I do believe a TIE is powered by a pair of ion engines. You might even say twinned.

There's no toilet in those things. I'm going to say that's the most limiting factor. If it's not, I really pity the maintenance crews...

Myself I would want a Freman Stillsuit.

Where did you think proton torpedoes get their power from?

Not that Star Wars usually remembers momentum and space being (mostly) frictionless.

Or vacuum, and the associated lack of noise...

Not that Star Wars usually remembers momentum and space being (mostly) frictionless.

Or vacuum, and the associated lack of noise...

but a space battle with no explosion sounds is no fun at the movie theater

Aren't they ion engines? Not to attempt to apply logic to star wars, but ion engines work most efficiently when they're in constant acceleration, since they don't actually output a massive amount of power.

The are called ion engines. This is Star Wars though, the name doesn't mean they have ANYTHING AT ALL in common with real world stuff.

In the Thrawn trilogy, Karrde barely manages to cover a slip of the tongue by citing the x-wing's endurance (and by claiming to not know that Jedi can hibernate), but I can't remember how long the search had been going on at that point.

TIE Fighters are solar powered, they won't run out of fuel in any system with a sun.

The TIE Advanced Prototype is a hybrid model though. The weapons, shields, and other systems are solar powered, but the engines need to be refueled because of the increased armor on the wings that reduced the surface available for solar panels.

For some reason this translates in the miniature game as them having 1 less hull than a regular TIE Fighter instead of more.

The TIE Advanced Prototype may be able to be adjusted in mid flight to refuel the engines with solar reserves. X-wings and TIE Fighters could shunt power from weapons and shields to their engines in the classic PC games, it stands to reason that the TIE Advanced v1 could do so when the weapons are not needed to fly indefinitely on long patrols.

Where did you think proton torpedoes get their power from?

The lamentations of their women!

(This technology is why sound carries through space in Star Wars.)

Not that Star Wars usually remembers momentum and space being (mostly) frictionless.

Or vacuum, and the associated lack of noise...

I think the Star Wars galaxy is filled with aether instead of vacuum.

Think on it:

- Starfighters fly like they were in atmosphere.

- Capital ships move like boats.

- Sound transmits in space.

- "Lasers" are energy blasts that glow while they travel towards their target.

I know astrophysics couldn't work with aether, but it sounds sci-fi-plausible in my head.

I think the Star Wars galaxy is filled with aether instead of vacuum.

I'm increasingly thinking the same thing. There are just too many inconsistencies to try and hold onto the idea that "space" in SW is vacuum. (although I am still not convinced that the sounds we audience hear are intended to be actually present in universe)

Not that Star Wars usually remembers momentum and space being (mostly) frictionless.

Or vacuum, and the associated lack of noise...

True physics aside: name a popular Sci-fi franchise without sound in space...

Seriously, I can't think of one.

Not that Star Wars usually remembers momentum and space being (mostly) frictionless.

Or vacuum, and the associated lack of noise...

True physics aside: name a popular Sci-fi franchise without sound in space...

Seriously, I can't think of one.

BSG and Firefly were really good about it, if memory serves.

Not that Star Wars usually remembers momentum and space being (mostly) frictionless.

Or vacuum, and the associated lack of noise...

I think the Star Wars galaxy is filled with aether instead of vacuum.

Think on it:

- Starfighters fly like they were in atmosphere.

- Capital ships move like boats.

- Sound transmits in space.

- "Lasers" are energy blasts that glow while they travel towards their target.

I know astrophysics couldn't work with aether, but it sounds sci-fi-plausible in my head.

I actually wouldn't even be surprised. Though we established a LONG time ago that "Laser" is just a layman term.

TIE Fighters are solar powered, they won't run out of fuel in any system with a sun.

Solar power isn't the fuel - it's the source of electricity for power to ignite the fuel.

The actual fuel itself is still finite - and generates the ions which drive the ship - ion rocket propulsion - ions move one way, ship moves the other.

I think the Star Wars galaxy is filled with aether instead of vacuum.

The more I think about this, the more I like it. Funcanon established!

Besides, it gives us more excuses to use the word aether.

I think the Star Wars galaxy is filled with aether instead of vacuum.

The more I think about this, the more I like it. Funcanon established!

Besides, it gives us more excuses to use the word aether.

Or even æther!

Also, if æther is much less dense than air, it would still support the depressurization that we can see in the movies when a ship's hull is breached, and its internal atmosphere being sucked out.

The presence of a substance that isn't total vacuum would also explain why most ships in Star Wars present a really thin frontal silhouette, and even some times almost aerodynamic shape without actually being totally aerodynamic. If there were vacuum, ships could be of any shape, even cubes. But there aren't. Even capital ships like star destroyers and calamari cruisers, and nebulon-b frigates have a shape that helps them cut through the æther.

Not that Star Wars usually remembers momentum and space being (mostly) frictionless.

Or vacuum, and the associated lack of noise...

True physics aside: name a popular Sci-fi franchise without sound in space...

Seriously, I can't think of one.

I think the Star Wars galaxy is filled with aether instead of vacuum.

The more I think about this, the more I like it. Funcanon established!

Besides, it gives us more excuses to use the word aether.

Or even æther!

Also, if æther is much less dense than air, it would still support the depressurization that we can see in the movies when a ship's hull is breached, and its internal atmosphere being sucked out.

The presence of a substance that isn't total vacuum would also explain why most ships in Star Wars present a really thin frontal silhouette, and even some times almost aerodynamic shape without actually being totally aerodynamic. If there were vacuum, ships could be of any shape, even cubes. But there aren't. Even capital ships like star destroyers and calamari cruisers, and nebulon-b frigates have a shape that helps them cut through the æther.

For true non combat ships that is correct (eg Han's ship in TFA), but for anything that expects to get into battle, shape becomes more important - the shape determines the profile you present to the enemy, where your weapons can be mounted and which arcs they fire in, how deflected fire affects your armor - etc.