A-Wing

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2002-10-24 12:02am

Me and a cousin of mine are having an argument. We are debating at the age of the A-Wing Starfighter. Is it older than the X-Wing? I read that it was used in conjunction with the Y-Wing before the X-Wing was used by the rebellion. He says that they were first developed in the RoTJ era. Thanks!

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2002-10-24 12:07am

Younger. It was designed after Yavin and was produced randomly and not very often untill well after Endor. Tycho flew an A-Wing at Endor that had some tree wood used as part of the construction.

Darth Yoshi · Post by **Darth Yoshi** » 2002-10-24 12:08am

Let's see. According to the Star Wars website, the A-wing was to counter the TIE Interceptor, which was introduced into the Imperial Starfighter Command after Yavin. Figures, since the site also says that the TIE x1 had a lot of features incorporated into the TIE/I. So, it was introduced after Yavin, before Endor. Jan Dodonna helped design it, but he was captured shortly after Yavin, ao my guess is that it was designed before Yavin, but they couldn't find the money to build it until after Yavin.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2002-10-24 01:01am

Thats what I was thinking. I read somewhere that they were used in conjunction with the Y-Wing before the X-Wing came into widespread usage, although i cannot remember where.

Kelly Antilles · Post by **Kelly Antilles** » 2002-10-24 08:51am

Damn, everyone else got to it before I could.

I love A-Wings.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 2002-10-24 09:27am

A-Wings are cool, but limited. Speed isn't everything, the B-Wing is a better fighter.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2002-10-24 09:31am

Muad'Dib wrote:A-Wings are cool, but limited. Speed isn't everything, the B-Wing is a better fighter.

Give me an X-wing any day. Tough, agile and decently armed. It's probably the best mix of speed, power and survivability out of the -Wing fighters.

Kelly Antilles · Post by **Kelly Antilles** » 2002-10-24 09:52am

You must remember that I am obsessed with a certain red-haired A-Wing pilot. THAT's why I like them so much. Besides, sleek, fast and powerful is a cool combination.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 2002-10-24 03:19pm

Stormbringer wrote:
Give me an X-wing any day. Tough, agile and decently armed. It's probably the best mix of speed, power and survivability out of the -Wing fighters.

Thats a direct quote of Kellys big bro, Wedge

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2002-10-24 03:24pm

Kelly Antilles wrote:You must remember that I am obsessed with a certain red-haired A-Wing pilot. THAT's why I like them so much. Besides, sleek, fast and powerful is a cool combination.

Baaaa, nothing sexier than a female member of the Forge family sitting in an X wing. Honestly though, depending on the mission I go for the X wing and then the A wing.

CmdrWilkens · Post by **CmdrWilkens** » 2002-10-24 05:07pm

Knife wrote:
Kelly Antilles wrote:You must remember that I am obsessed with a certain red-haired A-Wing pilot. THAT's why I like them so much. Besides, sleek, fast and powerful is a cool combination.
Baaaa, nothing sexier than a female member of the Forge family sitting in an X wing. Honestly though, depending on the mission I go for the X wing and then the A wing.

A-Wing Mk II is probably the best fleet interceptor period. It has the ability to target off center allowing all sorts of deception approaches. Meanwhile its smaller profile and great manueverability make counter-engagement difficult at best. Add in a decent content of missiles (for those hard to hit suckers) and the Mk II is just plain ol' sweet.

For close in dogfighting though the XJ X-Wing is virtually untochable since it combines the toughness and agility of the X-Wing frame with an extra torpedo launcher for simply devastating firepower.

Ignorant_Boy · Post by **Ignorant_Boy** » 2002-10-24 05:35pm

CmdrWilkens wrote: A-Wing Mk II is probably the best fleet interceptor period. It has the ability to target off center allowing all sorts of deception approaches. Meanwhile its smaller profile and great manueverability make counter-engagement difficult at best. Add in a decent content of missiles (for those hard to hit suckers) and the Mk II is just plain ol' sweet.

For close in dogfighting though the XJ X-Wing is virtually untochable since it combines the toughness and agility of the X-Wing frame with an extra torpedo launcher for simply devastating firepower.

Don't the TIE-series have off-center targeting as well?

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2002-10-24 09:06pm

Well, the A-Wing does it's job of a hit-and-run ship well, and it can be used in attacks such as the A-Wing slash. Does anyone think it's realted ot the Jedi Starfigther? I don't think there's any relation, but the A-Wing borrowed some characteristics from it.

Darth Yoshi · Post by **Darth Yoshi** » 2002-10-24 09:28pm

KDY designed the Jedi starfighter, and I don't remember if Blissex worked for KDY before the A-wing project. Considering Jan Dodonna worked on it, though, I'd say yes.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2002-10-24 09:35pm

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi wrote:Well, the A-Wing does it's job of a hit-and-run ship well, and it can be used in attacks such as the A-Wing slash. Does anyone think it's realted ot the Jedi Starfigther? I don't think there's any relation, but the A-Wing borrowed some characteristics from it.

Probably some what related but not of the same design tree, like the Headhunter and the X-wing.

