Sci-Fi Fighter Jets We Wish Were Real

Whenever we see a futuristic fighter jet in a science fiction movie hop between planets and galaxies with ease, it's hard not to want one of your own, especially when most people's experience of flight is sitting in a cramped 747. For years, sci-fi movie jets have expanded our imagination of what's possible, traveling distances in seconds that normally take years, going places we can only dream of, and doing all that in a ship that seems to regularly defy the laws of physics.

It's hard to watch one of these futuristic jets in a movie and not try to click "Buy" as if it's part of some interactive ad, so in lieu of that, let's take a look at some of the sci-fi jets we'd really like to park in an airplane hangar. Hopefully, one of them will make an appearance at an airshow sometime in the future and do some tricks.

When your credits include destroying the Death Star, it's hard not to go with the X-Wing from "Star Wars," even if enemy TIE fighters make a much cooler sound. Otherwise known as the Incom T-65, features we wish were real include a hyperdrive that jumps between galaxies in seconds to escape danger, an extra seat for droids, and the ability to destroy much bigger ships from its four wingtip laser cannons, assuming you're using the force while firing. 

According to Wookiepedia, versions in the later "Star Wars" films even included a swiveling blaster cannon to fend off all those pesky enemy fighters that destroyed X-Wings from behind in the original trilogy. But even without that, there's hardly a "Star Wars" fan who wouldn't want to throw on an orange uniform and hop in one of these for a weekend getaway on a swampy planet. Since the X-Wing bears a vague resemblance to actual realistic fighter jets, it almost looks plausible, if you put aside the whole hyperdrive thing.

Of course, one can't mention the X-Wing without the enemy TIE fighter (Twin Ion Engine fighter), as any random screenshot from a "Star Wars" battle will likely feature both of them. Whenever a minor character (who was about to die) yelled "I can't shake him," it often meant a TIE fighter was in pursuit, making that metallic roar as it careened by. TIE fighters featured two hexagonal wings connected to a ball-like cockpit and a pair of laser cannons. It did not contain a hyperdrive, making it much easier for the good guys to escape. If they looked easy to blow up, that's because they didn't have strong shields, according to StarWars.com, which is apparently why they quickly maneuvered in any direction and attacked in swarms.

Any casual "Star Wars" fan would be happy to own either of them, though naturally, you'd need one of each for dogfights with friends. Until that day comes, fans will have to make due with little toy versions in packages or an X-Wing vs Tie fighter video game.

The Batwing would likely be quickly destroyed by any aircraft in "Star Wars," but it's certainly up there as a reality-defying fighter jet. While there have been various incarnations, its appearance in Tim Burton's 1989 "Batman" is among the most iconic, and the version in which it looks most like a bat. But the aircraft does more than look cool in silhouette against the moon. According to Batman Fandom, it also features gadgets like two rotary machine guns, multiple lasers, and missile launchers, as well as a grabbing arm at the front that is perfect for stealing parade balloons from Jack Nicholson. "He stole my balloons!" he complains in the film. "Why didn't somebody tell me that he had one of those... things?!"

As impressive as it is, though, one can't help but note the Joker was able to shoot it down with a long, narrow handgun. So perhaps there's still room for improvement.