Vehicles
The galaxy has a wide variety of need for transport. From maglev trains to starfighters, to pleasure ships to battle fleets.
Planetary Vehicles
These are any vehicle meant to use within a planet's atmosphere. They include maglev trains, speeders of all types, as well as vehicles for going underwater.
Sail Barges and Skiffs have been used, in different variations for crossing worlds in style. The full size sail barge carries weapons, with enough
room inside to hold a crowd of people. They also can include deck guns for warding off hostiles.
The smaller skiff carries a few people with less amenities, but also includes heavy weapons.
Speeder Bikes come in a wide variety of styles. They are highly manueverable and fast. Their main disadvantage is wind: while they
have a small profile, they are light and easily blown about in high winds. It is also recommended to wear a helmet with heads up display to navigate the extreme high speeds in forested or other areas with large obstacles at high speed.
The Speeder Bike is popular as a patrol vehicle.
The Swoop is an a faster, more powerful version of a Speeder Bike. They are often used for racing and by gangs.
The Speeder is a standard vehicle on most worlds. The maximum height from the ground given by the repulsor lift fields depends on the manufacturer, model
and also the planet it is to be used on. This one is on Coruscant and therefore is capable of achieving great heights. It's also a sport model, capable of high speeds. Other variations include custom colorings and even added weapons.
The LAAT Gunship is an in-between vehicle, designed for moving troops from transports to the ground battles during the Clone Wars.
The AT-TE is a Clone Wars precursor to the AT AT Walker. It marches on multiple legs, is impervious to ion cannon attack and is a support vehicle for infantry.
AT AT Walkers were created in the Clone Wars and became common for Imperial use during the Empire. They hold troops, have blaster cannons and thick armor
and simply step over or stomp on anything that gets in the way.
image source: skatelegend, Photobucket.
Starfighters
Starfighters come in classes, but there are variations on individual designs. While usually mass produced, custom paint jobs and alterations are common. Some add in a hyperdrive, others remove the extra weapons for a greater combat speed advantage.
The Delta Aithersprite Class Starfighter was
favored by the Jedi order for short, one or two person missions that could turn dangerous. It carried only one person, plus had a slot for a truncated astromech droid.
The Delta fighter's major weakness was the lack of an attached hyperdrive. The ship had to dock with a special 'ring' for the jump, a major liability in combat due to the ring's vulnerability
and the need for quick escapes. These were commonly used into the Clone Wars.
The Ecta 2 Light Interceptor added a full size astromech slot and s-wings (the side solar panels)
to radiate excess heat from combat. It still did not have a hyperdrive. They were capable of docking with the hyperspace rings for the jump. The ship was developed and used during the Clone Wars and into the early
days of the Empire.
Arc 170 fighters were developed specifically for the Republic Army during the Clone Wars. It carried 3 crew and and an astromech.
It sacrificed speed for toughness on long independant recon missions, slow for combat, but carrying a hyperdrive and extra weapons. It also bore the s-foil design to radiate extra heat.
The X-Wing Starfighter is one of the most long lasting designs. It began after the rise of the Empire, and has been redesigned and upgraded right up into the days
of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. It features a split wing s-foil design, enabling it to have a sleek, speedy appearance for normal use and splits open for higher manuverability and heat release during combat. It carries one person and one astromech. It has hyperdrives and shields.
It's torpedo launchers have been added too over the decades and a design specifically for the Jedi - the Jedi XJ Stealth Fighter, was designed for minimum emissions during the Yuuzhan Vong War.
The Y-Wing was created around the time of the Clone Wars and has been repeatedly modified since. It was used by the Alliance against the Empire as well. Heavier armament and shields equal slower speeds, but enable it to take more punishment. It holds a pilot and gunner, plus an astromech.
image source: Tamiyameyer on Photobucket.
Freighters
The Corellian Freighter is one of the main staples of the galaxy. It is highly customizable and used generations after manufacture.
image source: messiahsjedi, Photobucket
The Trade Federation Ship is designed primarily for cargo, however it often carries battledroids and droid starfighters as well.
image source: General-Croc, Photobucket
Star Cruisers
These can be anything from a battle fleet to traders to a pleasure cruise fleet.
Starting with the Clone Wars, it could be difficult to tell what was a transport ship and what was a battleship, due to the Separatist fleet being supplied by the Commerce Guild.
The Republic Cruiser was a diplomatic ship, meant for ambassador's and peace keeping missions in the days of the Old Republic
The Mon Calamari Starships were originally designed for pleasure but adapted to war with the Empire. Each ship is unique, designed as if handgrown. The instruments
are best suited for the Mon Calamari's unique visual style.
image source: owl_mage, Photobucket.
Republic Star Destroyer is a Clone Wars version of the infamous star destroyer.
Some of these ships had a hanger deck along the upper mid spine of the ship, which opened to space to allow starfighter launch.
image source: wookiepedia
Imperial Star Destroyers came in two sizes: regular and Super Star Destroyers. Each had massive firepower that could level a planet. They each contained the population, at minimum, of a large city.