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A-wing

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Kuat RZ-1 A-wing Interceptor
An RZ-1 A-wing filming model used forReturn of the Jedi
First appearanceReturn of the Jedi(1983)
Created byRalph McQuarrie
Information
Affiliation
Made byKuat Systems Engineering
Auxiliary vehiclesEjector seat
General characteristics
ClassInterception starfighter
Armaments
  • RZ-1: Borstel RG-9 laser cannons (2); Dymek HM-6 concussion missile launchers (2; 12 missiles)
  • RZ-1T: Laser cannons (2)
  • RZ-2: Zija GO-4 laser cannons (2); Dymek HM-22 concussion missile launchers (2; 12 missiles)
Defenses
  • RZ-1: Sirplex Z-9 deflector shield generator; Durasteel armor; sensor jammer
  • RZ-2 Rseik Hullspace 2e deflector shield generator; Cloakeye sensor jammer
Maximum speed
  • RZ-1: 5,100 G (maximum acceleration); 1,300 km/h (808 mph; maximum atmospheric speed); 120 MGLT (megalight per hour; subluminal speed); 1.0 HCR (hyperdrive class rating; superluminal speed)
  • RZ-2: 5,200 G (maximum acceleration); 1,350 km/h (839 mph; maximum atmospheric speed); 125 MGLT (megalight per hour; subluminal speed); 1.0 HCR (hyperdrive class rating; superluminal speed)
Propulsion
  • RZ-1: Novaldex J-77 "Event Horizon" sublight engines (2); Incom GBk-785 hyperdrive motivators (2)
  • RZ-2: Novaldex K-88 "Event Horizon" sublight engines (2); Incom GBk-885 hyperdrive motivators (2)
Power
  • RZ-1: MPS Bpr-99 fusion reactors (2)
  • RZ-2: Klyd-Marro 67e fusion cores (2)
Length
  • RZ-1: 6.9 meters
  • RZ-2: 7.682 meters
Width
  • RZ-1: 4.47 meters
  • RZ-2: 4.623 meters
Height
  • RZ-1: 2.47 meters
  • RZ-2: 2.016 meters
Population volume
  • 1 pilot

Kuat RZ-1 A-wing Interceptorarestarfightersin theStar Warsfranchise. Designed and manufactured by theKuat Systems Engineering,they are depicted as fast but fragileinterceptorsof theRebel Alliance,conceived for high-speedsurgical strikes,deep reconnaissanceandescort fighterduty.[1]

A-wings first appear inReturn of the Jedi(1983) and later in numerousStar Warsmaterials and productions. It gained popularity through its depiction in several video games, and since 1985 the A-wing has been merchandised by several companies. They are the fastest vessels in theStar Warscanon,with the advantage of being the smallest hyperspace drive-equipped craft without relying on a carrier, allowing the vessel to extricate itself from a losing battle or escape hostile territory after performing an attack.

Appearances

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RZ-1 A-wings from Green Squadron participate in the climactic Battle of Endor depicted inReturn of the Jedi(1983). At Endor, an A-wing piloted by Arvel Crynyd (Hilton McRae)[2]crashes into the bridge of theSuper Star DestroyerExecutor,resulting in theExecutorcrashing out of control into the secondDeath Star.In addition to McRae, two women recorded A-wing cockpit footage; one of the actors was cut, and the other was dubbed over by a male actor.[3]

A-wings later appear in variousStar WarsExpanded Universetelevision shows, books, and games. Some Expanded Universe material saysJan Dodonnacreated the A-wing based on his analysis of the role of speed in the Battle of Yavin, the climactic battle inStar Wars(1977).[4]Later material, such as theStar Wars Rebelstelevision series, depicts the starfighters in use before the events ofStar Wars.[5]

The A-wings of Phoenix Squadron play an important role inRebels'second season(2015–2016).Rebelsproducers used the A-wing in part because the ship was not used much inReturn of the Jedi[6]The fighter's presence in the cartoon was meant to show that different groups used different craft to fight the Empire.[6]The series's episodes "The Holocrons of Fate" and "Twin Suns"also feature the two-seater RZ-1T trainer, a training spacecraft used by the rebels to train recruits. The RZ-1T also appears in the novelBattlefront II: Inferno Squad.

The RZ-1 A-Wing is based on the R-22 A-Wing, also made byKuat Systems Engineering.[7]

A later variant, the RZ-2 A-wing, features inStar Wars Battlefront IIand inStar Wars: The Last Jedi.It is a bigger spacecraft used by theResistanceagainst theFirst Order.

