Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter/Legends

undefined The Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter, simply known as the  V-wing starfighter, was a short-ranged starfighter deployed in the Clone Wars by the Galactic Republic.

The V-wing was a predecessor of the Imperial TIE fighter.

Details
The Alpha-3 Nimbus-class starfighter was a sturdy, wedge-shaped starfighter similar to the Delta-7 Aethersprite-class interceptors employed by the Jedi Order. It was manufactured by Kuat Systems Engineering, the same company responsible for both the Delta-7 fighter and its successor, the Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor. Both the Delta-7 and the Alpha-3 models were designed by the engineer Walex Blissex, who would later co-design the Rebel Alliance's A-wing fighter with Jan Dodonna. The V-wings also featured folding wing radiators similar to those fitted on the later Eta-2 interceptors. Nestled between each wing and the hull were two twin laser cannons, which could swivel on the vessel's wing hubs to provide a wide range of fire. Aft of the starfighter's main hull were two deflector shield heat sinks, located above the two vertically stacked ion drive thrusters. These flaps also provided some protection for the V-wing's clone pilot.

In keeping with the design of the Delta-7, the Alpha-3 featured an astromech droid socket aft of the oval cockpit. V-wing pilots were often assisted by spherical Q7-series astromech droids which provided in-flight navigation and maintenance skills that would otherwise require a copilot&mdash;which the compact V-wing could not accommodate. As the V-wing starfighter was too small to feature an integrated hyperdrive, it required either transportation into combat zones by carriers such as the Venator-class Star Destroyer, or the use of hyperdrive booster rings as with other Republic starfighters, including the Delta-7 Aethersprite and the Eta-2 Actis.

History
V-wing fighters were often unleashed from warship hangars in large swarms, and were one of the most numerous starfighters in the Old Republic. While they lack the power of the ARC-170 starfighter, they make up for it in raw speed and agility. V-wings were speedy and evasive targets, even for the advanced tri-droid fighters used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems in the last days of the Clone Wars. Mass-produced for Loyalist forces, V-wings participated in large-scale fleet operations and assisted in the defense of Republic worlds during the Clone Wars.

V-wing starfighters flew into battle alongside ARC-170s and Eta-2 interceptors during the Second Battle of Coruscant, fighting off tri-droid fighters, Vulture droids, and deadly buzz droids. Following the end of the Clone Wars, V-wing squadrons flew under the banner of the Galactic Empire. Three V-wings, flown by elite pilots, escorted the self-appointed Emperor Palpatine's shuttle during his voyage from Coruscant to Mustafar and again on the return trip, culminating at the Emperor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Center. These elite V-wings were modified for hyperspace travel without booster rings and were equipped with upgraded shields.

Appearances

 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Star Wars Battlefront II
 * Empire at War