TheForce.Net - Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia

V-Wing Fighter

Description

Additional Info

Related Entries

Sources

Images

Legend

this starship, officially designated the Alpha-3 Nimbus, was produced by Kuat Drive Yards during the last decades of the Old Republic. The fighter was developed by Walex Blissex to improve upon the Delta-7 Aethersprite, which Blissex believed had many flaws. Though designed for law enforcement agencies, the V-Wing was also available in a civilian model. Only a small number of V-Wings were built for civilian use, however. During the height of the Clone Wars, thousands of V-Wings were used in the naval fleet of the Old Republic, augmenting the ARC-170 fighters throughout the conflict. The V-Wing was a needle-shaped craft that maneuvered with the assistance of four moveable wings, which also served to help the craft dissipate excess heat during combat. The V-Wing measured just 7.9 meters in length, with a maximum wingspan of 3.8 meters. Each of these fighters was armed with a pair of twin laser cannons, and required a pilot and a Q7-series astromech to operate. In order to execute tight turns and complex maneuvers to counteract the abilities of the Separatists' vulture droids, the engines of the V-Wing were mounted one atop the other at the rear of the craft. Because of their small size, most V-Wings were unable to accommodate a hyperdrive system. Only those V-Wings produced as escorts for Emperor Palpatine's personal Theta-class shuttle were given compact hyperdrives, but these were limited-capacity versions that needed input from the shuttle to manage jumps.