Concept and design

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Two arrowhead-shaped craft fly in space with a nebula in the background
Ralph McQuarrie's production art for the A-wing. The A-wings inStar Wars Rebelsuse McQuarrie's alternative blue-and-white color scheme.[8]

The A-wing was one of two new Rebel Alliance starfighters created forReturn of the Jedi.[9]It was dubbed theA fighterbecause it was the first of the two designs created.[9]Ralph McQuarrie's production paintings of A-wing starfighters were completed after filming and displayed alternative blue markings.

Joe Johnston designed the ship, Wesley Seeds andLorne PetersonofIndustrial Light & Magicbuilt the model, and its pilot figure is based on aWorld War IGerman airman.[9]A battle-damaged engine "wing" was snapped into place to represent Arvel Crynyd's damaged fighter as it crashed into theExecutor.[9]

McQuarrie's alternative blue-and-white coloring was used for the craft's appearance inRebels.[8]Photographs from the filming ofStar Wars: The Last Jedishow an A-wing on the film set.[10][11]Screen Rantsuggests the A-wing seen in the photographs evokes some of McQuarrie's interpretation of the design, such as the blaster cannon shape and the presence of additional ports in the cockpit.[12]

Depiction

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According toStar Warscanon,the A-wing was first produced by Kuat Systems Engineering, which had built theDelta-7starfighter for theJedi Order.With the Jedi eradicated (as depicted inStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith) and the Delta-7 nearly impossible for non-Jedi to pilot, Kuat designed a new starfighter, the R-22 A-wing, in hopes theGalactic Empirewould purchase it. While impressed with prototypes of the R-22, the Empire instead went with theTIE fighter,and forbade Kuat from mass-producing the A-wing. The prototypes were sold to the kingdom of Tammuz-an, which over a decade later were eventually sold to the Rebel Alliance.[13]

Rebel engineers made many alterations to the original R-22 design to produce the RZ-1 model as seen inReturn of the Jedi.The original engines were swapped out for more powerful ones, while other major components were replaced with lightweight versions so asupraluminalhyperdrivecould be added. The resulting fighter is faster than even the Empire'sTIE interceptorand perfect forhit-and-runattacks, long-range patrols, andreconnaissancemissions. Its two laser cannons, mounted on special swivel mounts, can elevate or depress 60° vertically; some were modified for full 360° rotation but these had a greater chance to jam. However, engineers could not fit the A-wing with anastromech droid,which limited how many hyperspace coordinates it could carry. The lack of droid assistance also makes it challenging even for a being with Jedi-like reflexes to control a fighter so fast and maneuverable. Consequently, only the best Rebel pilots are allowed to fly the A-wing.[13]

After the Empire was defeated, background material explains how Kuat Systems Engineering made a number of improvements to the design to create the RZ-2 A-wing for theNew RepublicDefense Fleet. Even faster than the original, the RZ-2 requires less maintenance than the RZ-1, and the swivel mounts that allow its laser cannons to rotate 360° were no longer at risk of jamming. Thanks to the New Republic's disarmament campaign, RZ-2s found their way into theResistance,which like the Rebellion before allows only the best pilots to fly the A-wing.[13]

Impact

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CinemaBlendsaid the A-wing received little attention afterReturn of the Jedibecause no prominent characters pilot the craft.[14]Kennerin 1985 released anA-wing pilot figureas part of itsPower of the Forceline, and it released a "magnificent" A-wing toy as part of theStar Wars: Droidsline.[15][16]Since then, the A-wing has been recreated as various other toys, models, and collectibles by companies that includeGaloob,Hasbro,Model Products Corporation,Estes Industries,Lego,andFantasy Flight Games.[15][17]

Screen Rantsaid the A-wing gained popularity as a playable craft in theStar Wars: X-Wingspace combat simulator (1993),[12]whichThe Escapistsaid depicted the ship as "an excellentdogfighter".[18]Subsequent video games that allowed players to pilot the A-wing also contributed to the ship's popularity.[12]Blastrranked the A-wing 16th on its list of the bestStar Warsvehicles.[19]

Prince Harrywas photographed sitting in an A-wing cockpit during his and theDuke of Cambridge's April 2016 visit to theStar Wars: Episode VIIIset.[10]Responding to the photographs, various publications called the A-wing "iconic",[11][20]an "unsung hero",[21]"woefully underappreciated",[21]and "a classic".[14]

In 2018 a number ofStar Warsstarfighters - including the A-wing - had their aerodynamic abilities tested using theAutodeskFlow Design virtualwind tunnelprogram. Of those starfighters tested the A-wing was among the most aerodynamic designs of all with adrag coefficientof.17, though it was still worse than the real-life example of theF-4E Phantomwith a.02 rating. These poor results were rationalized with the in-universe explanations that drag coefficient plays no role in space travel, and thatStar Warsfighters can userepulsorliftsanddeflector shieldsto give themselves better flight profiles.[22]

