RZ-1 A-wing interceptor/Legends

The RZ-1 A-wing interceptor was a fast starfighter/interceptor used by the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War.

It was the smallest, fastest, and most maneuverable of the Rebel fighters. The A-wing's predecessors were the Delta-7 Aethersprite-class starfighter and the R-22 Spearhead.

History
Although having made several successful appearances before, the A-wing made its first historical appearance at the Battle of Yavin, in the form of the R-22 Spearheads. Two Spearheads were used by Blue Squadron during the attack on the first Death Star. One of the two pilots was Imperial defector Jake Farrell.

The A-wing had very limited shielding and relied on its high linear acceleration and maneuverability to avoid destruction. The fighter was designed by Alliance General Jan Dodonna and Alliance engineer Walex Blissex. It was initially designed as a fleet interceptor, utilizing its extraordinarily high acceleration to stop enemy fighters before they could reach vulnerable freighters. However, it was soon pressed into service as a quick-strike fighter, able to hit targets before they could respond, and then flee before any defense could be organized.

A devastating tactic, known as the A-wing Slash, was developed to rip Imperial ships to shreds. A group of X-wings would approach an Imperial convoy, hiding A-wings in their drive exhaust. The X-wings would then pull away, leaving TIE fighters flatfooted against the speedy A-wings, which would launch concussion missiles against the convoy and pull away.

Some A-wing variants had their laser cannons modified to swivel, greatly improving its firing arcs. Some of those designs even had their guns modified to swivel in a complete 360-degree arc, thus providing a nasty surprise to any chasing fighter.

The A-wing was the rebel fighter of choice for dogfighting. Its high speed, maneuverability, and default load of concussion missiles made it more than a match for the TIE fighter and TIE interceptor; however, its weak shields and hull made it hopeless against the TIE Advanced.

It made its greatest appearance at the Battle of Endor, where Green Squadron used them extensively.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Battlefront II
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
 * Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
 * Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * X-wing: Rogue Leader
 * X-Wing Alliance
 * Star Wars: TIE Fighter