The Twin Ion Engine propulsion system was such a prominent feature that it gave the craft its name. Each engine generates a stream of charged particles which discharged and channeled through nozzles at the back of the ship. The exit of these particles imparts thrust to the ship in the opposite direction, which is the same kinetic principle that underlies chemical rocketry. The tight acceleration and streaming of the particles is achieved by powerful applied electromagnetic fields. The fields at the nozzle's aperture can be manipulated to divert the stream, allowing the thrust to be angled anywhere in a wide arc of possible directions. Independent vectoring of the streams from the engines allows for extremely dynamic maneuvering. Not all ships in the TIE series utilize two engines but may still be generally accepted as being a derivative of the original TIE Fighter.
The wings of a TIE craft are usually the quickest and surest way to identify a specific class of craft, and while they are as varied as the ships types themselves, they all serve the same basic purposes. The wings function as heat sinks and as solar collectors. The ion engines produce a lot of heat, which can't be effectively dissipated by the ball cockpit hull section alone. To counter this effect, wings were designed for the TIE that work as radiator panels, allowing heated coolant from the engines to be pumped through the wings, chilled by the vacuum of space, and then returned to the engines. Additionally, solar cells are installed on the exterior of the wings provides additional power for secondary systems such as communications.
The cockpit ball is a constant in almost all TIE designs. Cockpit interiors and instrumentation are well standardized among the TIE series starfighters and utility vehicles, making it easier for pilots to change between craft without necessitating a complete retraining and recertification on the new variant. The following instruments are commonly found in the cockpit of a TIE in the following locations. Starting in the left upper corner moving clockwise:
While the layouts can vary a bit from one type to another, the elements are generally all the same and should not create discomfort or unnecessary challenge when locating them in the different cockpits.
This is the one area where variety and diversity become standard when comparing TIE craft. Commonly, a TIE will be armed with a minimum of two laser cannons, but many variants have been developed to carry heavier and more diverse armaments. The lasers are typically fast recharging giving even the standard TIE a relatively high rate of fire. Initially, the only TIE variant to equip a second weapon system was the TIE Bomber, equipped with a warhead launcher to increase its available damage output. Engagements with the Rebellion, and later the New Republic, have demonstrated the benefit and almost necessity of a secondary armament for starfighters. As such, these types of systems have almost become became standard in the more advanced ships. Additionally, some TIE variants are equipped with ion cannons which are used to disable enemy craft.