Well, this is a fine how do you do. Since you’re here you need to do an explanation of early rebellion resistances outposts, how they kept hidden, how they fought back, and how they supplied themselves in an world without Star Trek type replicators. I would actually love to see a collaboration between a Star Wars scholar and a renaissance era scholar.
That top mounted laser cannon is literally the only thing I don't like about this thing Otherwise its a masterfully crafted fighter that's beautiful, deadly, and effective in equal measure
@@tumbleheart4664 Under the nose could obstruct the torpedoes, and having it be dorsal gives a direct firing line with the pilot's line of sight, as well as from the looks of things be bigger and possibly more powerful. I'm just going off visuals though, not read any of the material.
@@chaotixthefox Having it in its current position obstructs the pilots view of his surroundings so even if its lined up with his line of sight its degrading his situational awareness. Pushing it further back on its dorsal face would probably be the best option I think.
@@michaelandreipalon359 In the new Disney canon they seem to be still using X-wings 30 years in the future, so I do not expect them to be in Rogue Squadron. Also I'm guessing Rogue Squadron is set in/near the OT, because Disney seems to have retreated back to the OT for safety after the Mandalorian proved more popular than the sequels.
This is why the New Republic is so epic- their technology is just beyond anything we've seen. The E-wing is just one example of it. You explained it brilliantly, awesome video, thanks Eckarts.
I mean, it kinds of sounds like "ship, but good" to me, but it's nice that they didn't just reuse the same ships, like in the sequels. Or switch to worse ships. Like those freaking bombers.
In my book SW Legends is Lore. If you delve into Lore you find a fascinating rabbit hole of good ideas and reasonably logical ideas of a post ROTJ Star Wars galaxy.
@@davidplowman6149 Is it all good, or did they just sort of throw 400 writers at a wall and see what stuck? (I don't have a lot of experience with the EU)
@@RorikH they just sort of throw 400 writers at a wall and see what stuck there are some good ideas but theres also a lot of trash oh and expect luke leia or han to be captured in dam near every story but somehow never just executed
@@scottgrasser9475 sometimes by each other and roped into really fucking convoluted and stupid romance dramas that could've been resolved with literally one conversation. -glares at Courtship of Princess Leia- But yeah, there's a lot of absolutely amazing stuff in Legends Lore, prefer it over the ST.
*E Wing mechanic:* The alignment of the top cannon is off again… bloody Flyboys using it as a handrail. *Second Mechanic:* Almost makes you smile when one of them grabs it too soon after firing and burns their hand.
One of the big issues with the E-Wing that Ecks didn't mention is that the canon on top of the cockpit had to be removed for a pilot to enter or exit the ship
I was just thinking further back, but same principle. It looks like it could be mounted to be parallel to the wing cannons, and not interfere with landing.
It's beyond dumb: It reduces top visibility, it leaves no space for a top-side astromech droid, it makes the ship center-mass the juiciest target and the hood makes the profile ugly beyond words. Don't get me started on the tubes below the wings. Lazy, shitty design.
@@lynngreen7978 I am aware, but putting it inside the ship means it's not a design element anymore. Out of sight, out of mind. You could tell me they have a full orchestra, complete with can can dancers inside of that ugly hull and I wouldn't care.
Constantly referring to the Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, which I bought at the now defunct Sam Goodys back in the 90s, is what made me the stubborn Star Wars ship aficionado I am today. Poor old yellowish orange book is very used.
I got the New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels as a kid. It still sits proudly on my bookshelf... As a three ring binder! Poor book was not build for someone who read it as much as I did!
My school library had that in it, probably one of the most checked out books there was. Got both it and and the weapons/tech version of it much later on that I still like to reread now n then
*How does the ejection seat work?* If it has to blow the top gun out of the way first, that leads to a _lot_ of potential issues - what if the system fails and the gun doesn't blow out of the way first, what if the system triggers accidentally without a pilot ejecting, and wouldn't it decrease the accuracy of the gun anyway; having the joins to separate?
Typically, rebel/new republic pilots don't carry any sort of mask or pressurized suit. So if you get shot down in space, a toxic planet, or one with a hostile environment, there's no point in ejecting since you're pretty much screwed at that point. In worlds where you can breathe and survive easily, ideally you don't get shot down but if you are, you're expected to crash land.
Well in fairness, we've already got an attack helicopter today (The Ka-50) with an ejection system which explosively jettisons the rotors out of the way before the pilot's shot upwards, so if we can figure that out today and make it reliable, I reckon they could do it in Star Wars.
