(can't accuse me of clickbaiting)
Could this be coincidence? I mean, surely Doug Chiang saw this, right?
Edited by JaggedLittleFelUSAF weird plane looks like N1 starfighter
Vought V-173
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_V-173
Flying Pancake.... Not a pancake ship... But maybe a relative!
Edited by LagJansonWhat an awesome little plane. I wonder how it would fly using turbines instead of propellers.
Back to the question at hand: You could always send him a tweet and ask him directly. Although I think I remember hearing the design was inspired by American hot-rods or something like that. Probably form some DVD extras way back when the Phantom Menace came to home video. It's probably addressed in the Art of TPM book.