A / SF - 01 B - wing starfighter / Legends The A / SF - 01 B - wing heavy assault starfighter , known simply as the B - wing starfighter , was one of the largest and most heavily armed starfighters / bombers in the Rebel Alliance ' s fleet . The name B - wing came from the craft ' s appearance to a " B " , when upright , the outline of the upper half and the lower half makes a B shape , although its swordlike shape in attack mode has earned it the nickname " Blade - wing " , which may be another reason for the " B " prefix . Known as " crosses " due to their distinct shape , the B - wing was designed by the Verpine company Slayn & Korpil in cooperation with then - Commander Gial Ackbar as part of the Shantipole Project . The B - wing , though difficult to fly , participated in numerous engagements across the galaxy during the latter parts of the Galactic Civil War , including the Battle of Endor and the liberation of Coruscant . The B - wing was used in its primary role of assault starfighter by both the New Republic and the Galactic Alliance throughout the Yuuzhan Vong War and beyond . Later models included a two - man version that could be used as a small transport . Characteristics . Somewhat reminiscent of the H - 60 Tempest bomber , and using a wing configuration similar to Slayn & Korpil ' s earlier V - 19 Torrent starfighter , the A / SF - 01 B - wing assault starfighter had a somewhat ungainly appearance resembling a top - heavy cross when fully unfurled . The primary airfoil took up the length of the hull , with the cockpit at one end and a weapons pod at the other end . Two S - foils amidships on either side of the airfoil also held weapons . In addition , the B - wing ' s main body was essentially a single long wing with a pair of folding S - foils . Its primary role was an attack vessel targeting the Empire ' s capital ships , although it also did escort duty for X - and Y - wing fighter squadrons and Alliance convoys , and were also able to be deployed for assaults on space - based or planetary Imperial facilities . The B - wing was a highly adaptable design , with modular hardpoints and other components . Its weapons could be reconfigured more easily than many other Alliance fighters . The B - wing also had a unique gyroscopic rotating cockpit module which was independently stabilized to allow the pilot to coordinate advanced flight and attack maneuvers . The fighter was powered by either of two engine systems : a Quadex Kryomaster engine with four thrust ports , or four Slayn & Korpil JZ - 5 Fusial Thrust Engine s . The Quadex core was the same version carried on - board CEC YT - 1300 light freighters . The rotating airfoil allowed the B - wing to be placed vertical in launch racks , although it was also capable of landing horizontally . Vinop O2K cryogenic power cell s and an ionization reactor fueled the ship , and Slayn & Korpil HYd - 997 hyperdrive motivator was a Class 2 lightspeed system . A Sirplex Zr - 41 shield generator , rated at 100 SBD , and a reinforced durasteel rated at 60 RU provided protection . The B - wing carried a Fabritech ANv - 9q sensor system with PH - 5s long - range phased tachyon detection array and PK - 8f short - range primary threat analysis grid , and its targeting computer was an ANq 3 . 6 system with IN - 344 - B " Sightline " holographic imaging system . The navigation computer was a Microaxial LpM - 549 unit , and the starfighter was equipped with a Narmox HG . 6w flight control avionics system . The powerful systems were originally designed for small capital ships . The targeting computer was also advanced and connected its armaments to the computer for the purpose of coordinated precision strikes , with assistance from low - power targeting lasers , although it alternated between this and being independently controlled by the pilot . The B - wing was designed to replace the aging BTL Y - wing starfighter in the heavy assault role against capital ships , as it had the advantage of more weaponry and stronger shields . However , the B - wing had several weaknesses , notably being difficult to fly and lacking speed and agility , affecting its dogfighting capability . Its large hull furthermore made it an easier target and it also had less armor protection . Consequently , it did not fully replace the Y - wing in the assault starfighter role until the New Republic was well established . The B - wing was also expensive to manufacture . In particular , the rotating hull system made the B - wing a challenge to master . It also made the ship abnormally delicate ; too many sharp turns could cause extreme strain to the spaceframe , and the cockpit rotation system could get stuck in one position . Only a few pilots were qualified to fly the ship before the Battle of Endor , resulting in a smaller number of B - wings present than expected . These difficulties forced the Rebel Alliance to invest in an upgraded Y - wing , rather than an entirely new ship , to fulfill their needs . In addition , the gyro - mechanisms for the fighter were prone to in - flight failure , causing the fighters to end up " frozen " into position , thus leading to maneuvering problems . Another problem is that their parked position had all three of its " wings " being locked into position as well as sitting on the lower wing , making access to the central area awkward , and thus maintenance servicing of the overall craft difficult . Its weapons systems included three wing - tip ion - cannons , a heavy laser cannon with a low - power targeting laser , twin auto blasters with a low - power targeting laser , a mount for additional weapons consisting of an additional auto - blaster , laser or ion cannon , and two proton torpedo launcher magazines , one that carried four torpedoes on the lower wing launcher and