It destroyed the first Death Star, and aided in the destruction of the second. Rogue and Wraith Squadrons made the ships famous, and infamous, across the galaxy. The Empire constantly tried, but never succeeded, to match its prowess. The T-65 X-wing was one of the most well-known and well-made starfighters in the Galactic Civil War.

The T-65c A2 space superiority starfighter was often referred to as the X-wing, due to its split-X wing configuration. The double-layered wings were designed to separate when a pilot flew into combat, to give an increased field of fire. However, when the S-foils were locked into their X-shaped attack position, the fighter's speed was slightly compromised, though it retained the agility needed for tense dogfights. While not as speedy or as manoeuverable as the TIE fighter, X-wings often came out on top in one-on-one space duels with the Imperial craft.

As with the TIE fighter, the X-wing seated one pilot, in the cockpit located on the X-wing's main body, aft of the tapered nose. The flight controls were simple enough, and many of the systems were similar to those of Incom's T-16 skyhopper. A flight stick controlled the craft, and various tactical and diagnostic screens inside the cockpit allowed the pilot to monitor battle or craft conditions. Should a fault be located, the X-wing's astro-droid would be assigned to correct it.

Directly behind the cockpit was a socket for an astromech droid, usually an R2 or R5 unit. This droid acted as the ship's navigator, providing astrogation data for hyperspace journeys, and also as the co-pilot and ship-board mechanic, if needed. Pilot and droid could communicate via an audio pickup and translation screen in the cockpit. The droid could relay threat assesment data to the pilot, and often continued to scan the area for further danger. In the event of the pilot's death or incapacitation, the droid could even take control of the X-wing, and hopefully fly it to safety.

Luckily in such situations, the X-wing's sturdy design and on-board defences enabled it to take a beating. Unlike TIE fighters, all X-wings were fitted with deflector shield generators, which protected the ship in a powerful energy web. Though the shield covered the entire craft, the pilot could adjust its power outlet to strengthen certain sections of the ship - usually those most pressured in combat. The X-wing's hull was also tough, as it was made from hardened titatium alloy armour.

The T-65 X-wing did not merely rely on defence; its armaments put many enemy craft to shame. The X-wing's primary weapons were four Taim and Bak KX9 laser cannons, mounted on each wing tip. The lasers' fire rate could be adjusted, to fire one at a time, in synchronization, or in quad bursts. At full recharge, the cannons fired a continuous stream of fire. The field of fire was maximized when the S-foils were locked in combat mode, though the lasers were configured to meet at a specific 'zero' point - hopefully coinciding with the hull of an enemy craft.

The X-wing's secondary weapons, proton torpedos, fired from the Krupx MG7 launchers on the underside of the nose, proved to be the decisive element of the Battle of Yavin. Armed with two proton torpedos, Luke Skywalker flew down the Death Star's trench, evading fire from Darth Vader himself, and launched his missiles into the heart of the battle station. At that moment, the X-wing became a legend. The T-65 became the Rebellion's mainstay starfighter, and formed the core of Rogue Squadron. Pilots such as Wedge Antilles and Corran Horn flew X-wings into battle against Ysanne Isard, aided in the liberation of Coruscant, and achieved countless other victories.

Although the T-65 was deemed one of the greatest starfighters of the Galactic Civil War, its age meant that upgrades were not too far away. The original X-wing prototype was developed around six years before the Battle of Yavin - though at the time, it was to become an Imperial starfighter. Luckily for the Rebellion, the entire design team defected to the Alliance, bringing with them their blueprints and prototypes. Thus, the T-65 X-wing was not exactly new by the time of the Battle of Yavin so it was considered outdated by the era of the New Republic. However, the X-wing line continued, in the form of the T-65AC4, the T-65D-A1 and, more recently, the XJ-series.

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Page created: 10 April 2004