The above shows different configurations of jet. Each of the three tech levels are made up of numerous separate elements (body, engine, wings, tails and moving parts).
The texture has altered slightly from the original version which used in-game procedural shaders.

The plane was based on numerous 1950's cold war era 'rocket with wings' jets:

• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15/17/19
• English Electric Lightning
• North American F-86 Sabre

with characteristics from each for each tech level - basically all the cool looking stuff. The last set of images are examples of 'dead shapes'.