Y-WING BOMBER

The Y-wing is an older design, predating the X-wing an TIE/In by several years. These fighters have a reputation for durability, and are in use at countless Rebel bases. Their limitations were made abundantly clear at the Battle of Yavin: only one fighter from Gold Squadron survived the battle. The Y-wing is easily recognized by its distinctive narrow central hull section and the two large engines set far away from the body.

Before the superior X-wing was introduced, Y-wings were the flagship fighters of the Rebel Alliance. They played a prominent role in the Battle of Vnas at Duro and the First Battle of Ord Biniir. Rebel Alliance Y-wings saved thousands of lives holding off Imperial TIE bombers during the Siege of Ank Ki'Shor. Two squadrons of Y-wings were used at the Battle of Yavin, where the first Death Star was destroyed. As the Alliance gets more X-wings, Y-wing fighters are increasingly being shifted to outlying Rebel locations, and are more often being used for raids on Imperial convoys, rather than engagements with TIE fighters.

The Y-wing is a multipurpose vessel with a secondary mission profile as a light bomber. Y-wings are devastating in close-quarters combat, where their durability allows them to withstand several blasts.

It isn't uncommon for a Y-wing to be stripped down for assault runs against Imperial convoys, only to be refitted for heavy bombing attack on an Imperial base just days later. Y-wings also are used on diplomatic escort missions, while the BTL-A4 Y-wing (LP), or Longprobe, has extra provisions and more pwerful sensors for long-range patrol duty.

The Y-wing has three main components. The foward cockpit module is armored and houses the pilot's station and the weapons systems. The reinforced central spar stretches back from the cockpit module; the Y-weing's Novaldex power generator and Koensayr R300-H hyperdrive unit are crammed into this narrow frame. A cross-wing houses the Thiodyne 03-R cryogenic power cells, with two powerful Koensayr R200 ion jet sublight drives on either end of the cross-wing. Twin Fabritech ANx-y long-range sensor arrays placed ahead of the engines feed data into the primary sensor array and targeting computer located between the laser cannons in the nose of the ship.

The pilot controls a pair of Taim & Bak IX4 laser cannons and twin Arakyd Flex Tube proton-torpedo launchers; a magazine of eight torpedoes can be fired from either launcher. In the BTL-S3, the most common Y-wing configuration, an ArMek SW-4 ion cannon turret sits directly behind the pilot and is normally handled by a weapons officer. The BTL-A4, an alternative Y-wing configuration, has only the pilot, with the ion cannon fixed directly fore and aft, to discourage close pursuit.

As in the X-wing, an R2 or R4 astromech droid fits snugly into the droid socket behind the cockpit and moniters all flight, navigation, and power systems. The droid also can handle fire control, perform in-flight maintenance, reroute power as needed, and stores hyperspace jump coordinates.

Koensayr Y-wing Bomber

• Class: medium fighter/bomber
• Manufacturer: Koensayr Starfighter Inc.
• Crew: 1 pilot + 1 navigator, 1 astromech droid.
• Hyperdrive: Yes
• Length: 25 meters.
• Speed: 80 MGLT
• Shield Rating: 75 STB
• Hull Rating: 40 RU
• Weapons: Two medium laser cannons, two light ion cannons. Warhead payload of up to 8 proton torpedoes.