Vader's Tie fighter became iconic the moment it appeared on the screen in theatres in 1977/78! While I was just a kid when we saw it, I remember the amazing sounds that Star Wars unleashed upon us theatre-goers, and the sound of all Tie fighters was exhilarating. Then, Vader's Tie appeared, and our collective jaws hit the sticky theatre floor. Definitely a WOW moment in cinematic history. Move forward to the next Christmas season, when the Brand Names catalog came out, the variety of toys to hit shelves would include Darth Vader's Tie fighter. I asked for and received the standard Tie before Vader's Tie was released. My parents went through a heck of a time getting that for me. I don't remember ever asking for Vader's Tie on my Christmas list, but I remember how cool it was as a number of friend's had it. Now, after over 40 years, I do, too.
The picture above has my Vintage Vader in my recent Tie acquisition. The only thing missing are the original stickers (all are missing with only the glue backing adhering still to the wings). Now, having gone through a lot to get Vader's Tie fighter complete with the electronics partially working, I purchase online reproduction stickers which should arrive next week. Hey, it took 40 years+ to get the Tie so I'm not waiting that long for the stickers. Truth be told, I couldn't find vintage stickers so repros it is. Here the Tie is with me (Red) donning my Sith garb.
"TIE" stands for "Twin Ion Engine" Fighter, which I'm sure most if not everyone reading this knows. I imagine most also know that Vader's Tie fighter is the TIED Advanced x1 variant, which Vader himself helped design. It had shielding, a hyperdrive engine, and more firepower than the standard Tie. I wish we'd gotten to see more of it in the movies, and I truly wish they would have shown Vader engage its FTL capabilities. All that said, this Star Wars vehicle is a long-awaited addition to my Star Wars collection. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna take it out for a spin now that I have the final wing strut attached. Cheers!!!
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