The A/SF-01 B-wing starfighter, also designated as the A/SF-01 B-wing assault starfighter, more commonly referred to as the B-wing, was a heavily armed Rebel Alliance single-pilot starfighter and bomber manufactured by Slayn & Korpil. The B-wing saw action during the Galactic Civil War and was subsequently substituted by the B-wing Mark II.
The first B-wing prototype, the Prototype B6 Blade Wing, was developed by Quarrie, a Mon Calamari engineer on the planetShantipole, as part of Project Shantipole. Several of the B-wing’s distinctive features, such as the gyro-stabilized cockpit and S-foils, originated from Clone Wars era starships such as the T-6 shuttle, the H-60 Tempest bomber, and the V-19 Torrent starfighter. After being won over by the spirit and piloting skill of Hera Syndulla, Quarrie awarded the prototype—and his services in improving it—to the rebellion. Sabine Wren volunteered to redesign the starfighter’s weapons package, including its targeting system.
Following a successful test strike against the Galactic Empire, Bail Organa, a senator sympathetic to the rebellion, found a manufacturer that agreed to further develop the B-wing in secret. The production-line A/SF-01 B-wing starfighter was produced by Slayn & Korpil working with Quarrie, respectfully naming their collaborative worksite Allied/Shantipole Facility.
Although Quarrie described the B6 prototype as «fast» and «agile,» the production versions were anything but. Despite eliminating the heavy gunner position, associated life support systems, and composite-beam laser, the production version of the B-wing was much slower and more ponderous than the other fighters in the Alliance Fleet and the Imperial Navy. It also turned out to be tricky to fly, as the gyro-stabilized cockpit design was awkward to work with for all but the most skilled pilots. The B-wing was imagined as a potential replacement for the Y-wing fighter in its role as an assault fighter. The B-wing was primarily intended to carry a heavy weapons package with the purpose of destroying capital ships, though they proved difficult to maintain and fared poorly in dogfights. These weaknesses led to the Y-wing serving in the Alliance Fleet as late as the Battle of Jakku. The B-wing, however, turned out to be an excellent bomber and assault starfighter, provided that it was provided with enough cover from more maneuverable spacecraft. Despite its weaknesses, it could gain ship-to-ship combat victories in desperate situations, and one Blade Squadron pilot earned three kills in quick succession before being shot down himself in the Battle of Endor.
B-wings participated in the Battle of Endor as part of the Rebel Alliance fleet. Several B-wings followed General Lando Calrissian to attack the second Death Star, but broke off when they realized that the shield was still up. Blade Squadron also participated in the battle, destroying the Star Destroyer Devastator. Later, the squadron participated in large-scale battles at Malastare, Kuat, and Jakku.
After the end of the Galactic Civil War, B-wings became available for civilian starship racing, and at least one took part in The Gauntlet. They still remained in use with smaller, underequipped military forces, and the Amaxine warriors operated at least one B-wing in 28 ABY.