BTL - A4 Y - wing assault starfighter / bomber The BTL - A4 Y - wing assault starfighter / bomber , also referred to simply as the BTL - A4 Y - wing starfighter or Y - wing light bomber , was a model one - or two - seat assault starfighter and bomber manufactured by Koensayr Manufacturing . It was used by the Republic Navy during the Clone Wars and the Rebel Alliance Starfighter Corps during the Galactic Civil War . An effective marriage between speed and firepower , Y - wings served their respective causes extremely well . Characteristics . Similar to the BTL - B Y - wing , early BTL - A4 Y - wing assault starfighter / bomber models used during the Clone Wars were crewed by a single pilot , protected by a transparisteel canopy , and housed a gunner inside a domed turret positioned behind the cockpit . Located behind the turret was an astromech droid slot . The long attack starfighter measured in at 23 . 4 meter s . The wedge - shaped cockpit was placed on the front of the craft , with the central spar extending behind it . Two Koensayr R200 ion jet engine s were attached to either side of the spar . The engines had exhaust nacelles and support pylons , and had sensor array domes that contained Fabritech ANx - y sensor array s on the front of the nacelles . The R300 - H hyperdrive was at the rear of the spar . Squadron markings were placed on the cockpit and the forward tips of the engine nacelles . For power , the ship had a Novaldex power generator behind the astromech droid slot , and Thiodyne 03 - R cryogenic power cell s inside the engine pylons . A Chempat deflector shield generator was located behind the power generator . The Y - wing ' s main sensor array contained a ANs - 5d " lock track " full - spectrum transceiver , a long range PTSA # PA - 9r unit , and a short range PTAG # PG - 7u unit . In the event that the craft would have to make a make an emergency landing , the pilot could dump its fuel from the engines . The starfighter was armed with two forward - mounted Taim & Bak IX4 laser cannon s , along with two Arakyd Flex Tube proton torpedo launcher s , and a gunner - controlled ArMek SW - 4 ion cannon on a rotating turret . The Y - wing ' s targeting system was made from combining a Fabritech ANc 2 . 7 tracking computer and an SI 5g7 " Quickscan " imaging system . By the Galactic Civil War , many Y - wings were stripped of their hull plating and engine nacelles , shortening their length to 16 . 24 meters , for ease of maintenance , as their older parts often broke down , and models that eliminated the gunner ' s turret had been introduced . Models . For decades , various Y - wing models saw combat in military conflicts , in the Clone Wars and Galactic Civil War . The BTL - B Y - wing model was used by the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars . Unlike its successor designs , this model had a bubble - turret , which swiveled 360 degrees , provided a clear view of surrounding space for a gunner . The ship was designed to operate mainly as a bomber and the Republic used them well in this capacity . The later BTL - A4 Y - wing was a variant , single - seat tactical strike spacecraft , which lacked the gunner ' s position of earlier models . This variant was utilized by both the Alliance to Restore the Republic and New Republic during the Galactic Civil War . The Alliance modified their Y - wings , with the hull and nacelle plating removed to increase ease of maintenance on the aging craft . These modified BTL - A4 variants saw action in the Battle of Scarif , the Battle of Yavin , the Battle of Hoth , the Battle of Endor , and the Battle of Jakku , as well as the numerous and various small - scale daily strike operations the Y - wing was so ideal for . History . With the rise of the Galactic Empire , the Imperial Navy placed their emphasis on the doctrine that space superiority was won and held with capital warships . This meant that hyperdrive - equipped snub - fighter s fell out of favor and Koensayr lost this important government contract . Because of this , it was forced to sell much of its stock to local planetary defense markets . The Empire intervened , and many unsold , repossessed and surplus Y - wings were allocated for reclamation , to be scrapped for parts . Despite this , elements of the nascent rebellion against the Empire would take this chance to steal numerous Y - wings in several raids , including one mounted by members of the Phoenix Cell in 2 BBY , in which five Y - wings were stolen from Reklam Station , intended to be delivered to General Jan Dodonna ' s unit . Soon after , these raids would ensure that Y - wings became very common within other rebel cells , and led to them being used in simulated engagements at the Skystrike Academy ; five of Gold Squadron ' s Y - wings notably escorted the fugitive Senator Mon Mothma to Dantooine , where the rebel fleet massed and the Alliance to Restore the Republic would be formed . After its formation , the Rebel Alliance used extensively modified Y - wing during the Galactic Civil War against the Empire . Originally designed for close - quarter combat and bombing runs , the Y - wing served as the Alliance ' s original attack starfighter prior to the introduction of the superior X - wing . Despite its inability to maneuver as well as later Rebel starfighters , as well as the designing of Slayn & Korpil ' s A / SF - 01 B - wing starfighter as a potential replacement for the aging bomber , its durability ensured its presence in all major battles against the Empire . The craft notably participated in the Battle of Scarif , where its use by Gold Squadron was instrumental in the destruction of the Shield Gate and the acquisition of the Death Star plans . Led by Captain Vander , the Y - wings inflicted damage on the Shield Gate and single - handedly disabled an Imperial Star Destroyer , turning the tide of the battle They also served during the Battle of Yavin , where the Alliance deployed the bombers in an attempt to destroy the approaching Death Star , which in turn was threatening to destroy the Alliance ' s hidden fortress on Yavin 4 . Flying with two wingmen , Gold Leader attempted to skim the meridian trench and fire proton torpedo es into the thermal exhaust port to destroy the battlestation . During the battle , all but one of the eight Y - wings were destroyed , including three by Darth Vader in a TIE Advanced x1 starfighter . However , Luke Skywalker , a farmboy from Tatooine and the son of Darth Vader , was able to fire the shot that destroyed the Death Star . Following the Rebel defeat at the Battle of Hoth , Y - wings were among the ships of the Alliance Fleet that met at the rendezvous point . Y - wings also joined the Rebel Fleet to attack the Death Star II at Endor . During the battle , Y - wings were deployed as Gray Squadron . Under General Lando Calrissian ' s orders , they joined in attacking Imperial Star Destroyers at point - blank range , and then followed him into the Death Star after its defenses were knocked out by Han Solo ' s ground team . Inside the Death Star , one Y - wing , flown by Norra Wexley , broke off and led TIE fighters away from Calrissian ' s strike group , which succeeded in destroying the battlestation . Y - wings were also used by the New Republic in the Battle of Jakku , along with X - wings , A - wings , and B - wings . By 28 ABY , Y - wings had fallen out of common military use , and spaceworthy 2 - seaters in otherwise poor conditions could usually be purchased for fewer credit s than a typical rental starship . At least one , however , remained in military service with the Amaxine warriors at that time . Behind the scenes . The Y - wing is based on concept art made by Ralph McQuarrie . The starfighters seen in the first " Star Wars " film , " " , were models produced by Industrial Light & Magic and filmed against blue screens . When Joe Johnston refined the Colin Cantwell and Ralph McQuarrie Y - wing designs for construction into a visual effects model for " A New Hope " , he posited that the starship was once a sleek vessel that was chopped and stripped like a hot rod by Rebel Alliance technicians . Designer Russell Chong spearheaded the development of the earlier Y - wing models first seen in the " " animated series , based on that original concept . " The Y - wing was a really fun project , bringing it back fully faired , " he said . According to Chong , " We back - engineered the Y - wing and turned it back into a bomber . I took images of the actual Y - wing model from the files at Lucasfilm and I designed our new version over it . We revitalized the bubble turret that Colin Cantwell and Ralph McQuarrie had developed . All the body panels are very much the same as the original Y - wing . I did my best to give it the same styling and the same look as the original Y - wing . "