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RZ-1 A-wing interceptor

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This article is about the Rebel Alliance interceptor. You may be looking for the Old Republic-era Aurek fighter, sometimes referred to as an "A-wing", the predecessor to the RZ-1 A-wing, the R-22 Spearhead, also nicknamed "A-wing" by Rebellion pilots, or the Eta-5 interceptor, also known informally as an A-wing..

RZ-1 A-wing interceptor

Production information
Manufacturer	Alliance Underground Engineering Incom Corporation
Model	RZ-1 A-wing interceptor
Class	Starfighter
Cost	175,000
Technical specifications
Length	9.6 meters^[1]^[2]
Width	6.48 meters
Height/depth	1.91 meters (fuselage only) 3.11 meters (including stabilizers)
Maximum acceleration	5,100 G
MGLT	120 MGLT^[1]
Maximum speed (atmosphere)	1,300 km/h (higher speeds possible with deflector shields on)^[1]
Engine unit(s)	Novaldex J-77 Event Horizon (2)^[3]
Hyperdrive rating	Class 1.0^[3]
Hyperdrive system	Incom GBk-785 hyperdrive unit^[3]
Power plant	MPS Bpr-99 fusion reactor^[4]
Shielding	Sirplex Z-9 deflector shield projector (50 SBD)^[1]
Hull	Titanium alloy frame and durasteel outer hull (15 RU)^[4]
Sensor systems	Fabritech ANs-7e sensor unit with PA-94 long range phased tachyon detection array and PG-7u short range primary threat analysis grid^[4]
Targeting systems	Fabritech ANq 3.6 tracking computer^[4] IN-344-B "Sightline" holographic imaging system^[4]
Navigation system	Microaxial LpL-449 navigation computer (2 jump range)^[3]
Avionics	Torplex Rq9.Z flight control avionics^[4]
Countermeasures	Miradyne 4x-Phantom short-range sensor jammer Chaff and flare launcher
Armament	Borstel RG-9 laser cannons (2)^[1] Dymek HM-6 Concussion Missile Launchers (2)^[1] 6 concussion missiles each (standard load)^[3]
Crew	Pilot (1)^[5]
Passengers	None
Cargo capacity	40 kilograms^[1]
Consumables	1 week
Other systems	Fijisi wood panels^[6]
Usage
Role(s)	Interceptor
Era(s)	Rebellion era New Republic era New Jedi Order era Legacy era
Affiliation	Alliance to Restore the Republic^[2] Zann Consortium Alliance of Free Planets New Republic Galactic Federation of Free Alliances Pirates Confederation

[Source]

"The A-wing is the fastest fighter we have, capable of matching a TIE Interceptor in speed."

―General Carlist Rieekan^[src]

The RZ-1 A-wing interceptor was a starfighter designed by the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War. One of the fastest mass-produced interceptors in the known galaxy, the A-wing was even faster than the Imperial's TIE Interceptor.

1 Characteristics
2 History
3 Behind the scenes
4 Appearances
5 Sources
6 Notes and references
7 External links
- 7.1 In other languages

CharacteristicsEdit

"Excellent fighter with superior speed and maneuverability. Well suited to destroying or luring enemy fighters"

―- Description of the A-Wing in Empire At War^[src]

Simply put, the A-wing was a cockpit attached to twin engines. Like its Clone Wars predecessor, the Eta-2, the A-wing required pilots of exceptional skill to take full advantage of the vessel's speed, agility, and special features—and the Alliance lacked the Galactic Republic's Jedi pilots.

The A-wing's Event Horizon engines remained some of the most powerful sublight thrusters two decades past the A-wing's creation and were linked to highly sensitive controls. The vessels presented a number of challenges to pilots. Pilots had to adjust two dorsal and two ventral stabilizer wings with great care, as even a minor turn could send the speedy A-wing into a massive spinout.

The slight A-wing's wing-mounted laser cannons could rotate up and down sixty degrees for greater fire control. Some of those designs even had their guns modified to swivel in a complete 360-degree arc, thus providing a nasty surprise to any chasing fighter. While a tactical boon, the A-wing had no astromech droid to manage its weapons systems, requiring further attention from the pilot.

The combination of sensitive controls, unmatched sublight thrust, maneuverable weapon systems, advanced sensory and stealth packages, fragility, and heavily exposed cockpit strained even the best pilot. A-wings earned the nickname "slims" for their small frame made of carbo-plas, but also for the "slim" chance of a pilot surviving a direct hit on the ship after the shields were down, and the cramped cockpit that prevented larger pilots from flying the A-wing.

