| Kuat RZ-1 A-wing Interceptor | |
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 An RZ-1 A-wing filming model used forReturn of the Jedi | |
| First appearance | Return of the Jedi (1983) |
| Created by | Ralph McQuarrie |
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| Affiliation | |
| Made by | Kuat Systems Engineering |
| Auxiliary vehicles | Ejector seat |
| General characteristics | |
| Class | Interception starfighter |
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Kuat RZ-1 A-wing Interceptor arestarfighters in theStar Wars franchise. Designed and manufactured byKuat Systems Engineering, they are the fastest ship in the Rebel Fleet (not includinghyperspace travel).[1] The A-Wing was conceived for high-speedsurgical strikes,deep reconnaissance, andescort fighter duty.[2]
A-wings first appear inReturn of the Jedi (1983) and later in numerousStar Wars materials and productions. It gained popularity through its depiction in several video games, and since 1985 the A-wing has been merchandised by several companies. They are the fastest vessels in theStar Wars canon, with the advantage of being the smallest hyperspace drive-equipped craft without relying on a carrier, allowing the vessel to extricate itself from a losing battle or to escape hostile territory after performing an attack.
RZ-1 A-wings from Green Squadron participate in the climactic Battle of Endor depicted inReturn of the Jedi (1983). At Endor, an A-wing piloted by Arvel Crynyd (Hilton McRae)[3] crashes into the bridge of theSuper Star DestroyerExecutor, resulting in theExecutor crashing out of control into the secondDeath Star. In addition to McRae, two women recorded A-wing cockpit footage; one of the actors was cut, and the other was dubbed over by a male actor.[4]
A-wings later appear in variousStar Wars Expanded Universe television shows, books, and games. Some Expanded Universe material saysJan Dodonna created the A-wing based on his analysis of the role of speed in the Battle of Yavin, the climactic battle inStar Wars (1977).[5] Later material, such as theStar Wars Rebels television series, depicts the starfighters in use before the events ofStar Wars.[6]
The A-wings of Phoenix Squadron play an important role inRebels'second season (2015–2016).Rebels producers used the A-wing in part because the ship was not used much inReturn of the Jedi[7] The fighter's presence in the cartoon was meant to show that different groups used different craft to fight the Empire.[7] The series's episodes "The Holocrons of Fate" and "Twin Suns" also feature the two-seater RZ-1T trainer, a training spacecraft used by the rebels to train recruits. The RZ-1T also appears in the novelBattlefront II: Inferno Squad.
The RZ-1 A-Wing is based on the R-22 A-Wing, also made byKuat Systems Engineering.[8]
A later variant, the RZ-2 A-wing, features inStar Wars Battlefront II and inStar Wars: The Last Jedi. It is a bigger spacecraft used by theResistance against theFirst Order.
The A-wing was one of two new Rebel Alliance starfighters created forReturn of the Jedi.[10] It was dubbed theA fighter because it was the first of the two designs created.[10] Ralph McQuarrie's production paintings of A-wing starfighters were completed after filming and displayed alternative blue markings.
Joe Johnston designed the ship, Wesley Seeds andLorne Peterson ofIndustrial Light & Magic built the model, and its pilot figure is based on aWorld War I German airman.[10] A battle-damaged engine "wing" was snapped into place to represent Arvel Crynyd's damaged fighter as it crashed into theExecutor.[10]
McQuarrie's alternative blue-and-white coloring was used for the craft's appearance inRebels.[9] Photographs from the filming ofStar Wars: The Last Jedi show an A-wing on the film set.[11][12]Screen Rant suggests the A-wing seen in the photographs evokes some of McQuarrie's interpretation of the design, such as the blaster cannon shape and the presence of additional ports in the cockpit.[13]
According toStar Wars canon, the A-wing was first produced by Kuat Systems Engineering, which had built theDelta-7 starfighter for theJedi Order. With the Jedi eradicated (as depicted inStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith) and the Delta-7 nearly impossible for non-Jedi to pilot, Kuat designed a new starfighter, the R-22 A-wing, in hopes theGalactic Empire would purchase it. While impressed with prototypes of the R-22, the Empire instead went with theTIE fighter, and forbade Kuat from mass-producing the A-wing. The prototypes were sold to the kingdom of Tammuz-an, which over a decade later were eventually sold to the Rebel Alliance.[14]
Rebel engineers made many alterations to the original R-22 design to produce the RZ-1 model as seen inReturn of the Jedi. The original engines were swapped out for more powerful ones, while other major components were replaced with lightweight versions so asupraluminalhyperdrive could be added. The resulting fighter is faster than even the Empire'sTIE interceptor and perfect forhit-and-run attacks, long-range patrols, andreconnaissance missions. Its two Borstel RG-9 laser cannons,[15] mounted on special swivel mounts, can elevate or depress 60° vertically; some were modified for full 360° rotation but these had a greater chance to jam. However, engineers could not fit the A-wing with anastromech droid, which limited how many hyperspace coordinates it could carry. The lack of droid assistance also makes it challenging even for a being with Jedi-like reflexes to control a fighter so fast and maneuverable. Consequently, only the best Rebel pilots are allowed to fly the A-wing.[14]
After the Empire was defeated, background material explains how Kuat Systems Engineering made a number of improvements to the design to create the RZ-2 A-wing for theNew Republic Defense Fleet. Even faster than the original, the RZ-2 requires less maintenance than the RZ-1, and the swivel mounts that allow its laser cannons to rotate 360° were no longer at risk of jamming. Thanks to the New Republic's disarmament campaign, RZ-2s found their way into theResistance, which like the Rebellion before allows only the best pilots to fly the A-wing.[14]
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CinemaBlend said the A-wing received little attention afterReturn of the Jedi because no prominent characters pilot the craft.[16]Kenner in 1985 released anA-wing pilot figure as part of itsPower of the Force line, and it released a "magnificent" A-wing toy as part of theStar Wars: Droids line.[17][18] Since then, the A-wing has been recreated as various other toys, models, and collectibles by companies that includeGaloob,Hasbro,Model Products Corporation,Estes Industries,Lego, andFantasy Flight Games.[17][19]
Screen Rant said the A-wing gained popularity as a playable craft in theStar Wars: X-Wing space combat simulator (1993),[13] whichThe Escapist said depicted the ship as "an excellentdogfighter".[20] Subsequent video games that allowed players to pilot the A-wing also contributed to the ship's popularity.[13]Blastr ranked the A-wing 16th on its list of the bestStar Wars vehicles.[21]
Prince Harry was photographed sitting in an A-wing cockpit during his and theDuke of Cambridge's April 2016 visit to theStar Wars: Episode VIII set.[11] Responding to the photographs, various publications called the A-wing "iconic",[12][22] an "unsung hero",[23] "woefully underappreciated",[23] and "a classic".[16]
In 2018 a number ofStar Wars starfighters - including the A-wing - had their aerodynamic abilities tested using theAutodesk Flow Design virtualwind tunnel program. Of those starfighters tested the A-wing was among the most aerodynamic designs of all with adrag coefficient of .17, though it was still worse than the real-life example of theF-4E Phantom with a .02 rating. These poor results were rationalized with the in-universe explanations that drag coefficient plays no role in space travel, and thatStar Wars fighters can userepulsorlifts anddeflector shields to give themselves better flight profiles.[24]