@@marrqi7wini54 that's not true at all didn't you read any of the books? I mean look how long JEDI could stay alive after ejection? Almost a week if not more..
@@marrqi7wini54 rebels have often been depicted ejecting safely. The flight suit is clearly enough to survive a short while in a vacuum. Apparently there is some sort of lower face covering flap with a breathing tube which can be affixed to the standard helmets... Not that it's ever shows up in the movies. Perhaps canonically it's there but is removed for audience clarity of facial expression? Perhaps it deploys from the helmet in some way when the ejector is punched. Lol.
The X-wing also only has one launcher the last I checked and it could fire 2 proton torpedos in a second. I think it was less a challenge of firing all of them and not dumping them too quickly.
@@acephantom903 X-wing has 2. It's also possibly just an error by the essential guide since the part they have the missle port in doesn't exist in Dark Empire and instead there's 2 normal ones on the nose.
I disliked the E-wing, the cannon over the top of the cockpit makes flying it hazardous. If it starts firing and the flashes interferes with the pilots sight it can make it vulnerable. If it was underslung on the bottom it would be better.
@@kinggoten I figured the people that 'be' always thought we had to see the third barrel and it needed to be prominent. If you sling it under the nose between the gear skids or put it in the nose and shift the sensor equipment around the audience 'wouldn't see it and be confused'. As I wrote above if they switched the nose sensors and third blaster around, even put a small dome bubble behind the cockpit to show the sensor's placement would make more sense for the 'monkey brain engineer' in us. A term used to describe us fathoming building in the future and it needing to conform to older tech capacities to quiet the 'monkey brain engineer' in us. Something we all have when comparing very new ways to build things.
I love all the models that you show us and commission, it adds another layer of realism and scale to these concepts and art depictions usually only ever seen in books or comics 🌌
@@derrickstorm6976 no, the top gun is still there. What it looks like to me is that the actual firing part slides back with the droid socket covering, and the barrel stays attached to the cockpit
ugh that then creates seating and connection issues if the canopy is even a bit off or fuselage damage happens. Really they need to side or undermount it.
Love the model. I personally would of made the E-wing a fighter bomber. Replace the top cannon with an ion Cannon and had it have two torpedo launchers with 8 torp magazines. Now you have a fighter bomber that doesn't need an escort.
It didn't really replace the X-wing. The X-wing had successor variants itself, like the XJ line. I believe they were still more common in the Galactic Alliance than the E-wing.
Yeah the cannons are prone to breakdown and it needed an advanced R7 astromech. Probably not the best thing during combat when your guns dont shoot lol
It actually was intended to be a replacement. The problem was, units like Rogue Squadron refused to upgrade. Add the Proprietary Astromech problem, and the Synthetic Tibanna Gas issue, and the 25% less non-ammo dependent firepower, and it never had a chance.
I found the whole "the A wing is a poor convoy escort" bit amusing as to why this thing is justified. The A wing is a designated interceptor, ofcourse it's a poor escort. Also no, SW EU has made it clear an Awing can accelerate from a dead stop to top speed in 5 seconds (seems all SW fighters can for some reason). If you can be ontop of them with them in your sights faster than 5 seconds, it doesn't matter how good their craft is, it's dead.
@@cgi2002 Militaries often replace things for dumb reasons. A good real life example is the current G36 controversy in the German army. Long story short, when the German army introduced the G36, they also ordered an LMG variant with a heavier barrel for longer sustained fire from H&K. However, they cancelled the order and only adopted the standard assault rifle variant. 20 years later, the German army suddenly started to complain that the gun gets too hot and loses precision after dumping several mags of ammo. Yeah, no shit, that's what the heavy barrel of the LMG was for, but you cancelled the order you geniuses. Now they're looking for a new assault rifle because of this. So essentially, they want to replace an assault rifle for not being an LMG, but when they get a new assault rifle, it won't be an LMG either.
From a looks perspective I feel like the E Wing “looks” like a much older more basic model because the further you go back in the timeline the more basic everything looks
If the X wing was complicated and thus not suited to the Empires needs then it makes sense the new republic would its self need a simpler ship than the X wing. It's going to be roughly empire sized and it can't really afford to pay for a billion X wings to fill out its military.
The Lego Star Wars visual dictionary even referred to it as an E-wing. Maybe it was a prototype. Frankly I think it had a better design. If I remember correctly, it had a turret on its dorsal section instead of a fixed cannon.
