Bartertown.com

Looking for a good, playable, not too complicated, fast moving set of operational, futuristic set of space fleet rules in or out of print. Even if you are not selling, would really like to see your opinion on what is or was the best published set of 1) rules and 2) models made for space warfare.

Battlefleet Gothic is a really good game. It's out of print so the rules are on the web for free, but the models are out of print.

A lot of people play and really like X-wing. But I haven't played so have no first hand experience.

X-Wing or Firestorm Armada.

Full Thrust is a free rule set as well. Star Trek Attack Wing (pretty much X-wing but Star Trek theme).
If you really want to know whats out there check out http://www.star-ranger.com. They have this subject pretty well covered.

Star Wars Armada is coming out Q1 of 2015. It'll probably have easy rules like X-Wing, but flying capital ships.

Starmada, for me the Admiralty Edition (AE). Having played BFG and FT, they don't hold a candle to it.

http://www.mj12games.com/starmada/

It's highly customizable, modular and very elegant/well written. There's a newer edition (Nova) but MJ12 still supports AE. The rules engine is free in the demos:

http://www.mj12games.com/starmada/SAEdemo.pdf
http://www.mj12games.com/starmada/mjg0130demo.pdf

The full PDFs give you explanations on how to build the ships and what the special abilities do.

It is hex based, but you can move away with that if you make a couple of templates and measure to the flight stand. Movement is pre-plotted and simultaneous, as is firing. There are a LOT of options.

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As for models, I'm all over the place. I have...

Noble Armada (3 fleets from Holistic Designs before Mongoose bought it, raised lots of prizes, and then killed it)
SG's Sorylians and these http://www.shapeways.com/shops/sinans_shipyard
http://www.rattleheadgames.com/catalog/NinjaMagic.html
http://studiobergstrom.com/
http://z4miniatures.blogspot.com/2007/1 ... -shop.html

I would recommend "A Sky Full of Ships"

Firestorm Armada. It's a great game . you can do awesome things like , if your port guns get taken out, roll your ship to fire starboard guns off that side

Just remember what direction your shields are facing

I strongly recommend Full Thrust if you want space ship battles. And if you want a more realistic but somewhat less playable version there is the vectored thrust rules from the B5 RPG Earthforce sourcebook.

I would have to also say Full Thrust and GZG has the rules available to download