Y-wing
The
Y-wing is one of the
Rebel Alliance starfighters in the fictional
Star Wars universe. In the movies, it is seen in
Episode IV: A New Hope,
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
One of the most durable and reliable starfighters in the galaxy, designed to excel in close-quarters combat, Y-wings also perform well as light bombers and escort vehicles. The Y-wings primary weapons are a pair of laser cannons and a rotating ion cannon, but it can also carry
proton torpedoes, concussion missiles, and proton bombs. Although used heavily before the
Battle of Yavin, they were widely replaced by
X-wings in later years.
Despite its age, the Y-wing has become one of the
Rebel Alliance's most impressive starfighters, serving admirably at the Battle of Yavin and other important conflicts. Prior to the introduction of the
X-wing starfighter, Y-wings were the flagship fighters of the
Alliance. Near the Battle of Endor, the Y-wing was expected to be phased out completely in favour of the newer
B-wing, since the latter was armed with ion cannons and other heavier armament. The B-wing suffered from technical difficulties and shortages of skilled pilots however, and the Y-wing retained the advantage in manuverability as well as armour protection (though the B-wing has stronger shields). B-wings also lacked the on-board astromech droid unit that act as mechanics and extra computers.
The twin-engine Y-wing, at 16 meters long, is a multipurpose ship originally designed to serve as both an attack fighter and bomber. The resilient starfighters can deliver and withstand a great deal of punishment, but they lack the payload capacity, speed, stealth and maneuverability of many modern Imperial attack fighters. Many space combat simulators exacerbate this by designing the ship as a pentagaonal prism (which is easier on the game engine), giving the vessel a substantially larger target area than would actually be the case.
Fortunately, the Y-wing is easily modified and can be reconfigured in countless variations. Rebel technicians often strip a Y-wing of bulky armor and generators before an assault on an
Imperial convoy, or prepare the craft for bombing runs by adding more powerful shields and significantly increasing the vehicle's payload. In the factory configuration, the Y-Wing has a superficial hull plating which extend back from where the cockpit ends, but these plates are usually discarded as they serve no practical function and only makes maintenance harder. Y-wings also serve on diplomatic escort missions and for long-range patrols. The BTL-A4 Y-wing (LP), or
Longprobe, has extra provisions, more powerful sensors and a sophisticated navigation computer specifically for patrol and reconnaissance duty.
Regardless of a specific fighter's configuration, each Y-wing has three main components. The armored forward cockpit module houses the pilot, targeting systems, weapon controls, and life-support systems. The Y-wing's Novaldex power generator and Koensayr R300-H
hyperdrive unit are housed in the midsection, which is simply a reinforced central spar extending from the cockpit. Attached to this spar is a thin cross-wing, which contains the Thiodyne 03-R cryogenic power cells and connects the craft to two immense Koensayr R200 ion jet sublight drives. The engines are mounted far away from each other, possibly to avoid damage to both should the other one get damaged. Each has four long bars that connect to a cylindrical object that seems to be a part of the fighter's control systems.
In the cockpit, the pilot controls a pair of forward laser cannons and the twin
proton torpedo launchers. The Y-wing is also equipped with a turret-mounted
ion cannon, located atop the canopy. An extended version of the Y-wing cockpit supports a copilot, who generally functions as a gunner in charge of the ion cannons.
Like the
X-wing, an R2 or R5
astromech droid fits into a droid socket behind the cockpit and monitors all flight, navigation and power systems. The droid can also handle fire control, perform in-flight maintenance, and reroute power as needed. Most importantly, the R2 unit stores several
hyperspace jump coordinates to allow quick retreats.
*During the Battle of Yavin in
A New Hope, the Y-wings are not seen firing a single shot.
