The Y-Wing is
an older design, predating the X-wing and 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 by 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 increasinly being shifted to outlying Rebel locations, and are more
often being used for raids on Imperial convoys, rather than engagements
with TIE figthers.
The Y-Wings
is a mulitpurpose vessel with a secondary mission profile as the light
bomber. Y-Wings are devastating in close quarters combat, where their durability
allows them to withstand several solid blasts.
It isn't uncommon
for a Y-Wing to be stripped down for assualt runs against Imperial convoys,
only to be refitted for a 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
powerful sensors for long-range patrol duty.
The Y-Wing has
three main components. The forwars cockpit module is armored and houses
the pilot's station and the weapons systems. A reinforced centeral spar
stretches back from the cockpit module; the Y-Wings Novaldex power generator
and 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 sub-light 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 sensory 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 monitors 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.