As much as I'd love to agree with the esteemed EL, I simply cannot agree. The E Wing loses the charm of the X-wing's four wings, seemingly reduces its firepower (going from four guns to three), and puts a GIANT cannon ABOVE the cockpit. It would've made more sense to mount it ventral. There's no easy way to get out of the cockpit. No way to have an ejection system.
Spent the whole episode wishing it was underslung rather than overhead mounted. surely that gives you a pretty dangerous moment of blindness every time you fire?
That 3d model is really nice, my only grief is the dorsal canon's position being right on top of the cockpit... Kudos on adding that 3rd engine though!
that dorsal cannon should have been either in the nose or in the belly. that cannon will blind the pilot when it is fired. it also affects the aerodynamics for atmo flight.
@@jamesheald7971 You could just as easily mount it on a dorsal fin further back which would also allow the cockpit to open more and generally look better
@@SorenNido it's not about looks. it is about aerodynamics. and there is probably something to be said about functionality. instead of one gun over the cockpit, there should have been two guns on the fuselage similar to the placement of the guns on the Colonial Viper. they should have stretched that out a bit more so they could put a tail gun position on it like they did for the speeders in Empire Strikes Back.
@@jamesheald7971 Aerodynamics are irrelevant in SW when you have the ability to angle shields to allow for optimal atmospheric performance, and anyways if you can put out enough thrust it doesn't matter if you're a brick shaped object
@@SorenNido oh yeah. screw physics and atmospheric flight. SW is good at that. and that is one of the most common complaints SCS has with the vast majority of ships and fighters in the SW universe.
I've never liked the E-Wing. It's a design that's good because we're told it's good and not for any other reason. The top mounted cannon is clearly an afterthought by the original artist and makes no sense - the weapon obscures the pilot's vision and when fired the muzzle flash and projectile will fill the pilot's vision with afterimages. It also features only 3 cannons and one torpedo tube, giving the E-Wing significantly less firepower than an X-Wing, but we're told it's superior - even though I believe that other than the original T-65 the X-Wing variants use the same cannons. Personally I'd rather see almost any other fighter design, the E-Wing has been a pet peeve of mine since I first saw it in one of the Rogue Squadron books as a kid /Rant 😂
Loved the E-wing ever since I first saw it in the Essential Guide to Vehicles. Immediately felt like a ship from the future of Return of the Jedi. Great to see some love for this ship, especially its goofy, blocky original tri-cannon design instead of the more sleek depiction in fan stuff or Crimson Empire. Beautiful model, too! The third engine is a nice bit of added symmetry with the three cannons.
Love the E-wing, but there are a few changes I'd make to the design, both for the sake of aesthetics and apparent functionality. For instance, perhaps moving the outboard lasers to the wingtips, and maybe installing the top laser cannon within the nose itself, perhaps off center, similarly to cannons in modern day fighter jets.
Something to ponder with canonical info: the X-Wing isn't considered as offensively powerful as the E-Wing, yet, aside from double the launcher payload, and likely more powerful Taim and Baks, the E-Wing should, technically, lose to the X-Wing, as it had more cannons as a base design, meaning once the payload of torpedoes or missiles is empty, the X-Wing can still bring more fire-power to bear against opponents.
I had the Action Fleet E-wing toy as a kid and loved it. Very cool! As a note, the cockpit hinge on the toy was aft of the cannon so the whole assembly tilted up when the cockpit opened.
I'm really glad Ashoka is bringing this back. It was never my favorite (felt very generic in design) but I'm glad it's not forgotten. Plus an Astro mech port really sold me on it.
Yeah, I’m already not a fan of the E-Wing. I’m not against the Raw design, but a HUGE amount of changes could be made to the wings, especially their supporting struts issue, as well as repositioning that top canon further back. How would you redesign the E-Wing to be more Pragmatic while keeping the raw design (engines & weapons, regardless of placement & such)?
I am not as much of a fan of the E-wing as Eckharts, but you could say that you want the cannon moved that far forward because it would be *blasting away at enemies*. In other words, imagine it moved back and closer to the pilot and blasting away? That might be very bad for the pilot.
Personally, I'd move the laser cannon to the underside of the ship. There's nothing down there anyway that would get in the way. The ship's landing gear could extend from in front of the gun, since when landing it wouldn't need to be fired anyway. And maybe those supporting struts on the sides could more resemble the pylons of a TIE Fighter, to make things a little less "good guys/bad guys" visually.
