Y-Wing
The Y-Wing fighter was the mainstay of the Rebellion almost from its inception, providing the somewhat disorganised flight groups of the time with a versatile craft with which to fight the Empire. The Y-Wing compensates for a lack of high sublight speed with its strong shields, hyperspace capability and heavy load of varied weaponry; when flown in large numbers can stand up to nearly any type of small enemy craft.
The Rebellion has lost more Y-Wings than any other starfighter. This is because of the great number of these craft in the Rebel fleet, far more than any other single craft. It was the Rebellion's first hyperspace fighter as well, allowing Rebel pilots for the first time to hyperspace into a sector, hit their targets, then slip into hyperspace almost before Imperial forces could react.
Until the recent advent of the B-Wing fighter, the Y-Wing was the only attack craft available to the Rebel forces that carried an ion cannon system. Unlike conventional laser or blaster weapons, which damage or destroy the target upon which they are fired, ion weapons merely interfere with the conductive ability of electrical systems, thus paralysing enemy vessels by robbing them of their operating power. This advantage allowed early, needful Rebel strike groups to disable Imperial Cargo freighters without damaging either their drive systems or their contents. Many Imperial hand-weapons fell to the Rebel forces in this manner, as did such essentials as shielding systems, droids, guidance systems repulsor craft, and communications equipment.
Two models of the Y-Wing are currently in use. One of them, the S3 model, carries a crew of two in addition to the standard astromech droid. One crew member serves as pilot, with the other, seated behind the pilot, operating the ship's ion cannon. Attempts to operate the cannon by computer aiming and firing controls have proven less than successful, so the S3 is generally used on missions where pinpoint ion controls is expected to be necessary. The one seater model, the A4, is better equipped for deep-space, long endurance flights. Its advanced hyperspace computer, separate from the smaller, pre-set unit within the Astromech droid it carries, gives the A4 unlimited hyperjump calculation capability. Pilots of the A4 model lock their ion cannons into one position before liftoff.