Fighters VS Capital Ships
Star Wars: Episode One: The Phantom Menace wrote: PADME : We have a plan which should immobilize the Droid Army. We will send what pilots we have to knock out the Droid control ship which is orbiting the planet. If we can get past their rayshields, we can sever communication
and their droids will be helpless.
QUI-GON : A well-conceived plan. However, there's great risk. The weapons on your fighters may not penetrate the shields on the control ship.
Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace wrote: BRAVO TWO : He flew into the hold, behind the deflector shield and blasted the main reactor...
BRAVO THREE : Amazing... They don't teach that in the academy.
1) Fighter grade weapons can be more then a match for cruiser shields in Star Wars, but not all fighters are armed with such weapons, but such weapons are not uncommon or else they would not teach such a feat was possible. Even the lowly T.I.E. Fighter is a threat to cruisers.Star Wars: Episode Six: Return of the Jedi wrote: WEDGE
Cut to the left! I'll take the leader! They're heading for the medical frigate.
Lando steers the Falcon through a complete flip, as his crew fires at the TIEs from the belly guns.
NAVIGATOR
Pressure's steady.
The copilot Nien Nunb chatters an observation.
LANDO
Only the fighters are attacking. I wonder what those Star Destroyers are waiting for.
2) Fighters do not fly under/through cruiser shields, and Anikin seems to have needed to enter the ship to do such a thing.
Ray Shields
Star Wars: Episode One: The Phantom Menace wrote: PADME : We have a plan which should immobilize the Droid Army. We will send what pilots we have to knock out the Droid control ship which is orbiting the planet. If we can get past their rayshields, we can sever communication
and their droids will be helpless.
QUI-GON : A well-conceived plan. However, there's great risk. The weapons on your fighters may not penetrate the shields on the control ship.
Star Wars: Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith Script wrote: 7 INT. ODD BALL'S FIGHTER COCKPIT-SPACE
ODD BALL: We're on your tail, General Kenobi. Set S-foils in attack position.
The protective ray shield lowers on the main hangar of the TRADE FEDERATION CRUISER, and six new DROID TRI-FIGHTERS emerge and join the DROID VULTURE FIGHTERS heading toward the Jedi. The JEDI STARFIGHTERS extend the stability foils on the ends of their wings.
Star Wars: Episode Three: Revenge of the Sith Script wrote: OBI-WAN: Have you noticed the shields are still up?
ANAKIN: Oh?!? Sorry, Master.
ANAKIN streaks ahead of OBI-WAN's disintegrating Jedi Fighter and blasts the shield generator. It SPARKS and EXPLODES.
What the defining trait of Ray Shielding is, is unclear. It would seem some Ray Shields stop solid objects while others do not. This contradicts the EU's claim that Ray Shielding only stops energy weapons.Star Wars: Episode Four: A New Hope wrote: DODONNA: The approach will not be easy. You are required to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface to this point. The target area is only two meters wide. It's a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system. A precise hit will start a chain reaction which should destroy the station. A murmur of disbelief runs through the room.
DODONNA: Only a precise hit will set up a chain reaction. The shaft is ray-shielded, so you'll have to use proton torpedoes.
Deflector Shields
Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace wrote: RIC OLIE : Powers back! That little droid did it. He bypassed the main power drive. Deflector shield up, at maximum.
Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace wrote: JAR JAR's clumsiness works for him in the battle. He gets caught up in the wiring of a blasted DROID, dragging the torso around with him, the DROID's gun firing randomly, accidently blasting SEVERAL DROIDS in one process. OOM-9 decides to send in the WHEEL DROIDS and gives the signal. HUNDREDS OF WHEEL DROIDS roll out of the transports and head down toward the battle. They slowly roll through the deflector shields, then transform themselves once they get on the other side. The GUNGANS blast the WHEEL DROIDS with energy balls. The DESTROYER DROIDS blast many GUNGANS.
Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace wrote: RIC OLIE : Their deflector shield is too strong. We'll never get through it.
Star Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace wrote: BRAVO TWO : He flew into the hold, behind the deflector shield and blasted the main reactor...
BRAVO THREE : Amazing... They don't teach that in the academy.
Star Wars: Episode 4: A New hope wrote: HAN: It looks like an Imperial cruiser. Our passengers must be hotter than I thought. Try and hold them off. Angle the deflector shield while I make the calculations for the jump to light speed.
Star Wars: Episode 4: A New hope wrote: The ship is now constantly battered with laserfire as a red warning light begins to flash.
LUKE: What's that flashing?
HAN: We're losing our deflector shield. Go strap yourself in, I'm going to make the jump to light speed.
Star Wars: Episode 4: A New hope wrote: HAN:(to Chewie) We're coming up on the sentry ships. Hold 'em off! Angle the deflector shields while I charge up the main guns!
Star Wars: Episode 4: A New hope wrote: READ LEADER:(over headset) We're passing through their magnetic field.
INT. RED LEADER'S COCKPIT
RED LEADER: Hold tight!
INT. LUKE'S X-WING FIGHTER - COCKPIT
Luke adjusts his controls as he concentrates on the approaching Death Star. The ship begins to be buffeted slightly.
RED LEADER:(over headset) Switch your deflectors on.
INT. ANOTHER COCKPIT
RED LEADER:(over headset) Double front!
Star Wars: Episode 4: A New hope wrote: Gold Leader races down the enormous trench that leads to the exhaust port. Laserbolts blast toward him in increasing numbers, occasionally exploding near the ship causing it to bounce about.
GOLD LEADER: Switch power to front deflector screens.
1)Deflector Shields may be a catch all for shields. They are certainly used to describe Ray Shields.Star Wars: Episode 4: A New hope wrote: GOLD FIVE: Stabilize your read deflectors. Watch for enemy fighters.
2) The X-Wings did not turn their shields on until they reached the Death Star in Episode 4. This would seem to exclude the possibility of the shields being used to enhance aerodynamics.
3) You can walk through some deflector shields.
4)You can adjust deflector shields for better protection. This is called angling the deflector.
5) You need not run your shields at full power.
6) Shields can become unstable.
Possible technical description of Shields
If Ray Shields are constructed from "Rays" as the script describes here then that would explain the name and the variability in capability, and why fighters would not wish to pass through them.Star Wars: Episode One: The Phantom Menace: Script wrote: INT. THEED - POWER GENERATOR ELECTRIC BEAM - HALLWAY
The electric rays cycle as QUI-GON sits meditating. The wall of the deadly rays turn away, and OBI-WAN starts running toward QUI GON and the DARK LORD. When the wall between QUI-GON and DARTH MAUL opens, QUI-GON is in a split second fighting the DARK LORD with a ferocity not seen before. They move into the area at the end of the corridor called the melting pit, a small area that is mostly made up of a deep hole. The electron ray gates begin to close. OBI-WAN tries to make it to the melting pit but is caught one gate short. He slides to a stop just before he hits the deadly electron field.
QUI-GON and DARTH MAUL battle around the melting pit as a frustrated OBI-WAN watches.
DARTH MAUL cathces QUI-GON off guard. The SITH makes a quick move, bashes his lightsaber handle into QUI-GON's chin, and runs him through. QUI-GON slumps to the floor in a heap.
Oddly enough, "Electrostatic ForceFields" and Plasma technologies are one of those 10 years dow the road technologies like most Star Wars technologies.