X-wing

Starfighter · Rebel Alliance

X-wing

The Rebellion's workhorse fighter: four wings that split into an X, and a droid riding behind the pilot.

Model
T-65B X-wing starfighter
Maker
Incom Corporation
Length
12.5 m
Width
11 m
Height
4.4 m
Crew
1 pilot and 1 astromech droid
Top speed in atmosphere
1,050 km/h
Speed in space
100 MGLT
Hyperdrive
class 1
Shields
yes
Armament
4 laser cannons · 2 proton torpedo launchers

Rebel AllianceNew RepublicResistanceCompare on the scale

Overview

The X-wing is the starfighter of the Rebellion. A long, narrow fuselage ends in a pointed nose; at the tail sit four flat wings, each with an engine at its root and a laser cannon at its tip. In combat the wings — the S-foils — open into the X that gives the fighter its name[1].

Incom Corporation built it as a fast, tough all-rounder: shields, a hyperdrive and proton torpedoes in a fighter flown by a single pilot. An astromech droid rides in a socket behind the canopy, plotting jumps and patching damage in flight[1][8].

From the Battle of Yavin to the Resistance three decades later, the X-wing is the ship heroes fly when everything is on the line. Luke Skywalker, Wedge Antilles and Poe Dameron all made their names in one[1][4].

Length 12.5 m

Width 11 m

Side and top views to scale. For comparison: Human

How it flies and fights

The S-foils are the X-wing's signature. Closed, the four wings lie in a flat stack for cruising and landing; open, they spread the cannons apart, and the pilot can fire them in pairs or all four at once[1]. Two launchers inside the fuselage fire proton torpedoes, the weapon that counts against hard targets[1].

Unlike a TIE fighter, the X-wing carries deflector shields and its own hyperdrive, so a small squadron can strike far from the fleet and still get home[8]. Rebel pilots traded the Empire's numbers for a fighter that could take a hit — and a droid that could fix it.

Who flew it

Chronicle

Key moments in the ship's life, in story order. Spoilers stay hidden until you mark the title as watched in the timeline.

  1. 0 BBY

    Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

    Spoiler from Rogue One: A Star Wars StoryShowyou've watched it

    X-wings join the rebel fleet over Scarif, holding off the Empire while a ground team steals the Death Star plans[1].

  2. 0 BBY

    Episode IV — A New Hope

    Spoiler from Episode IV — A New HopeShowyou've watched it

    Red Squadron dives into the Death Star's trench. Luke, flying Red Five, switches off his targeting computer and puts two torpedoes into the exhaust port[3].

  3. 3 ABY

    Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back

    After the Empire overruns Echo Base on Hoth, the surviving pilots fly their X-wings out to meet the fleet[3].

  4. 3 ABY

    Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back

    Luke's X-wing sinks in a Dagobah swamp. When Luke gives up, Yoda lifts it out with the Force[10].

  5. 4 ABY

    Episode VI — Return of the Jedi

    Spoiler from Episode VI — Return of the JediShowyou've watched it

    X-wings fly into the unfinished second Death Star above Endor, and Wedge's torpedo hits its main reactor[3].

  6. 34 ABY

    Episode VII — The Force Awakens

    Spoiler from Episode VII — The Force AwakensShowyou've watched it

    Poe leads Resistance T-70s against Starkiller Base, and their fire breaks open the weapon's core[4].

  7. 34 ABY

    Episode VIII — The Last Jedi

    Spoiler from Episode VIII — The Last JediShowyou've watched it

    Black One is destroyed when Kylo Ren's squadron strikes the hangar of the Resistance flagship Raddus[4].

  8. 35 ABY

    Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker

    Spoiler from Episode IX — The Rise of SkywalkerShowyou've watched it

    T-70 X-wings fly with the huge volunteer fleet that turns on the Sith Eternal over Exegol[2].

  9. —

    Incom offers its new fighter to the Empire, which picks Sienar's TIE instead. The Rebel Alliance buys up Incom's X-wings[6].

Where it flew

Where to see the X-wing

Films, series and games with the X-wing, in story order.

Variants

Behind the scenes

  1. Colin Cantwell built the first X-wing prototypes in 1975 from George Lucas's sketches, and wanted the wings to snap open like a gunslinger drawing a pistol. Art director Joe Johnston then refined the design for filming[7].
  2. ILM's hero miniatures were about two feet long, built from resin, styrene and aluminium, with a motorised scissor mechanism to open the wings. The engines were made from parts of Saturn V rocket model kits[7].
  3. The script called the squadron Blue, but blue markings would have vanished against the blue screen used for the effects shots. The fighters got red stripes instead — and Red Squadron was born[6].

Did you know

X-wing: questions and answers

How big is an X-wing?

A T-65B X-wing is about 12.5 metres long — roughly the length of a city bus — and about 11 metres across with the S-foils open[8].

Why is it called an X-wing?

Because its four wings open into an X for combat. Closed, they lie flat in a stack; open, they spread the four wingtip cannons apart[1].

Who flies an X-wing in Star Wars?

Luke Skywalker, Wedge Antilles and Biggs Darklighter in the original trilogy, and Poe Dameron in his black T-70 in the sequels[1][4].

Same fleet

Sources

  1. X-wing Starfighter — StarWars.com Databank
  2. Poe Dameron's X-wing starfighter — StarWars.com Databank
  3. Wedge Antilles — StarWars.com Databank
  4. Poe Dameron — StarWars.com Databank
  5. Rebel Pilots — StarWars.com Databank
  6. X-wing fighter — Wikipedia
  7. How to Build an X-wing — ILM
  8. T-65B X-wing starfighter — Wookieepedia
  9. T-85 X-wing starfighter — Wookieepedia
  10. Luke Skywalker — StarWars.com Databank
  11. Garven Dreis — StarWars.com Databank
  12. Jek Porkins — StarWars.com Databank