X-Wing-plus

Mara Jade's X-Wing-Plus

Jedi-master Mara Jade Skywalker personally supervised the development of an X-Wing that would be a radical redesign of the New Republic's venerable workhorse. The reliable X-Wing continue to be the favored mount of most of New Republic's best squadrons as well as most Jedi-Knights. Even though the much improved XJ-class is filtering down to regular squadrons, Mara decided that much more could be done with the basic design. The Jedi's costly war with the Yuuzhan Vong lent urgency to the project. The X-Wing-Plus took advantage of new engine, weapons and structural technology that was much lighter yet far more powerful than the X-Wing's standard systems, which were over 20 years old in design.

Compared to the older X-Wing variants, the X-Wing-Plus featured the following changes:

*A shortened and lighter fuselage wing box with a lighter but stronger internal structure.

*Entirely new configured S-foils giving vastly superior atmospheric performance.

*Advanced ion engines that are lighter, smaller but vastly more powerful than any previous X-Wing power plants Advanced electromagnetic vectoring systems endow the X-Wing-Plus with superb agility.

*New twin-gun weapons packages that are much lighter and more efficient than the old long-barreled laser cannons. The X-Wing-Plus is armed normally with six powerful heavy laser cannons and two ion cannons. The warhead compliment has been increased to four per tube. The guns are fully modular and can be reconfigured for different mission profiles.

*An astromech droid is no longer required, all navigational functions are now performed by advanced onboard systems. Nano-bots, derived from captured Yuuzhan Vong technology, carry out a multitude of repairs on vital systems during combat.

*Advanced long range sensor suite.

*The canopy was simplified allowing increased pilot visibility.

These changes have resulted in a starfighter with phenomenal performance, almost as fast and agile as the untouchable Advanced A-Wing, but with vastly superior endurance, firepower and that famous X-Wing reliability.

Pictured is Mara Jade Skywalker's personal fighter with which she replaced her long serving customized Z-95 Mk.1. The new X-Wing has been enthusiastically received by Jedi-Knights, and equipment of regular squadrons will eventually follow.