Bob McDob · Post by **Bob McDob** » 2002-10-24 11:02pm

Stormbringer wrote:
Muad'Dib wrote:A-Wings are cool, but limited. Speed isn't everything, the B-Wing is a better fighter.
Give me an X-wing any day. Tough, agile and decently armed. It's probably the best mix of speed, power and survivability out of the -Wing fighters.

Don't let Stormbringer here fool you. The X-Wing's a gun-heavy slug. Forget finesse . . . just go in, guns blazing. Give me a ship that takes skill . . . a Y-Wing, a TIE even . . . or one of those new A-Wings. If half of what they say is true, the A-Wing's a real pilot's ship!

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2002-10-24 11:04pm

Bob McDob wrote:
Stormbringer wrote:
Muad'Dib wrote:A-Wings are cool, but limited. Speed isn't everything, the B-Wing is a better fighter.
Give me an X-wing any day. Tough, agile and decently armed. It's probably the best mix of speed, power and survivability out of the -Wing fighters.
Don't let Stormbringer here fool you. The X-Wing's a gun-heavy slug. Forget finesse . . . just go in, guns blazing. Give me a ship that takes skill . . . a Y-Wing, a TIE even . . . or one of those new A-Wings. If half of what they say is true, the A-Wing's a real pilot's ship!

Bah, the A-wing is a fast, fragile, little pest. One shotand it's gone. I want something that can take a beating and give back better than you get. And I'd like to come home after a mission. An A-wing just won't cut it.

Post by **Vympel** » 2002-10-24 11:12pm

XJ-Wing ... what the hell were they thinking?

"Yeah! Let's make an UBER X-Wing by giving it a THIRD torpedo tube! Yeah!"

Oh yeah now that XJ-Wing is unstoppable ... Stupidity ...

X-Wing rules. Big sturdy F-15/Su-27 type fighter, not a piddly little F-16/MiG-29 like thing like the A-Wing.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2002-10-24 11:14pm

Vympel wrote:X-Wing rules. Big sturdy F-15/Su-27 type fighter, not a piddly little F-16/MiG-29 like thing like the A-Wing.

Another man of sense I see.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-10-24 11:31pm

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi wrote:Well, the A-Wing does it's job of a hit-and-run ship well, and it can be used in attacks such as the A-Wing slash. Does anyone think it's realted ot the Jedi Starfigther? I don't think there's any relation, but the A-Wing borrowed some characteristics from it.

It is not related. Their design similarities are due to technological limitations.

CmdrWilkens · Post by **CmdrWilkens** » 2002-10-25 01:17am

Master of Ossus wrote:
Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi wrote:Well, the A-Wing does it's job of a hit-and-run ship well, and it can be used in attacks such as the A-Wing slash. Does anyone think it's realted ot the Jedi Starfigther? I don't think there's any relation, but the A-Wing borrowed some characteristics from it.
It is not related. Their design similarities are due to technological limitations.

Alternatively its simply smart design. The shape gives you the best visibility (for times when scanners are jammed) while still giving you a hell of a lot of room to strap engines on the back AND you have low mass for the best possible acceleration and handling. Also the compact shape reduces stresses throughout the ship so systems that, on say an X-Wing, would have to be made bulky due to greater rotational inertia imposed on outer surfaces. On the A-Wing everything is so close to the engines that your rotational ineria is much smaller at equivalent sppeds, this means you can make the thing lighter OR turn faster.

CmdrWilkens · Post by **CmdrWilkens** » 2002-10-25 01:22am

Vympel wrote:XJ-Wing ... what the hell were they thinking?

"Yeah! Let's make an UBER X-Wing by giving it a THIRD torpedo tube! Yeah!"

Oh yeah now that XJ-Wing is unstoppable ... Stupidity ... :roll:

X-Wing rules. Big sturdy F-15/Su-27 type fighter, not a piddly little F-16/MiG-29 like thing like the A-Wing.

The X-Wing ain't all that much tougher than an A-Wing (in ANH and ROTJ it only takes 1 or 2 hits to kill 'em) and they are a bigger target (easier to see and hit), a slower target (easier to see and hit), and a less manueverable target (easier to see and hit).

Post by **Vympel** » 2002-10-25 03:20am

Yeah but their deflectors were switched to double front. I.e. their rear shields were deactivated. All X-Wings killed took rear hits.

Lord of the Farce · Post by **Lord of the Farce** » 2002-10-25 06:25am

Vympel wrote:Yeah but their deflectors were switched to double front. I.e. their rear shields were deactivated. All X-Wings killed took rear hits.

IIRC, the X-Wings' deflectors did seemed to have been handling the few turbolaser shots that grazed them just fine... but then, since I haven't watched ANH for a while, I might be wrong.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2002-10-25 09:30am

CmdrWilkens wrote:A-Wing Mk II is probably the best fleet interceptor period. It has the ability to target off center allowing all sorts of deception approaches. Meanwhile its smaller profile and great manueverability make counter-engagement difficult at best. Add in a decent content of missiles (for those hard to hit suckers) and the Mk II is just plain ol' sweet.

I'd actually argue that the Missile Boat would be a superior Fleet Defense interceptor. Sure, it isn't too maneuverable and not so hot at the dogfight, but the thing has eighty missiles. Salvo them off against an enemy raid while the dogfighters do their thing. Marina's modified ones from DIG would be better, as they have the WSO.