The Shantipole Project, as it was dubbed, brought the prototypes into service a lot more quickly than expected, due to superb design qualities. The B-wing has a modular design. Because of this, it can have its weapons system switched quickly to fit different mission parameters. This way, a commanding Officer can have many more mission options than would otherwise be possible. The most popular combination is to move the ion cannons to the command pod and put laser cannons on the S-foils.
The B-wing is a very heavily armed craft. It has an armament of one laser cannon, two autoblasters, three medium ion cannons, and two proton torpedoe launchers. A special laser targeting system allows the B-wing to "paint" other craft, aiding in fire solutions. This allows the B-wing to engage multiple targets at once, but it makes it more easily detectable to long range opponents. The B-wing also boasts heavy armor and shields. It is propelled by a powerful Quadex Kyromaster engine powered by a Vinop O2 K ionization reactor with four individually adjusted thrust nozzles. The power convertors are Slayn and Korpil JZ-5g7 models.
Where the B-wing is superior in firepower it is inferior in speed (no faster than a Y-wing) and in hyperdrive (twice as slow as an X-wing or Y-wing). To make up for its lack of speed, it is extremely maneuverable. A gyroscopic cockpit allows the execution of some maneuvers that would otherwise make the pilot feint or lose targeting ability.
Click here for a picture of a B-wing Starfighter
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