A-wing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Star Wars craft | |
 |
|
| A-wing | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Koensayr Manufacturing |
| Specification | RZ-1 A-wing starfighter |
| Type | Starfighter/Interceptor |
| Length | 9.6 meters |
| Weapons | 2 Laser Cannons; 2 Concussion Missile Launchers (6 missiles each) Explosive front wedge |
| Shield | Forward/Rear Projecting Sirplex Deflection Shields (rated at 50 SBD) |
| Hull | Titanium Alloy |
| Crew | 1 pilot |
| Top Speed | 120 MGLT, 1200 km/h in atmosphere |
| Troop Capacity | none |
| Affiliation | Alliance to Restore the Republic |
| Cargo Capacity | N/A |
| Passengers | (Pilot Only) |
The A-wing, an interceptor starfighter in the Star Wars universe, is used by the Rebel Alliance. It is the smallest, fastest, and most maneuverable of the Rebel fighters. In the movie trilogy, it is seen only in the final Battle of Endor, where pilot Arvel Crynyd crashed his A-wing into the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer Executor. This resulted in the loss of control of the Executor and coupled with the failure of crews to bring the backup bridge operational resulted in the Executor to be pulled into the gravity field to the second Death Star, resulting in the destruction of the Executor.
According to Star Wars canon, the A-wing has very limited shielding. It relies on its high linear acceleration and maneuverability to avoid destruction. An A-wing pilot lives by the mantra "speed is life," and such comments were given by several pilots in the book Darksabre. Its essential build is that of powerful engines, weaponry and little else. The fighter was designed by Alliance General Jan Dodonna and Alliance engineer Walex Blissex, and was produced in various locations, with many fighters having slightly different characteristics. (In particular, the A-wing that Tycho Celchu flew at Endor was produced on Cardooine.) Later, Koensayr Manufacturing, producer of the obsolete Y-wing, began mass production and this idiosyncrasy disappeared.
The A-wing's predecessor was the R-22 Spearhead. It was initially designed as a fleet interceptor, utilizing its extraordinarily high acceleration to stop enemy fighters before they could reach vulnerable freighters. However, it was soon pressed into service as a quick-strike fighter, able to hit targets before they could respond, and then flee before any defense could be organized. The design appears to share some relation with the pre-Clone Wars era Delta-7 Aethersprite starfighter.
The A-wing Mark-II had their laser cannons modified to swivel through a 180-degree arc, giving it the abilitiy to engage any pursuit and greatly improving its firing arcs. This was an attempt by Koensayr to outbid Incom, as both were attempting to secure new contracts: the Koensayr Y-wing was being replaced by the Slayn & Korpil B-wing, while the Incom X-wing would most likely be sacrificed if the New Republic was unable to fund both contracts, due to being near-bankrupted by the Krytos virus.
In the X-wing computer game series, the A-wing was the Rebel fighter of choice for dogfighting. Its high speed, maneuverability, and default load of concussion missiles made it more than a match for the TIE fighter and an equal to the TIE interceptor, and the only Rebel fighter capable of taking on the TIE Advanced on reasonably equal terms. It is also a playable craft in the Star Wars Battlefront II video game. It is the class of starfighter available to the Rebel Alliance player akin to the Empire's TIE Interceptor, CIS Droid Tri-Fighter, or Galactic Republic Jedi Starfighter. Its speed and maneuverability make it an excellent dogfighter; but with relatively light armament and virtually no armor, it is a poor choice for heavier applications and is easily destroyed by a few hits from virtually all weapons.
[edit] A-wing Slash
The A-wing Slash is a battle maneuver where a group of slower Rebel starfighters, such as X-wings or Y-wings, would approach an Imperial convoy, hiding A-wings in their drive exhaust. The covering fighters would then pull away, leaving TIE Fighters flatfooted against the speedy A-wings, which would launch concussion missiles against the convoy and pull away.
The maneuver was invented by Garm Bel Iblis, and was used at the battle of Bilbringi. Imperial Admiral Gilad Pellaeon used a modified version of this maneuver, using Preybirds and proton torpedoes, against pirates attempting to disrupt a rendezvous with Bel Iblis. Pellaeon was attempting to hold peace talks, and by using the maneuver he confirmed his attacker was not Bel Iblis, thus allowing the peace talks to go ahead, and eventually end the war between the Empire and the New Republic.
[edit] A-wing squadron examples
- Green Squadron : Battle of Endor
[edit] External links
| Vehicles of the Rebel Alliance / New Republic | |
|---|---|
| Ground vehicles and repulsor craft | |
| Snowspeeder | |
| Starfighters | |
| X-wing | Y-wing | A-wing | B-wing | |
| Expanded Universe | |
| K-wing | E-wing | |
| Capital ships | |
| Mon Calamari Cruiser | Corellian Corvette | Nebulon-B Frigate | |
| Other | |
| GR-75 Medium Transport | Millennium Falcon | |
| See also | |
| Star Wars air vehicles | Star Wars aquatic vehicles | Star Wars ground vehicles | Star Wars starfighters | Star Wars support craft |