References

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  1. ^"A-wing Fighter History Gallery".StarWars.Lucasfilm.Click on image 3 of 6.Archivedfrom the original on June 1, 2016.RetrievedJune 7,2016.
  2. ^"A-wing Fighter History Gallery".StarWars.Lucasfilm.Click on image 2 of 6 with thumbnail of a pilot.Archivedfrom the original on June 1, 2016.RetrievedJune 7,2016.
  3. ^"Star Wars' lost female fighter pilots".Stuff.co.nz.December 16, 2015.Archivedfrom the original on August 8, 2016.RetrievedJune 9,2016.
  4. ^"Expanded Universe - Dodonna, General Jan".Star Wars Databank.Lucasfilm.Archived fromthe originalon March 8, 2005.RetrievedJune 7,2016.
  5. ^"A-wing Fighter".Star Wars Databank.Lucasfilm.Archivedfrom the original on June 12, 2016.RetrievedJune 7,2016.
  6. ^ab"Rebels Recon: Inside" Wings of the Master "".StarWars.Lucasfilm.Archivedfrom the original on May 29, 2016.RetrievedJune 7,2016.
  7. ^"A-wing Fighter".Archivedfrom the original on 2021-03-03.Retrieved2021-02-26.
  8. ^abBeentjes, Kevin (May 6, 2015)."Back from the Drawing Board, Part 2: Repurposed Star Wars Technology".StarWars.Archivedfrom the original on June 8, 2016.RetrievedJune 9,2016.
  9. ^abcdPeterson, Lorne (2006).Sculpting A Galaxy - Inside the Star Wars Model Shop.San Rafael, California: Insight Editions. pp. 52–55.ISBN1-933784-03-2.
  10. ^abLawler, Kelly (April 19, 2016)."Princes William and Harry visit 'Star Wars' set, raise the bar for adorable".USA Today.Gannett Company.Image 2 of 6 in the article's picture gallery.Archivedfrom the original on May 28, 2016.RetrievedJune 9,2016.
  11. ^abGallagher, Brian (April 19, 2016)."Star Wars: Episode VIII Brings Back the A-Wing Fighter".MovieWeb.Archivedfrom the original on June 10, 2016.RetrievedJune 7,2016.
  12. ^abcKeyes, Rob (April 19, 2016)."Star Wars 8 Brings Back The Rebellion's Fastest Starfighter".Screen Rant.Archivedfrom the original on June 16, 2016.RetrievedJune 9,2016.
  13. ^abcStar Wars: Rebel Starfighters: Owners' Workshop Manual.Insight Editions. 2019.ISBN978-1683839361.
  14. ^abLibbey, Dirk (19 April 2016)."Star Wars: Episode VIII Is Bringing Back A Classic Ship".Cinema Blend.Archivedfrom the original on 12 June 2016.RetrievedJune 9,2016.
  15. ^abWells III, Stuart W. (2002).A Universe of Star Wars Collectibles: Identification and Price Guide(2nd. ed.). Krause Publications. pp.17, 212, 220, 222, 224, 266–267.ISBN0873494156.
  16. ^Bellomo, Mark (2014).The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Star Wars Action Figures, 1977-1985.Krause Publications. pp. 45, 128.ISBN9781440240591.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^"Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game – A-Wing Expansion Pack (2013)".BoardGameGeek.Scott Alden.Archivedfrom the original on June 9, 2016.RetrievedJune 10,2016.
  18. ^"The 15 Best Space Combat Sims of All-Time".The Escapist.Defy Media.July 29, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon July 1, 2016.RetrievedJune 9,2016.
  19. ^Dorville, Matt (September 11, 2015)."From the V-Wing to the Millennium Falcon: 50 of the best Star Wars vehicles, ranked".Blastr.Syfy.Archived fromthe originalon May 31, 2016.RetrievedJune 9,2016.
  20. ^Creamer, Matt Timmy (April 20, 2016)."This Iconic 'Star Wars' Fighter Will Return in Episode 8!".Moviepilot.Archived fromthe originalon June 24, 2016.RetrievedJune 7,2016.
  21. ^abArbeiter, Michael (April 20, 2016)."Star Wars: Episode VIII Will Bring Back the A-wing".Nerdist.Archived fromthe originalon June 2, 2016.RetrievedJune 9,2016.
  22. ^Pockross, Adam."Testing the Aerodynamics of Star Wars Ships in a Virtual Wind Tunnel".SyFy Wire.Retrieved9 September2020.[permanent dead link]
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