Y-Wing from "Star Wars" (1977)

Scale: 1:89
Initial Release: 1983
Medium: Styrene
Kit Rarity: 3

About the Design

Like the Rebel X-Wing fighter, the Y-Wing made its first appearance during the Death Star attack that climaxed George Lucas' original "Star Wars." The Y-Wing was supposed to be an older, nearly obsolete fighter/bomber that was in constant need of maintenance, hence its exposed "guts."  For George Lucas, a former teenage car enthusiast, the Y-Wing was the space-age equivalent of an aging hot rot whose owner had chosen to simply remove the hood rather than have to deal with the damned thing every time the troublesome engine needed adjustment.

About the Kit

Because Luke Skywalker's X-Wing had received the lion's share of attention in "Star Wars," the lowly Y-Wing had to wait until the release of "Return of the Jedi" some six years later before MPC would deign to immortalize it in plastic.  Even then, the company would only produce a simple "It's a Snap!" version of the craft in an intolerably small scale, sacrificing accuracy and detail for physical simplicity.  Some ships get no respect...

This model was built from an original issue.