Why do some fighters have guns located so far from their plane of symmetry?asked by Burkow

They do look cool. But also, if you think about it, convergence is a big deal. Where you're shooting and how far ahead of you you're shooting is important. If you have your ship guns right in the middle, then they can't point at anything close. They have to point way out in front of you. If they're out here, they can converge on a point closer to you, so it's more accurate.