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  • B-wing Fighter

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    B-wing Fighter

    Perhaps the oddest-looking starfighter in the Rebel Alliance fleet, the B-wing fighter is as powerful as it is ungainly. The ship's structure is almost entirely taken up by its primary airfoil, which houses a cylindrical cockpit on one end, an engine cluster in the center, and a heavy weapons pod at its base. Located just below the engine cluster are a pair of S-foils which can deploy to extend the firing arc of twin laser cannons. The B-wing's command pod has a unique gyroscopic control system. The pilot can orient it so that it always stays level with a horizon line. No matter which way the B-wing may maneuver laterally, its pilot remains upright.

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Appearances
  • Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (Episode VI)
Affiliations
  • Rebel Alliance
  • Rebel Pilots
Dimensions
  • Length: 16.9m

History

 The Blade Wing

The B-wing was developed by the quirky yet masterful engineer Quarrie, a Mon Calamari with no love of the Empire. He worked in solitary on Shantipole, experimenting with speed, weaponry, and design. Finally, the “Blade Wing” was complete, and the Ghost crew’s Hera became its first pilot. After a successful strike against the Empire, Senator Bail Organa found a manufacturer willing to develop the starfighter in secret.

B-wings in the Battle of Endor

Rebel engineers designed the B-wing with a single purpose – to destroy Imperial capital ships. To achieve that goal, they packed weaponry and flight systems normally reserved for much larger craft into the body of a starfighter. B-wings weren’t much good in dogfights – their pilots complained that they maneuvered like freighters – and were a struggle to maintain. But the B-wing’s potent combination of weapons made it a deadly assault starfighter and a worthy addition to the Alliance arsenal. B-wings proved their worth at the Battle of Endor, with the pilots of Blade Squadron using group tactics to target Imperial Star Destroyers.

Video

  • video

    Into the Trap

    The Rebel Alliance fleet closes in on the second Death Star, but it turns out they were expected....

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  • video

    Not a Scratch

    After joining the Rebel Alliance, Lando was promoted to General and asked to lead the starfighter attack on the new Death Star. Knowing that his friend could use all the help he can get, Han urges Lando to pilot the Millennium Falcon into battle.

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Gallery

© 2015 Disney

B-Wing Fighter History Gallery

  • 5 Images
    • Several of the B-wing’s distinctive design features originated with craft that saw extensive serv...
    • B-wings played a variety of roles during the Battle of Endor, with rebel leaders forced to improv...
    • But plans changed when Admiral Ackbar’s rebel fleet emerged from hyperspace and discovered the ba...
    • With speedy, more maneuverable A-wings acting as escorts, Blade Squadron’s B-wings braved attack ...
    • The B-wing’s advanced targeting systems allowed pilots to sync attacks so multiple fighters could...
  • Several of the B-wing’s distinctive design features originated with craft that saw extensive service during the Clone Wars. The fighter’s gyroscopic command pod was similar to the rotating cockpit of the T-6 shuttle, while its folding S-foils were a characteristic shared with the V-19 fighter. As an assault fighter, the B-wing was imagined as a potential replacement for the venerable Y-wing fighter – another craft that dated back to the Clone Wars.

  • B-wings played a variety of roles during the Battle of Endor, with rebel leaders forced to improvise to survive the trap sprung on them by the Empire. The B-wing pilots of Blade Squadron were initially assigned to the rearguard of the rebel assault on the second Death Star.

  • But plans changed when Admiral Ackbar’s rebel fleet emerged from hyperspace and discovered the battle station’s shields were still up and Imperial Star Destroyers were waiting to pin the Alliance craft in place. Blade Squadron’s original mission was scrapped and its pilots were sent after the Star Destroyers.

  • With speedy, more maneuverable A-wings acting as escorts, Blade Squadron’s B-wings braved attack runs by TIE interceptors serving as a fighter screen for the Empire’s Star Destroyers.

  • The B-wing’s advanced targeting systems allowed pilots to sync attacks so multiple fighters could assault a single target in concert. Blade Squadron’s fighters attacked the Star Destroyer Devastator – Darth Vader’s former flagship – with a one-two punch of ion cannons and proton torpedoes. The attack punctured weak points in the Devastator’s shields and overloaded her hyperdrive, setting off a chain reaction that led in short order to her destruction.

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B-Wing Fighter History Gallery

News + Features

  • Blade Squadron: Part One Short Story

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    Blade Squadron: Part One Short Story

    A group of Rebel starfighters go head-to-head with a Star Destroyer in the Battle of Endor!

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Related

  • Rebel Alliance

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    Rebel Alliance

    The Rebel Alliance stood bravely against the evil of the Galactic Empire, never backing down despite overwhelming odds. Formed from resistance movements that arose during the Clone Wars, the Rebellion worked in secret for decades to overthrow the Emperor and restore democracy to the galaxy. Eventually, armed with the firepower of ships like the X-wing and A-wing, and the leadership of figures including Princess Leia and Admiral Ackbar, the Rebel Alliance triumphed over the Empire at the Battle of Endor.

  • X-wing starfighter

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    X-wing starfighter

    The X-wing is a versatile Rebel Alliance starfighter that balances speed with firepower. Armed with four laser cannons and two proton torpedo launchers, the X-wing can take on anything the Empire throws at it. Nimble engines give the X-wing an edge during dogfights, and it can make long-range jumps with its hyperdrive and its astromech droid co-pilot. Luke Skywalker is famous for destroying the Death Star behind the controls of an X-wing.

  • Y-wing Starfighter

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    Y-wing Starfighter

    The Y-wing is a workhorse starfighter has been in use since the Clone Wars. Used for dogfights and for bombing runs against capital ships and ground targets, Y-wings are often overshadowed by newer models such as the X-wing and the A-wing. But the Y-wing's historical importance is remarkable, and it has reliably served multiple generations of star pilots.

  • A-wing Fighter

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    A-wing Fighter

    With its sleek arrowhead shape, streamlined cockpit, and massive twin engines, the A-wing starfighter suggests raw speed even when parked within Alliance hangar bays. Faster than even the TIE interceptor, the A-wing is well suited for lightning strikes. It sports a pair of pivoting laser cannons on each wingtip. The starfighters of Green Squadron, which flew in the Battle of Endor, were made up of A-wing starfighters. The A-wing continued to evolve, and was part of the Resistance’s starfighter corps during its fight against the First Order.

  • Jedi T-6 Shuttle

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    Jedi T-6 Shuttle

    An older design used by the Jedi Knights, the T-6 shuttle was pressed into heavier service by the necessities of the Clone Wars. The half-circle shaped ship has a rotating body, allowing for flexibility of configurations when landing on planetary surfaces or docking with starships and stations. The Jedi primarily used the T-6 as a peacetime conveyance, hence it has no weapons. The ship's reliable hyperdrive and larger interior space meant that interstellar travel in a T-6 was far more comfortable than in a cramped Jedi starfighter. In case of emergency, the ship's crew could launch ejection seats that deploy spheroid survival capsules that not only contain vital atmospheric pressure, but also cushion impact.

  • ARC-170 Starfighter

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    ARC-170 Starfighter

    Protecting the skies over Republic worlds were specialized clone fighter forces flying the latest in starfighter technology. The ARC-170 fighter was a bulky, aggressive ship covered with weapons. Three clone trooper pilots operated this advanced combat craft, with a pilot handling the flight maneuvers, a copilot operating the laser cannons mounted on the ship's wide wings, and a tailgunner operating the dorsal rear-facing cannon. The fighter also carried an astromech droid for onboard repairs.

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