abstract
| - The 1JD-1 droid starfighter was the first droid starfighter model designed by Eniam Nationalized Engineering. It was essentially a modified version of the JA-346 starfighter. The earlier 346 was a small target, fast, maneuverable, and it had considerable firepower. But it was also easily destroyed and uncomfortable for individuals of larger species to fly. After the JA-346's weaknesses let many Eniameneine pilots die during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of Eniam, the survivors of the ENE design team took two paths in a project to correct their mistakes. The primary project was the design of the JA-347 starfighter, which was based on the 346 but was larger and better protected. These new fighters could be made from upgrading JA-346s, but it took significant additional resources to do so. As a cheaper secondary project, the old JA-346s were modified to replace their cockpits and controls with automated droid processors. Designated 1JD-1s, or size 1 jraklahjukluck drioh (space droid) model 1s, these droid starfighters were mostly the same in design as their organically piloted predecessors. The only easily noticeable difference was the dome with four photoreceptor banks in place of a canopy. The photoreceptors gave the droid a 360-degree field of vision. The droid brain had its advantages and disadvantages. It could preform maneuvers that an organic pilot could not survive, putting the JA-346 model's agility to full use. Also, with the cockpit, storage compartment, and life support taken out, there was room for a larger reactor and a shield generator alongside the compact droid brain. Like all battle droids, its main disadvantage was its predictability and lack of creative planning. This was rectified somewhat by assigning organic pilots to lead groups of droid starfighters, which eventually became a regular tradition among the Air-Space Corps.
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