a secondary torpedo launcher magazine just below the cockpit area . Like its predecessor , the Y - wing , the cockpit could be detached from the rest of the ship , but unlike the Y - wing , the B - wing ' s cockpit could be ejected into space and support atmospheric re - entry . The B - wing would go on to participate in many battles throughout the Galactic Civil War , and would lend design elements to other vessels . Sometime after the Battle of Hoth , the hull of a wrecked B - wing was used as the design prototype for the AHS - 1 heavy assault airspeeder , and later models followed the same general design . In addition , several B - wings after the Battle of Endor were also modified to include flame - retardant projectors by Alliance technicians so the craft could be used for fire - fighting purposes . A typical tactic for B - wing squadrons on attack missions was to utilize dense formations as a means of increasing concentrated firepower on targets . This tactic also has the added benefit of overwhelming most deflector shields . Variants . B - wing / E " Expanded " starfighter . The B - wing / E starfighter , or B - wing Expanded , was a modification to the original Slayn & Korpil B - wing design . The B - wing Expanded had an elongated cockpit that allowed a gunner to assist the pilot on missions . This allowed the pilot to concentrate on piloting , and resulted in the B - wing accounting for an increased number of kills in battle . It was faster and tougher than the original B - wing , but was somewhat less maneuverable . There were two models of B - wing / E — the first was simply a military ship , while the second generation ( known as the B - wing / E2 ) was designed as a personal military shuttle . Ackbar used one of these E2 - designs as his own shuttle , which he was forced to crash on the planet Vortex after it had been tampered with by Terpfen . B - wing shuttle . The B - wing shuttle was another variant of Slayn & Korpil ' s B - Wing fighter which was given a larger cockpit allowing it to house a pilot along with two passengers . Armaments . The B - wing carried an unusually high payload for its size , the largest of any Imperial - era starfighter , due to its designation as an assault fighter . As originally designed , the B - wing carried three ArMek SW - 7a light ion cannons , two Krupx MG9 proton torpedo launcher s with 8 torpedoes each , one Gyrhil R - 9X heavy laser cannon , and two Gyrhil 72 twin autoblaster s . Most B - wings had their two autoblaster s replaced with laser cannons to improve survivability and firepower , though some B - wings had four autoblasters . Additional configurations carried a heavy ion cannon , proton torpedoes , auto - blasters and a trio of laser cannons , or three laser cannons , three ion cannons , and twin torpedo launchers . The launcher was also capable of firing advanced proton torpedo es . The starfighter could also carry additional ordnance on hardpoints under the S - foils . The B - wing was originally designed with a unique fire - control system which fires low - power lasers at a target to give the computer range and vector information for the torpedoes and ion cannons . While its strong deflector shields and great firepower allowed it to be somewhat survivable in fighter engagements , it usually required an escort on the way in . However , with the firepower of many naval corvettes , it fulfilled its purpose as a dangerous foe against many light capital ships . History . The development of the B - wing began shortly after the Battle of Yavin . The small - unit starfighter tactics of the Rebellion were having a greater effect on the forces of the Imperial Navy than many Imperial commanders thought possible . As a response to this threat , the Empire began to produce and deploy more capital ships with a primary role of anti - starfighter defense . The primary vessel used for this strategy was the EF76 Nebulon - B escort frigate , a starship with which the Alliance was already quite familiar . The Rebels couldn ' t afford to field the kind of overwhelming space forces that the Empire could bring to bear in fleet engagements . The Alliance ' s primary assault fighters , the outdated Y - wings , took large losses in capital ship assaults . A new tactic was needed if the Rebel Alliance Fleet was to continue having any impact on the galaxy . Fortunately , one advantage the Rebels had over the Empire was their people . Approximately a year before the Battle of Yavin , the Rebels executed a raid on an Imperial " Lambda " - class shuttle carrying Wilhuff Tarkin and Bevel Lemelisk near Eriadu . The Alliance rescued the renowned Mon Calamari tactician Ackbar , in a military operation the Empire might not have bothered to commit for one of their own personnel . As a commander in the Alliance Fleet , Ackbar revolutionized the strategy and tactics of the Alliance . Ackbar knew that the only solution to the Empire ' s new convoy defense plan was to either use equally powerful starships , which the Alliance could not afford to waste , or to create a starfighter especially for this purpose . Alliance High Command agreed , and placed Ackbar in charge of Project Shantipole . Ackbar went to the Roche system and enlisted the aid of the Verpine colonies of Slayn & Korpil . Working under Ackbar ' s direction , Slayn & Korpil produced the first prototypes of the B - wing starfighter in the Roche asteroid field . They were delivered to the Alliance despite Imperial interference . Imperial District Commander Bane Nothos was aware of the project , and decided to allow development to proceed so he could capture the fighters for the Empire . The Empire ' s efforts to capture the blueprints of the B - wing were actually foiled by the first combat flight of the original prototypes . A