HistoryEdit

DevelopmentEdit

The beginning of the A-wing resides in General Jan Dodonna's post-battle analysis of the Battle of Yavin. The value of Alliance starfighters were undeniable in the battle—but Dodonna was concerned that a simple trio of TIE starfighters had almost foiled the trench run. Knowing that the Imperial Navy was conducting similar analyses and would come to the same conclusions, Dodonna set about planning the creation of a dedicated Alliance interceptor. His prediction was perceptive, as Sienar Fleet Systems engineers accelerated work on and updated the TIE Interceptor, an Imperial fighter to match the A-wing in speed.

To design the starfighter, Dodonna turned to Walex Blissex, famed ex-Kuat Systems Engineering engineer. Blissex had valuable experience from his work on the Clone Wars-era Delta-7 and Alpha-3 interceptors, and together the two set about drawing up plans. They based their initial designs around the R-22 Spearhead, already nicknamed by pilots as "A-wings" per the -wing naming convention for other Rebel craft, of which two had fought at Yavin. The two men then drafted a proposal for the design and presented it to Chief of State Mon Mothma.

Dodonna and Blissex's timing was not well-chosen; while the victory at Yavin had jolted thousands of worlds into rebellion, it had brought down Emperor Palpatine's wrath and scattered the Alliance. As such, funding was tight, and the A-wing program presented a major investment for the credit-strapped Alliance. Nevertheless, Dodonna's fame from his role in the Yavin victory made a denial difficult, and Mothma approved a reduced amount of funding.

Early productionEdit

To fit within their reduced budget, Dodonna and Blissex made substantial modifications to the original design. Blissex redrafted his component list to use components readily available within the Ordnance and Supply Command and pushed each piece of the A-wing past original factory performance. The earliest A-wings were manufactured across Alliance facilities like Cardooine and Chardaan Shipyards. Each starfighter was hand-assembled, resulting in a slow production rate and a number of interesting modifications. Some fighters incorporated actual wood furnishings for the cockpit interior, such as the one that Rogue Squadron pilot Tycho Celchu flew during the Battle of Endor.^[6]

The combination of hand assembly, use of second-hand components, the number of complex systems packed into the starfighter's small frame, and a general lack of quality control made A-wings notorious for their high maintenance to flight ratio—the second worst in the Alliance fleet in 3 ABY.^[source?]

As a result, the Alliance was able to field few full squadrons of A-wings; by 4 ABY, the fleet was able to summon only one full unit for the Battle of Endor. Only a handful of crack units, like Nomad Squadron or Pash Cracken's wing, were maintained across Alliance forces.

Operational deploymentEdit

"Any pilot who volunteers to fly an A-wing better be brave or crazy. Probably helps to be a little of both."

―General Han Solo^[src]

The first Alliance raids using A-wings surprised Imperial forces, which had been unable to penetrate the veil of secrecy over the interceptor's development. A lone A-wing piloted by Arvel Crynyd played a major role when it helped to destroy the Star Dreadnought Executor during the Battle of Endor, by ramming its bridge, causing the entire ship to fall and crash into the second Death Star.

Though it had been designed to defend immobile stations or slow-moving Alliance starships from starfighter raids, the A-wing was pressed into service as a quick-strike fighter as part of the post-Yavin Alliance strategy of guerrilla warfare. Using its impressive straight-line acceleration and advanced jamming package, A-wings were able to hit targets before they could respond, and then flee before any defense could be organized.

This change found its apex in a devastating tactic known as the A-wing Slash which was developed by General Garm Bel Iblis. A group of X-wings would approach an Imperial convoy, hiding a number of A-wings in their drive exhaust. The X-wings would then pull away, diverting attention away from the speedy A-wings, which could launch HM-6 concussion missiles against the convoy and pull away.

The A-wing also found use in reconnaissance missions, and would become a favorite among Fleet Intelligence and Alliance Intelligence operatives for its speed. A team of A-wings could exit hyperspace near an Imperial objective, begin jamming enemy sensors, draw scans and holographic imagery, and retreat before being detected. If it was detected, the pilots could easily outrun any pursuers, ensuring the safety of the pilots and the intelligence.

While the A-wing became popular for "hit-and-fade" raids and reconnaissance duty, it was required to operate from a nearby base of operations or carrier ship because of its navigational computer's limitations, which could only store coordinates for two hyperspace jumps before requiring calibration.

