I seriously wonder just how far you can go with the light fighters in the game. I've been spending more and more time in a light fighter, as I've found their maneuverability to be a great balancer against the stronger fighters. Just the other day I surprised myself by taking on, and beating, four Centurion heavy fighters with my Hawk light fighter. I had to use shield batteries just once during the fight.

I have yet to take on a VHF with a light fighter, but assuming I don't face a large number of them, I feel there's a good chance that I could survive the encounter. If nothing else, I don't think it would take much effort to escape them. Given that, the only real worries would be things like radiation zones or minefields.

I too, would like to see different engines providing different speed levels, along with other upgrades, but the balance seems to be there to offset the different performance features of the various ships. It's easy to dismiss the light fighters when you see their low armor rating or weak weapon capabilities, but what is missing from the stats are their turn ratings. That can make a big difference in combat if you're a careful pilot.