Star Wars: Inside the B-Wing 1

First appeared in Return of the Jedi, the B-wing starfighter made its mark as an iconic spacecraft nonconforming to a traditional design. Despite its short appearance, the B-wing helped diversified an already impressive arsenal of ships in the Star Wars Universe and frequently reappears in other Star Wars canon and legend works. The cockpit for the B-wing is inspired by the early concept arts of the Millennium Falcon. In Star Wars canon, the B-wing is said to be designed and produced by the Rebel Alliance after the Battle of Yavin, manufactured by Slayn & Korpil, who also builds the V-19 Torrent Starfighter, and the MG-100 Star Fortress, seen in the Last Jedi.

The MG-100 Starfortress shares many commonalities with the B-wing, as is apparent in its design. Designed to land horizontally in the hangar, and fly either vertically or horizontally as needed, the vessel features a cockpit mounted on a gyroscopic system. This system allows the cockpit to level with the horizon no matter the orientation of the vessel. This unique design also allows for the pilot to concentrate on flying and targeting enemy ships, while evading incoming fire. The stabilization system also minimizes g-stress when performing evasive maneuvers.

The B-wing only has a crew of one, but unlike its Imperial counterpart, the TIE bomber, the B-wing comes equipped with a hyperdrive system, shielding, and much faster speed. The cockpit also features an ejector seat for the pilot, as well as an emergency disconnect system to quickly sever the pod from the rest of the starfighter. This pod also contains a separate sublight engine for navigation after disconnection. Another variant of the B-wing, the B-6, also contains another gunner turret at the tail end of the craft and a more extensive weapon system.

Por Diego