squadron of these prototypes was quickly put into service and christened Dagger Squadron . After the Battle of Hoth , Rogue Squadron Leader Wedge Antilles flew a B - wing during a prison liberation on the Bakura Imperial Prison . He also flew it in an assault against the " Motivator " above Kothlis . Despite its limited numbers at the time , it was a key Rebel craft in the Battle of Endor , where a squad of these fighters took down two " Imperial " - class Star Destroyers . After the battle , the B - wing ' s modular design allowed it to be retrofitted with sprayers for firefighting duty on Endor , to extinguish the fires caused by the falling debris . B - wings continued to serve in the Rebel Alliance and later the New Republic and Galactic Alliance fleets as a heavy assault starfighter . B - wings were present in the Invasion of Bakura . The B - wing fighter also featured significantly in the campaign against Warlord Zsinj , where the B - wings of Nova Squadron were instrumental in defeating " Razor ' s Kiss " and " Iron Fist " . General Salm ' s Defender Wing was partially retrofitted with B - wings during the campaign against Zsinj . Also , at least one flight , Lancer Squadron , was present at the liberation of Coruscant , where it supported an army group led by General Han Solo . A wing of B - wings also served against Delak Krennel and his Ciutric Hegemony . B - wing squadrons were present at the Battle of Almania , the Battle of Adumar , and in the defense of Mon Calamari during the attack on Mon Calamari . Luke Skywalker flew a B - wing into Nam Chorios . As it was designed by Admiral Ackbar , Ackbar and Terpfen used expanded versions as their personal shuttles and other Mon Calamari flew the starfighter . Furthermore , there was a squadron present when Admiral Daala attacked Dac , and a Mon Calamari pilot flew a B - wing as part of the Second Battle of Borleias . Another group besides the New Republic noted for its use of the B - wing was the Verpine , who preferred to use the craft in high - speed bombing runs if defending their territory was necessary . Some B - wings would be modified to have a YT - series cockpit and a turbolaser cannon , making them uglies . These were called Corellian / B - wing uglies . These modified B - wings were used by the Sacorrian Triad during the First Corellian Insurrection , but were largely unsuccessful against the Bakuran fleet that opposed them . B - wings continued to play the vital role of heavy assault fighter for the New Republic and its successor , the Galactic Alliance , throughout the Yuuzhan Vong War in all major engagements , including the Battle of Coruscant and Battle of Yuuzhan ' tar , the Battle of Ebaq , and the Second Battle of Borleias . In a particular unique use during the latter instance , a Twin Suns pilot named Beelyath and his gunner , Sharr Latt , launched the decoy Goddess missile from his B - wing , luring several coralskippers to their doom . The B - wing fighter continued to serve in the Galactic Alliance Fleet through the Dark Nest Crisis / Swarm War and the Second Galactic Civil War . It is the predecessor of the Besh - type personal starfighter . Behind the scenes . The B - Wing fighter was designed by Joe Johnston and Bill George . The craft derives its name from the fact that the crew labeled the two new Rebel starfighter models in " Return of the Jedi " as " A fighter " and " B fighter " . While the A - wing looks similar to a capital A , the B - wing , on first glance , does not resemble its namesake . However , when viewed upon from a certain angle , it looks like a lowercase b . Bill George had so much input into the starship ' s development , that his colleagues nicknamed it the " Bill - Wing Fighter " . " " states that no B - wing cockpit set was ever built for filming pilot footage ; however , it contains a drawing of a B - wing cockpit mislabelled as an A - wing cockpit , possibly indicating that the B - wing cockpit was indeed built and filmed for " Return of the Jedi " . The craft ' s unusually thin shape was problematic for blue - screen photography ; the model tended to blend into the starfield . As a consequence , some planned sequences with the B - wing were cut from the original release of , and the B - wing is not explicitly shown in action during the Battle of Endor in the film . In fact , after the ships fly away from the still - active Death Star II shield at the start of the battle , the B - wing is hardly seen at all . The rotating cockpit design of the B - wing was based on early concept art for the " Millennium Falcon " . The appearance of the B - wing in the " " episodes " The New King " and " Escape Into Terror " is disputed , since canon states the B - wing was developed shortly before the Battle of Yavin and " Droids " is set in 15 BBY . B - wings are made to land with the cockpit on the right side . However in " " and " " the B - Wing hovers in the hangar with the cockpit on the left side . Still in these two games , for technical reasons , it is impossible to make the cockpit spin as the ship rotates . In 2000 , LEGO released a set titled " B - wing at Rebel Control Center " which included a B - wing and a rebel command center with B - wing pilot , Rebel mechanic , and R5 - D4 minifigures . LEGO released another set in 2006 titled " B - wing Fighter " , which included an improved B - wing model , a display stand , and two minifigures : Ten - Numb and a Rebel pilot . In 2012 , LEGO released an ultimate collector series edition called " B - wing " that included a bigger , non - minifigure display model of the ship , a stand with name plaque and no minifigures . In 2014 , another minifigure scaled B - wing ( # 75050 , B - wing ) was released with 3 minifigs : Ten - numb , General Airen Cracken and Gray Squadron Pilot .