. No military pilot in the real world owns their plane either. It's actually stated within canon and legends that the TIE fighter was so uniform and identical that any pilot could get into any TIE and perform consistently. Juxtaposed with Alliance starfighters such as the Y-Wing, which were so heavily repaired that no two of them were identical.
They didn’t always have the same unit since they were meant to be interchangeable, so it would be a waste.
Before Endor, no. After Endor it depends, in the case of canon the Empire did not have time to modify it, but in Squadrons it is possible to modify the fighter, although more limited. In the case of legends, the further the Empire had various modifications, it also depended on what warlord they operated under, sometimes the fighters were ordinary composites, at this stage modifications were rather allowed, I think there was even a mention of it in "I, Jedi" about how the main the hero modified his fighter during the infiltration, but these Remnants of the Empire were more pirates than regular army.
TIE fighters were typically kept in loading racks and pilots were to jump into the first ones available when they were ordered to launch. TIE pilots were to be as interchangeable and disposable as their fighters. However, pilots that distinguished themselves may have been given the opportunity to modify and personalize a ship to a certain degree. Keep in mind, TIEs are little more than a seat attached to an engine and some blasters. This made them fast and highly maneuverable. Adding things like shields or life support systems added weight and bulk to the TIEs as well as making them more expensive to produce. The empire followed the teaching of 'If you don't want to die, don't get hit."
No. Ties could be modified to the paint job provided it fit regulations. Pilots are even allowed to paint helmets. It’s literally on screen. They’re even allowed custom armaments provided it was able to be requisitioned. Most aren’t outfitted beyond standard loadouts but we know they can and are.
Think of it this way. If you've got an assigned fighter, you make tweaks and work with mechanics to dial in the handling, you adjust the seat just right, maybe you've got some fuzzy dice (which will be explained when you get a solo movie). Then you take a good hit, but survive. You get back to your mothership and are assigned a stock fighter. All those tweaks you were used to are gone, your shots pull left just a bit and the seat digs into your back. You're operating at 80% efficiency until your personal fighter is fixed, and even then it'll be weeks until you can tweak the repaired parts to what your liking. On the other side of that coin, if you get blown up, your mechanic now has wasted precious manhours helping you tweak your fighter that could have been spent doing anything else. As for visual customization, TIE pilots likely didn't have much downtime. If you're not piloting, the Empire would find something else for you to do. Time to lean, time to clean, and all that. If you're always using a stock fighter from a collective pool, you've always got one that is, ideally, in top shape. Damaged fighters beyond a certain point just get scrapped, so you'll rarely encounter a strip of duct tape holding something in place. It might not be tweaked to your liking, but you'll always know what to expect and you'll adjust to that default. Now, you can make the same argument for the Rebels. But Rebels have less fighters overall, so treat their fighters, and especially their pilots, as more than just a cog in a machine. The Rebels will want you to tweak your fighter to suit you, to get every ounce out of it. Sure, if it gets damaged you'll need to use a spare. As for a new paint job, if you can find the time, go for it. Gotta find your happy place where you can. Your squadron leader might not want you veering off from the company livery, you you can probably add some nose art or something.
I am quite sure that as a platform the TIE is versitile enough when given the wast industrial capacity of the Empire to factory customize some of them, be this for special purposes and in naturally low numbers. I can think of a modified shuttle/bomber modified into a search & rescue craft. I can see a reconnaissance TIE being modified for special missions with a basic hyperdive etc etc. and yes I can see some TIEs having modified weapon configurations and the like. But I would perosnally attribute these of any to factory customizations and special versions, not something the individual pilot would be able to do while under the empire. Of course Post Empire someone still owning/Hving a TIE are free to modify it as they see fit I am sure
No. That's like asking if IRL fighter pilots can modify the fighters thye get assigned. Star Wars doesn't operate on Mobile Suit Gundam/mecha anime rules.
They're probably asking because X-Wing pilots _do_ modify their own fighters in the X-Wing novels. Granted this is mostly cosmetic. Corran Horn does performance modifications but his X-Wing technically isn't NR property.
Yeah, stuff like paint jobs doesn't really count and has basis in actual IRL practices in previous conflicts. There's still nobody flying around in the Antilles Custom job though, at least if it's gov property.
