Geonosian starfighter

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Homeworld:
  Geonosian

• Size:
  9.8 meters long

• Weapon:
  Laser cannon

• Affiliation:
  Confederacy of Independent Systems

• Type:
  Nantex-class territorial defence starfighter

• Manufacturer:
  Huppla Pasa Tisc Shipwrights Collective

• 

From the Movies

A lean, needle-nosed fighter-craft with a distinct alien heritage, the starfighters of the Geonosians are small, compact vessels of great speed and superior agility. A single Geonosian pilot sits within the cramped cockpit, his head poking up to peer out of a bubble canopy allowing a 360-degree field of vision. Cradled within the forward needles of the ship is a turret-mounted laser cannon.When Count Dooku fled the first engagement of the Clone Wars, a pair of Geonosian starfighters provided escort and covering fire.

From the Expanded Universe

The Geonosians are a territorial lot, and guard their spires and factories with genetically-encoded zeal. They have applied their craftsmanship into the construction of such security assets as the Nantex-class starfighter. The twin-pronged needle-nosed fighter is an effective deterrent to intruders of Geonosian airspace, and unlike their battle droid designs, the Geonosians have not marketed the craft to outside consumers.

This is mostly due to the ship's control systems being specificially tailored for a Geonosian pilot. The complex multi-axis control yokes require a Geonosian's dexterity, and vital performance feedback is provided to the pilot via a scent-stimulator mask that exploits the accute Geonosian olfactory senses.

The fighter's primary weapon is a turret-orb mounted laser cannon. The weapon orb and engine cluster are modular, and can be swapped out for mission specific requirements. In addition to its primary weapon orb, the starfighter is lined with dozens of independently-aiming narrow-beam tractor/repulsor projectors. These devices provide the ship with increased agility in an atmosphere, but can be used offensively to reduce the maneuverability of target craft.

The outer hull of the starfighter is constructed of woven, reinforced laminasteel. The flexible building material allows the starfighter to rebound from impacts that would fracture more rigid vessels.

Behind the Scenes

The Geonosian starfighter was in constant danger of being left unseen as story and editorial revisions kept paring back the air battles of the Clone War. Initially, the droid starfighter seen in Episode I was to be the primary air defense for the Separatists, but it was decided instead to give the Geonosians their own fighter craft. At one point, it was imagined that the fighter would be equipped with large sails, but that concept was instead folded into Count Dooku's solar sailer. When the air battle was cut, the fighter was instead slated to appear in a shot wherein a Republic attack gunship strafes a Geonosian airstrip, destroying the waiting craft. That shot was ultimately omitted.