D - Wing Space Superiority Fighter The D - Wing Space Superiority Fighter , nicknamed Phoenix , was designed by Elhon Tay of Tay Industries to be a break from the traditional design of most Imperial starfighters due to the fact that many in the Empire had found flaws with the standard TIE / LN starfighter s . Characteristics . The D - wing was a large fighter , coming in at nineteen meters , and was operated by both a pilot and a gunner rather than simply by one individual . The fighter contained a Class 2 hyperdrive as well as concussion missiles , which made construction expensive but also meant that it would be a dangerous complement to a swarm of TIE fighters . While the rear gunner ' s primary role was to man the rear - firing bi - cannon as well as the other weapons , he or she was also able to take complete control of the craft if the pilot was killed or incapacitated . The pilot could also man all the weapons on the craft , which meant that the rear gunner could be replaced by a passenger if it was called for . The weapon systems on the Phoenix were designed to be interchangeable so that their function could fit any role the craft was thrown into . The standard configuration left room for additional weapons or sensor equipment on the craft . The advanced materials used to create the D - wing made it a very rugged craft , capable of both taking and dealing a large amount of damage . History . Tay Industries designed a single prototype of the craft to be shown on the seventh day of the Cynestra Space Craft Show ( CSCS ) above the planet Cynestra during the Galactic Civil War . Elhon Tay knew that he would never be able to sell his craft to the Empire without first proving its worth , and so also set up some dealings with independent escort companies and planetary defense forces that he knew would see plenty of action . Although this would originally mean a loss for Tay Industries , Elhon was so sure of his fighter that he knew the Imperial Navy would not be able to ignore his expensive advertising . Other starfighter producers , such as Sienar Fleet Systems , were not happy to let any souped - up fashion corporation get the better of them , so they sent agents to sabotage the prototype fighter before it could be unveiled . Rogan B . B . Cham , a HoloNet News reporter and secret Rebel spy , planned to attend the CSCS , so he learned that a new and powerful starfighter would be revealed at the show . He got in touch with his contacts in the Rebel Alliance , who soon arranged for Captain Reeves to meet with a group of Rebels on Yukka . The group then met up with Cham , who transported them to the CSCS in his ship , " The Doobage " , and unloaded them as cargo . The group was tasked with either capturing or destroying the prototype starfighter but was not given a clear plan of how to do either , and so had to improvise . This caused some problems when Grand Moff Torith , who had also expressed interest in the starfighter , turned up . Elhon Tay aimed to impress Torith with his fighter so that he would take it into his fight against the Rebellion , and the Rebel agents in turn wished to eliminate the Grand Moff for all the hardships he had caused the growing Rebellion . The Rebel agents , managing to avoid being found out for the full seven days , were able to both kill Grand Moff Torith and steal the prototype starfighter . It is unknown whether Tay Industries produced any more of the fighters , but as Elhon Tay favored neither the Rebellion nor the Empire , it is possible that he went on to produce the craft for the Rebellion after they stopped the Empire from acquiring the prototype .