Tachyon fast-attack airspeeder

The Tachyon fast-attack airspeeder was a fast combat airspeeder which was designed to intercept, engage, and destroy enemy spacecraft when they entered a planet's atmosphere. It was produced due to the Rebellion's apparent need for combat repulsorlift vehicles to combat the Empire's increasing production and deployment of starfighters such as the TIE/sa bomber which were used to destroy Rebel bases. The Rebel engineers were faced with a specific, deadly threat to their ground installations which already didn't have enough starfighters to protect them, or the native population of the planet, successfully. The Tachyon was an attempt to fill this void in the Rebel defense scheme.

The Tachyon was designed by Rebel engineers who took an Incom T-47 airspeeder and modified it extensively, practically rebuilding it from the ground up. Every single kilogram of excess weight and centimeter of space was pared from the vehicle, and a larger, higher-output power plant was installed in place of the old one. The engines were specially retuned, and the power couplings augmented to provide the maximum degree of lift and thrust. Because of these modifications, the airspeeder required double the maintenance to keep operational. As the body was being rebuilt, the crew compartment and other vital points were reinforced with light armor and stress-dissipating material, as well as micro-sized repulsor thrusters being installed for extra maneuverability. For armament, the craft was equipped with twin laser cannons positioned on either side of the cockpit which meant that the pilot had to aim the entire ship to target the weapons.

However, because of all these modifications, the cockpit had barely enough room for the pilot. Speed and maneuverability were controlled by handgrips set in each armrest and a pedal under the left foot fired the laser cannons. The handgrips also contained the controls for the repulsorlift motor and the ejection seat which, although not as sophisticated as a starfighter, did provide a greater measure of pilot survivability than the average airspeeder in combat. In its early flights, the Tachyon met with great success against the TIE fighter and TIE bombers it engaged. The major problem with widespread distribution of the Tachyon was simply finding pilots to fly it, as seasoned pilots capable of handling such high-performance airspeeders were better suited to fly starfighters and other combat spacecraft. However, it was thought that as the Rebel Alliance spread through the galaxy that the Tachyon would find its place.