The TIE/In interceptor, better known as the TIE Interceptor, was perhaps the Empire's closest equivalent to the A-wing. The Interceptor had two more laser cannons and better agility which gave it an edge in a dogfight, but its lack of shields and warhead launchers limited its durability and tactical usage. The Interceptor was (like all mass-produced TIEs) generally available in larger numbers, but A-wing pilots tended to be more skilled as they had a higher survival rate than their Interceptor counterparts. In a pure chase, the A-wing could outrun the Interceptor, however this was only if the A-wing was undamaged. Later Imperial starfighters such as the TIE Avenger, TIE Defender, and Missile Boat were easily more than a match for the A-wing, however they were never mass-produced due to turmoil in the Imperial Navy.

ReplacementEdit

Shortly after the Battle of Endor, the second generation A-wing, the Mark II, entered production. It is unclear what precise updates were applied, but it was presumably produced under more standardized conditions than its hand-made predecessors, allowing for greater numbers. While A-wings were originally built on an individual basis by the Alliance itself, the Mark II was mass produced by the Incom Corporation. The one confirmed alteration was that the laser cannons of the A-wing Mark II were configured for full 360-degree rotation.

The value of a high speed interceptor was clear, but the A-wing had major defensive and navigational limitations. Thus, new starfighters like the E-wing or T-65AC4 X-wing were created with comparable speed, but heavier shields and armor, astromech compatibility, and more powerful weapons. Despite the introduction of newer starfighters and efforts to standardize fleet operations, the A-wing's exceptional design allowed it to endure through the Yuuzhan Vong War. It is possible that the A-wing's continued service was facilitated by improving the engines for even greater performance.

A number of A-wings also found their way into civilian hands, often being used as scout vessels or escape vehicles. Squadrons were also captured by pirates, who used them in the same raiding capacity as the Alliance.

Behind the scenesEdit

Production paintings for Return of the Jedi show the A-wing painted in blue markings, but these were changed to red to allow the models to be filmed for bluescreen. According to the X-wing games, red signifies Red Squadron. A-wings from other squadrons bear their respective color. One Star Wars Action Fleet A-wing model has green markings instead of red, supporting this claim.

The craft was originally known only as "A fighter" during the production of Return of the Jedi.

A-wings appear in the games Star Wars: Empire at War, Star Wars: X-wing, Star Wars: Rebel Assault and the Droids animated series; however, these are set years before the A-wing is stated to have been developed, making it an anomaly. All these pre-Yavin A-wing instances have been retconned into R-22 Spearheads.

Like other ships (Executor, for example), the size of the A-wing is in dispute. Fans argue that the 9.6 meters and the derived width and height are too big. Because visual evidence from Return of the Jedi seems to suggest the A-wing is very small compared to other starfighters. Close-up shots of A-wing pilots show that the cockpit is cramped, and suggest the entire ship cannot be very large.

A size analysis of the studio model used for Return of the Jedi suggests that the length of the ship is twice as short as the documented 9.6 meters. Star Wars Technical Journal (Volume Three) states the model is 60 cm long and the pilot figure a 1/8 scale action figure, which results into a length of 4.8 meters. However, it should be noted that it is entirely possible the 1/8 figure was only used because it fitted in the cockpit of the model.

Another way to determine the size by comparing the headroom of the pilot with the relative size of the cockpit to the entire fighter, would be to compare the cockpit film set with the studio model.

The size comparison chart found in the 2011 reference book Millennium Falcon Owners' Workshop Manual also depicts an RZ-1 A-wing. By using the well documented sizes of the Millennium Falcon and the X-wing as a scale, the resulting A-wing size is roughly 7.0 meters.

Although it is unknown on what the original 9.6 meter figure is based on, like the issue on Home One, the official length remains 9.6 meters until a canon source states otherwise.

The weapons payload of the A-wing varies from source to source, with some not having the concussion missile launchers, and some saying that the laser cannons are actually blaster cannons. In Star Wars: Battlefront II for example, A-wings are armed with repeating laser cannons and homing cluster missiles.

LEGO made several sets of the A-wing. The first was 7134 "A-Wing Fighter" from 2000. The second is 6207 "A-Wing Fighter" from 2006. Both A-wings have Red Squadron markings. Finally, the third set to have an A-wing was 7754 "Home One Mon Calamari Star Cruiser" from August 2009. Unlike the previous A-wings, this one sported Green Squadron markings.