The Pinook-class is a three-winged starfighter designed to be used as a convoy escort for small and medium sized corporations. It has a pair of rear-mounted horizontal wings together with a vertically mounted wing. The engine is located between the wings giving it a reasonable amount of protection. The Pinook's unique bulbous cockpit is located at the front of the fighter and contains all of the fighter's main systems, including some basic entertainment systems. The cockpit design also allows for a very wide field of vision for the pilot, which is essential during combat.The Pinook's primary armament is a pair of heavy laser cannons located at the front of the ship, although a rare variant also has a front-mounted concussion missile launcher. The ship's low density hull design allows it to reach high speeds and provides higher-than-average maneuverability, yet at the price of a very weak hull and almost no shielding.

The fragile build of the Pinook lead to the impression that it was inappropriate for space combat and resulted in the fighter being quite unpopular with many freelance pilots.Even though the Pinook's weak defenses limit its ability to perform multiple tasks, it is currently seen in use in many sectors. The Pinook is very popular with piloting instructors, due to its high mobility. It is often seen in use by pirates and smugglers, who are usually happy to add low-cost, single seater fighters to their fleets. The Pinook is well suited for planetary defense, despite beliefs that its is an incapable craft. Many a time has a strike force failed due to the underestimating of this ship.