TIE In The Sky

Fictional / Real-World Background

To replace Republic- and early Galactic Empire-era starfighters, the Imperial Navy ordered the new TIE starfighters from Sienar Fleet Systems. The mass-production TIE/Ln fighter took its designation from the Twin Ion Engine propulsion employed by the craft. The engine utilised microparticle accelerators to agitate ionised gases to relativistic velocities. The engine also featured ion stream deflector manifolds for pinpoint maneuvering accuracy. The stream of particles gave the engines a distinct 'howl' which became one of the hallmarks of the TIE series of starfighters. However in order to reduce the mass  and energy consumption, hyperdrive system, shielding and life-support systems were removed from the design, making the craft more vulnerable to even micrometeorite strikes. 

While a good space superiority fighter, the TIE/Ln's performance fell in planetary atmosphere. The Imperial Navy then decided to build a small number of experimental fighters derived from the basic TIE design. These were known as the TIE/sk x1 air superority fighter or TIE/sk atmospheric fighter or simply as TIE Striker. The craft is a more streamlined version of the TIE Fighter and was specialised for in-atmosphere missions. Due to it's speciality, it was one of the rarest version of the TIE. The Striker feature horizontal and pointed wings designed for atmospheric combat. The wing also helped improve the TIE/sk's VTOL performance. Additional speed can be gained by curling down the wing which is also the craft's attack mode. The TIE Striker is armed with two pairs of Sienar L-s9.3 laser cannons and a pair of H-s1 heavy laser cannons which can take out enemy starfighters or medium transports with just a few shots. An unknown number of VL61-79 proton bombs are dispensed through a  chute underneath the fuselage for ground support missions and is effective against vehicles while also dealing heavy damage over a fairly large area. 

Although intended to be an atmospheric fighter, the TIE Striker can still be used in space, accompanying the standard TIE Fighters. It is also useful to transfer personnel and supplies from orbit to planetary surface due to its larger pod/fuselage. By the time the Galactic Civil War erupted, the TIE/sk was used to defend important Imperial bases, most notably the Imperial security complex on Scarif. TIE Strikers remain in use throughout the conflict. The Imperial Admiralty however frowned upon the TIE/sk, seeing it as a result of indecision and wasteful expenditure such as atmospheric streamlining, pressurised life support and ground support weaponry. Its pilots however were anamoured by such novelty.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The TIE Striker was a new design developed for 'Rogue One : A Star Wars Story', the first of 'anthology' series of Star Wars movies as the movie has scenes of in-atmosphere dogfighting at the planet Scarif.

The Kit

Following the release of Rogue One : A Star Wars Story, Bandai came up with the then-latest member of the TIE family in 2017. Size-wise, it was roughly a bit longer than the Rebel Y-Wing Fighter. The well-engraved parts are spread among five sprues including two in Bandai's distinctive multi-coloured sprue - one sprue in grey and black and the other in grey, black and green. Also included are the frames-only canopies and viewscreen. As with previous kits, the TIE Striker kit can be build-up without cement. The wing panel, like on the TIE Fighter kit, is trapped between the outer frames. A display stand is included by I'm not sure whether it's stable enough for this kit. A cut-out of an Imperial TIE Fighter pilot is also included  Markings are of the usual stickers and waterslide variety and there is also the usual 'laser bolts', 

Construction

As usual with flying things, even fictional ones, construction started at the cockpit. The interior was painted FS36375 Light Ghost Grey although I didn't bother with washes as the interior would be nearly invisible with the roof in place. Stickers were used for interior detailing. The hand-less pilot was also unpainted although decals were used for the Imperial insignia on the helmet. The cockpit interior halves were then mated together. This was followed by assembling the fuselage proper. The snap-tight construction means that there was actually no need to dab cement on the joints but a bit was needed on the forward portion to seal a slight gap. The TIE Striker is a two-seat craft although Bandai didn't bother with the rear cockpit as nothing could be seen anyway through the clear openings in the canopy. Some smaller parts were attached (and cemented, just in case) and the fuselage was set aside. The wing assembly is left off until after painting. I however forgot to paint the area under the rear canopy black. While not really visible from the outside, the empty interior is quite plain to see under a strong light source!

Painting and Decalling

Using my previous builds of Imperial TIE Fighters as a guide, the TIE Striker was Tamiya TS-32 Haze Gray. Unlike other Imperial TIE designs, the viewscreen frames and some small parts of the fuselage were painted Flat Black. The wing solar panels were painted Vallejo Anthracite Grey. The display stand was unpainted. Some small decals were then applied.

Finishing
The I started with the wing assembly. Nothing to shout here with the wings themselves as they fit very well. It was however quite a tight fit for the completed wing assembly to fit into its slot on the fuselage. The model was then given a wash. By this time, I am quite confident that the model can receive the enamel wash treatment and stuff from AK Interactive was used. The model then received a final coat of semi-gloss clear paint. It was then mounted on the display base. And talk about the latter, while it was basically the same as others in the series, it was just flat, plain plastic. Bandai however instructed the modeler to place the plinth in the opposite direction to ensure balance.

Conclusion

As with just about other Bandai's Star Wars model kits, the TIE Striker is a snap to build (pun, more or less, intended). There were not many parts and painting was straightforward (just two colours effectively) and not much weathering. Again, like building other TIE Fighters, you can even skip painting the interior as the cockpit is a virtual black hole and can hardly be seen from the outside especially if the clear plastic viewport and top hatch were used (the frame-only equivalent actually makes it easier to peer inside!).