Thinking about trying this series out...

[Cold Fuzz]

Yeah I can't wait. Watching "Severed Dreams" now.

Coolness. Severed Dreams and Shadow Dancing are my favorite episodes of season 3. In fact, some people would say that Severed Dreams is the best B5 episode of all time.

[Gen. Chris]

It's getting fairly tense...

And doesn't Shadow Dancing have a fair bit of fighting in it?

[Gen. Chris]

Hey, um...How do the Starfury pilots tell the difference between friend and foe when they are fighting each other? I see some have red sub-lights and others have blue...Is that how they can tell?

[Cold Fuzz]

It's getting fairly tense...

And doesn't Shadow Dancing have a fair bit of fighting in it?

Yeah, Shadow Dancing has a vicious space battle in it. It's not just the space battle sequence though. The entire episode is like a gigantic roller coaster ride.

Hey, um...How do the Starfury pilots tell the difference between friend and foe when they are fighting each other? I see some have red sub-lights and others have blue...Is that how they can tell?

Starfuries have a FOF (Friend or Foe) system. Like real life military fighters, Starfuries are programmed to recognize which fighters are friendly and potentially hostile. The way it works in the B5-verse would all Starfuries belonging to the Churchill, the Alexander, and Babylon 5 would be recognized by each other's computer systems as friendly. The other Earth Alliance ships would be programmed by their respective captains to recognize B5 and its allies as renegades.

[Gen. Chris]

Yeah, Shadow Dancing has a vicious space battle in it. It's not just the space battle sequence though. The entire episode is like a gigantic roller coaster ride.



Starfuries have a FOF (Friend or Foe) system. Like real life military fighters, Starfuries are programmed to recognize which fighters are friendly and potentially hostile. The way it works in the B5-verse would all Starfuries belonging to the Churchill, the Alexander, and Babylon 5 would be recognized by each other's computer systems as friendly. The other Earth Alliance ships would be programmed by their respective captains to recognize B5 and its allies as renegades.

Rep for the answer...Thanks

But what about the different colored sub-lights? Was that just for our (the audience's) convenience?

[Cold Fuzz]

Rep for the answer...Thanks

But what about the different colored sub-lights? Was that just for our (the audience's) convenience?

The different engines aren't so much for our convenience as to show a variation in various Starfury models. The Thunderbolts, which you'll see a more about in Ship of Tears, have upgraded engines and atmospheric capabilities. The regular Starfuries are older and have blue engines. Newer ones tended to have red engines. You'll continue to see a good mix of both, especially in season 4. And thanks for the rep points.

[Gen. Chris]

The different engines aren't so much for our convenience as to show a variation in various Starfury models. The Thunderbolts, which you'll see a more about in Ship of Tears, have upgraded engines and atmospheric capabilities. The regular Starfuries are older and have blue engines. Newer ones tended to have red engines. You'll continue to see a good mix of both, especially in season 4. And thanks for the rep points.

Ah okay...I also thought the red-sublight ones looked...Idk, more streamlined? So I guess I was right in thinking they were newer models.

Figures that a far-and-away place would get the older, cheaper ones.

[Cold Fuzz]

Ah okay...I also thought the red-sublight ones looked...Idk, more streamlined? So I guess I was right in thinking they were newer models.

Figures that a far-and-away place would get the older, cheaper ones.

That's unfortunately the case with places like B5. They're considered deep-range outposts so they don't get all the cooler high-tech stuff. A lot of the new tech Earth Alliance has gets installed first on their their warships closest to home. Considering how isolationist the Clark regime as become, their mentality is to fortify Earth against invasion.

There are also slight variations of the Starfuries on each Earth warship. Certain ones, like the ones you see in Crusade, are specialized heavy fighter-bomber versions and are outfitted with missiles.

[Gen. Chris]

Well Crusade might have to wait a while


Now this explains why in some shots of the show I have seen I have seen the, as I called them before I knew their name, "x shaped" craft with both colored sublights...Lol

[Cold Fuzz]

Well Crusade might have to wait a while


Now this explains why in some shots of the show I have seen I have seen the, as I called them before I knew their name, "x shaped" craft with both colored sublights...Lol

Crusade is worth the price of admission in my opinion. It has a distinctly different feel than B5 though it takes place in the same universe.

The x-shape crops up a lot in sci-fi for a number of reasons. In the past, a lot of scientists in NASA were asked about what a good design for a space fighter would be and almost invariably they start coming up with the x-shape silhouette because it just works well engineering & physics wise for spaceflight.

[Gen. Chris]

Crusade is worth the price of admission in my opinion. It has a distinctly different feel than B5 though it takes place in the same universe.

The x-shape crops up a lot in sci-fi for a number of reasons. In the past, a lot of scientists in NASA were asked about what a good design for a space fighter would be and almost invariably they start coming up with the x-shape silhouette because it just works well engineering & physics wise for spaceflight.

Well I suppose that would make sense as to why it pops up.

[Cold Fuzz]

Well I suppose that would make sense as to why it pops up.

George Lucas thought it was a good design.

[Gen. Chris]

George Lucas thought it was a good design.

Lol..>First thing I thought too

[Sealurk]

Crusade is worth the price of admission in my opinion. It has a distinctly different feel than B5 though it takes place in the same universe.

The x-shape crops up a lot in sci-fi for a number of reasons. In the past, a lot of scientists in NASA were asked about what a good design for a space fighter would be and almost invariably they start coming up with the x-shape silhouette because it just works well engineering & physics wise for spaceflight.

You may be interested to know that a few years back NASA apparently expressed genuine interest in mimicking the design for a future work pod. JMS approved on the condition they retained the Starfury name, though nothing has been heard for a while now.

[Cold Fuzz]

You may be interested to know that a few years back NASA apparently expressed genuine interest in mimicking the design for a future work pod. JMS approved on the condition they retained the Starfury name, though nothing has been heard for a while now.

Oh I didn't know that! Thanks for the information there!