Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter

The Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter,^[7] also known as the Alpha-3 Nimbus or V-wing starfighter, was a starfighter model manufactured by Kuat Systems Engineering.^[1]

CharacteristicsEdit

The Alpha-3 Nimbus-class starfighter was a sturdy, wedge-shaped starfighter manufactured by Kuat Systems Engineering, the same company responsible for both the Delta-7 fighter and its successor, the Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor.

Much like the larger Star Courier of Sienar Fleet Systems, the V-wing had folding radiator wings, two ion engines, and laser cannons. The V-wing did not have a built-in hyperdrive, and required transportation into combat zones by carriers such as the Venator-class Star Destroyer. To maximize power for speed and agility, Kuat produced the starfighter without a pressurized cockpit. This required pilots to wear sealed flight suits equipped with life-support systems.^[4]

HistoryEdit

Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wings were first deployed by the Galactic Republic in the final days of the Clone Wars^[2]—serving in the Battle of Coruscant against the Confederacy of Independent Systems—and continued to see use under the Galactic Empire. V-wings were also utilized as escort fighters for Emperor Palpatine's personal Theta-class T-2c shuttle.^[8]

In the following years, V-wings were gradually replaced by TIE/ln space superiority starfighters. The Alpha-3 Nimbus was little more than a single pilot fuselage pod sitting on vertically stacked ion engines flanked by deployable, heat radiating, stability foils. The V-wing was designed for speed and agility, at the expense of a reliable life support system or hyperdrive. The pilot instead relied on a sealed flight suit in case of ejection.^[9]

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AppearancesEdit

• Star Wars Battlefront II
• Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (First appearance)
• Lords of the Sith
• "Mercy Mission"—The Rise of the Empire
• Tarkin
• Age of Rebellion - Darth Vader 1
• Thrawn
• Thrawn, Part I
• Target Vader 2 (Appears in flashback(s))
• Galaxy's Edge 3 (Appears in flashback(s))

SourcesEdit

• Star Wars Rebels: A New Hero (Picture only)
• Ultimate Star Wars (First identified as Alpha-3 Nimbus)
• Entertainment Weekly's Ultimate Guide to Rogue One
• Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia (First identified as Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter)
• Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles
• TIE Fighter Owners' Workshop Manual
•  Star Wars: Destiny – Convergence (Card: V-wing)
•  V-wing Fighter in the Databank (backup link) (First identified as V-wing starfighter)

Notes and referencesEdit