Darth Vader's TIE Fighter (Advanced)  from "Star Wars" (1977)

Scale: 1:36
Initial Release: 1978
Medium: Styrene
Kit Rarity: 3

About the Design

George Lucas' penchant for simple geometric shapes -- spheres, hexagons, triangles, etc. -- is evident even in this so-called "Advanced" TIE fighter, the personal craft of the series' arch villain, Sith Lord Darth Vader. The "next generation" in TIE fighters at the time of its cinematic debut, this prototype vehicle was a larger, slightly more streamlined version of the simpler TIE's that dominated the rest of the film, but retained their trademark solar-collector "wings" and twin cockpit-mounted laser cannons.

About the Kit

"Darth Vader's TIE Fighter" was another "First Generation" Star Wars model kit that was in constant release for nearly 25 years in various versions, including a "Flight Display" featuring a clear plastic display stand. The original kit came with a set of "landing legs" for display purposes, although no such gear were actually used in the film, nor did the craft have a place to conceivably stow them.

This model was built from an original 1978 issue.