Vulture droid

"We've designed an automated droid starfighter capable of independently selecting and destroying targets according to a sophisticated battle algorithm." "Let me guess. It's become self-aware and is now shooting down friendly pilots." "No, sir. Worse. Much worse. It obeys our every command, but sucks at its job."

- Trade Federation engineer, reporting to Nute Gunray

Vulture droids, or droid starfighters, technically referred to as the Vulture-class Variable Geometry Self-Propelled Moss-Covered Three-Handled Battle Droid, Mark I, Limited Series, Extended Cab, were the automated starfighters used by the Trade Federation and later the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars. Theoretically, these droid starfighters were much deadlier than their conventional counterparts because they could endure higher G-forces and thus perform quick angled maneuvers that no living pilot could match. In practice, their buggy AI made them easy to shoot down with a little button-mashing.

When not in flight, Vulture droids folded their wings down and used them as primitive walking appendages. While in walking mode, they appeared like the unholy spawn of an AT-AT and a vampire bat. This made the Vulture droid very similar to Transformers Generation 2, in that none of the shapes they transformed into really resembled anything.

Intellectually, Vulture droids were much more intelligent than B1 battle droids, but neither model distinguished itself on Jeopardy!