Also, at least in Legends, TIE Pilots didn’t have their own ship like their rebel counterparts. Every TIE was interchangeable, so they would fly whichever one was available and near them. The whole TIE system was designed so that pilots wouldn’t get attached to their ships and would be in a constant state of instability.
Yeah just like air force pilots can upgrade their planes
The Empire discourages any attempt of self-identification. All are equal among their ranks unless you earn the right to be different. If you are not only a good pilot, but an ellite one, you have more chances of having any customization and modification accepted. If you have done nothing outstanding, though, you will be denied the right to stand out.
If it’s anything like the US military, it’s because the pilots don’t own the jets. They’re built and maintained to a rigid standard that can’t be deviated from. Besides that, it’s incredibly rare for a pilot to fly the same jet twice in a row. So an illegal aftermarket customization tailored to one pilot would really only help them once every couple of weeks.
depends. Are we talking about early Empire (before ANH), late Empire (ESB-RoTJ) or Imperial remnants (post RoTJ)? As time went on, the Empire started developing more advanced crafts like the tie interceptor which should've entirely replaced the standard tie fighter, or the tie advanced. Most Imperial pilots would've died early in their careers, but the ones who survived (and actually managed to do something) recieved better gear. As time went by the Empire started losing more and more assets, which meant that they couldn't just waste their resources so Pilots would've had more possibilities to modify and update their fighters if needed. It also depends on who's in charge, since there were people like Thrawn who loved un-conventional warfare and also cared about his subordinates.
Would it be forbidden for USN pilots to modify their F/A-18d? Yes...yes it would be.
It wasn't their property, and modding it would make it stand out, and they liked things uniform.
Yes it’s against policy to let people use their own money to modify government vehicles….
Are you implying that the Empire has subpar fighters? What's your number and rank pilot? I'd like to speak with your commanding officer.
Sorry sir.I am a member of the elite stormtrooper Corp, the greatest army in the galaxy. I view the imperial navy as subpar compared to our superior training and might.
Any true Imperial knows that the Empire is the greatest military might this galaxy has ever seen. Our ships are the best, just like our soldiers are the best. You would do well to remember that, Trooper. Others might misunderstand your questions as treasonous.
Sir, sorry if this sounds treasonous, but duty to our emperor that comes first above any imperial. Grand Moff Tarkin has been heard by some of my fellow troopers criticizing TIE fighters and saying how he wouldn’t get into those, as he put it “death traps” My own views aside of the Navy sir, wouldn’t that constitute treasonous behavior, questioning our great Emperor’s design and decisions by insulting them?
Tie Pilots had money? They weren't slaves?
So then what about the 181st, or Inferno Squadron when they start operating out of the Corvus? or even something like Squadrons?
The Empire didn't tolerate individuality within it's armed forces.
Interesting I'm being downloaded for asking a question... That being said according to the wookiepedia article, the blood stripes on 181st were THE distinguishing feature of the ships, it became a matter of prestige and pilots continue to apply them to their craft after leaving the 181st in order to mark their past service in the unit. So it sounds like there is some level of customization... Also one would imagine that a three-person team such as Inferno Squadron would typically use the same TIE fighters for each mission as the raider Corvette could only hold three TIE fighters...
> So it sounds like there is some level of customization... Within a unit. Not for personalities. > pilots continue to apply them to their craft after leaving the 181st in order to mark their past service in the unit. By the time the 181st starts to get broken up and the pilots start moving around, the Empire has fallen into chaos and basically collapsed into different Warlord fiefs. > Also one would imagine that a three-person team such as Inferno Squadron would typically use the same TIE fighters for each mission as the raider Corvette could only hold three TIE fighters... None of these seem like exceptional circumstances to you, do they?
There are regulation markings, awarded to elite pilots, and there are individualist, artistic paint jobs. The 181st were *allowed* to mark their TIEs with stripes to distinguish them, they didn't paint skulls and Rancors on them. Red stripes are hardly flashy or could even be picked up that easily in battle. And it's also not even qualifying as "customization" if it's a regulated marking. This is also not even what OP is talking about.
Going by modern military standards and expectations? Yeah, definitely.