Y-wing

The Koensayr series Y-wing assault starfighter/bomber are a series of fictional spacecraft from the ''Star Wars'' franchise. They are depicted as fighter-bombers of the Galactic Republic, Rebel Alliance, New Republic and the Resistance. Within the ''Star Wars'' setting, Y-wings are known for being ideally suited for anti-shipping, close air support, air interdiction, escort, force protection and ground attack missions. Y-wings made their first theatrical appearance in '' Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'' and have featured in movies, television shows, and the ''Star Wars'' expanded universe's books, comics, and games.

Origin and design

Colin Cantwell, who also designed the saga's TIE fighters, initially designed the Y-wing with a large bubble turret for a gunner. However, the dome did not appear properly when filmed against bluescreen and subsequent designs omitted the turret.

Depiction

Based on ''Star Wars'' supplemental reference material, the Galactic Republic commissioned Koensayr Manufacturing to produce the BTL-B Y-wing during the early part of the Clone Wars. This original model of the Y-wing, as depicted in the '' Clone Wars'' 2008 television series, features a forward module seating a pilot in the cockpit and a gunner in a bubble turret. An astromech droid (which served as the fighter's navigation system) fits into a dedicated socket behind them. The module contains the starfighter's armaments: two forward-firing laser cannons, twin ion cannons in the turret, and a pair of torpedo launchers with six-round magazines capable of launching bombs, cluster missiles and other ordnance. The module connects to two powerful ion engines via reinforced central spar and cross wing, all encased in heavy armor plating. Modified and retrofitted versions of the original Y-wing (BTL-B) include the BTL-S3, which replaces the bubble turret with a remote-controlled turret and seats the gunner behind the pilot in the cockpit, and the BTL-A4, which removes the gunner altogether and gives the pilot control of the ion cannons.

Reference material states that the Y-wings were prized for their durability and long-range striking capability during the Clone Wars. However, when the war concluded and the Galactic Empire came to power, Y-wings were decommissioned and relegated to military surplus sellers or scrapyards. The nascent Rebel Alliance sought to buy or commandeer as many Y-wings as possible. In the '' Star Wars Rebels'' 2014 animated series, the crew of the ''Ghost'' are shown stealing decommissioned Old Republic Y-wings, in the process of being dismantled by the Galactic Empire, for use by the Rebellion. Once acquired, Rebel technicians modified the fighter-bombers to make them more suitable to the Rebellion's hit-and-run tactics. Armor plating was removed to save on weight and make it easier to perform maintenance, compensated for by increasing deflector shield power. Various other components were removed or rearranged - such as replacing the six-round torpedo magazines with four-round versions - to lighten weight and increase performance while maintaining overall integrity. The resulting modification made these Rebel Y-wings faster and more lethal than their original version, and they soon became the most readily available starfighters to the Rebellion during the Galactic Civil War.

Y-wings make a theatrical appearance in '' Rogue One'' (2016), an anthology film set immediately prior to the events of the original ''Star Wars'' film. Here the Y-wings of Gold Squadron are shown playing a pivotal role during the Battle of Scarif in disabling an Imperial Star Destroyer with ion torpedoes. The same Gold Squadron features in the original ''Star Wars'' movie (1977) as they take part in the attack on the Death Star. Led by squadron leader Jon Vander ( Angus MacInnes), Y-wings made the first unsuccessful "trench run" on the Death Star's exhaust port, and only one Y-wing would survive the battle itself. (The pilot of the surviving Y-Wing was identified in '' Star Wars Legends'' sources as Keyan Farlander but was later revised to be Evaan Verlaine following the acquisition by Disney). Luke Skywalker pilots a Y-wing in the animated segment of the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special. Y-wings made a brief appearance at the end of ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) when the heroes are reunited with the Rebel fleet, and feature alongside other Rebel starfighters during the climatic space battle of ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983).

Background material further describes that, after the defeat of the Empire, Koensayr introduced a new version of the Y-wing to capitalize on the fighter's popularity. This BTA-NR2 model emulates the look of the Rebel-modified Y-wings both because the public was more familiar with this version and because it allowed for greater customization. While outwardly mimicking the "classic" Y-wing design, the BTA-NR2 features various upgrades including stronger shields and more sophisticated sensors. These versions of the Y-wing would appear during the climax of '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' (2019) as the Resistance attempts to defeat the reborn Emperor Palpatine.

Analysis

In 2018, various ''Star Wars'' starfighters had their aerodynamic abilities tested using the Autodesk Flow Design virtual wind tunnel program. Of those tested, the Y-wing had a drag coefficient of .68, which, while worse than the real-life example of the F-4E Phantom with a rating of .02, was better than that of most TIE Fighters tested. These poor results were rationalized with the in-universe explanations that drag coefficient plays no role in space travel and that ''Star Wars'' fighters can use repulsorlifts and deflector shields to give themselves better flight profiles.

Cultural impact

Ken Napzok in ''Why We Love Star Wars: The Great Moments That Built a Galaxy Far, Far Away'' argues that the Y-wing is the true workhorse of the Rebellion but that it gets unfairly overshadowed by the classic X-wing and other starfighters. Admitting that it is a slower and bulkier design, he nevertheless points out the critical role it played in the ''Rogue One'' movie proved its worth as a vital Rebel asset for softening Imperial defenses. He also highlights a larger point that such fun and often silly debates about little details in the ''Star Wars'' saga are what attract many fans to the series.

In July 2024, a miniature of the Y-wing, used in the filming of the original ''Star Wars'' movie and identified as the model flown by Gold Leader, was sold at auction for $1.55 million USD. It was one of only two "hero" miniatures that were created for filming close-up shots. The auction was held by Heritage Auctions, which began the bidding at $300,000.

Lego has released multiple Y-wing sets starting with their first one in 1999, which was part of a combo pack along with a TIE Fighter. Two of these were part of the Ultimate Collector Series (UCS), one in 2004 and again in 2018, which have high piece counts and meticulous detailing. The second UCS Y-wing set consisted of 1,967 pieces and when fully constructed measured 2 inches high by 24 inches long and 11 inches wide. It also came with a display stand and sold at retail for $199.99 USD.

See also

* List of Star Wars spacecraft

References

External links

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{{Star Wars universe, state=collapsed
Star Wars spacecraft
Fictional elements introduced in 1977
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