@@mitchellhayward6492 actually I'd side mount two or undergun to the nose like you said but move it in from of the landing gear. So if a pilot accidently discharges the forward weapon it wont affect landing. Then for the connection point issues I'd add either a slant connection from the body and then armor them a bit to add more ammo since one of the reasons x wing pilots didnt like it was lesser ammo capacity, that and add heat sinks. I would also move the wing engines to a center point rather than directly under the wing mounted weapons so that weapon heat isn't effecting the engines and engine heat isn't effecting the weapons. This also allows for the maneuverability they were trying for while solving a heat sink issue.
@@eonaon6914 Activating the landing gears could disconnect the weapons simultaneously so that they can't be fired while touching down. I get that having a landing gear right in front of a gun could otherwise be problematic. Or else, 2 landing gears could emerge from each side of the barrel. I like the placement of the engines and the wing-tip laser cannons, because they resemble aircraft hardpoints. A bit more space between them makes sense though.
Love that cg model! I used to have a lot of affection for the E-wing, but I guess now its aesthetic design just looks ugly to me compared to the classic starfighters. Still, I appreciate this retrospective on a somewhat forgotten starfighter that's been around since the early days of post RotJ EU!
Low-key one of my most anticipated videos from you. I've always appreciated the E-Wing as a superior craft and one of the biggest disappointments for me was the lack of them in the sequel trilogy. Like, I would have forgiven a lot of bad story decisions and crappy characters if they'd had E-Wings
I'd even be happy with some cool B-Wing action. They're cool but get very little screentime in the movies. I think the Starfortresses in TLJ might have been their successors, but man they had mobility issues. (Assuming your intended destination wasn't Hell)
"Less moving parts".... Didn't early models have to have the top gun removed to allow the pilot to exit. I swear that's in one of the ship breakdown books. Iirc then at least one model had a break action barrel to swing up when the canopy opened, but that was a weak point which sometimes broke after sustained firing.
I think that the central engine presents a couple of problems: There's not enough room in the fuselage to hold the same type of engine as those on the wings. Even allowing for a smaller engine, there would be very little interior space left for anything else.
If I was a E-Wing pilot I’d probably have the top cannon moved backed an replaced with an ion turret. I would also have options of having the astromech use it, have it automated or use it manually.
Replaced the X-Wing till the later model X-Wings reintegrated the E-Wing's tech advances and they brought back the classic look. (The 65A2, A3, and XJ variants)
Chief Engineer: and it has less moving parts... Pilot: Cool.. Cool.. Cool.. Soooooooo how do I get in? The cannon is in the way. Chief Engineer: .......... KARABAST!!!
Is there an in-universe explanation for the thin secondary connection between the main body and the wings? Maybe just extra structural support when maneuvering in atmosphere so the wings don't snap off? 🤔
While I do like the E Wing, I have a couple of gripes with it. 1. The wing engines are too close to the cannons. I'd say move them a little more to the center of the wing. 2. Of course it's the cannon on top of the cockpit. I think it should go on the bottom below the cockpit. Oooh and also, make it swivel from left to right like it can track what it's firing at. 3. No droid. Instead, put the droid where the top cannon used to be. That, I believe, would definitely be a improvement in the design. What do you think?
Put the top cannon on the Bottom and I say: get it on screen. It's an interesting design and better/more original than the X-wing copy-paste they did in the Sequel Trilogy 3D model is very Nice, well done👌
I think a better placement for that top blaster would be alongside the nose, and under the cockpit. Also, if there were two of these blasters on each side, they could fire alternatively, and allow for more effective cooling.
It's a cool design...except for the top mounted laser, which makes no sense. Why wouldn't that be placed on the center line under the nose? Putting it on top like that exposes it to damage, obstructs the pilot view, and gets in the way when the canopy is opened. It's also easier to bore sight a weapon that is placed in the nose of the ship, rather than one offset the center line like that.
Great 3d render. Just need to preface with that. My immediate reaction upon seeing the design: Its ugly. It looks like someone said let's take a Z-95 Headhunter and strip it down like the Rebel era Y-Wing and then hit it with the ugly stick about 5 times. I hate this design. There are "Ugly" fighters that are more aesthetically pleasing. How would I fix it? Move the wing to the top of the fuselage and embed the engines into the wing. That little change would make it much better. Throw on some panel covers for good measure to smooth out the exterior and increase aerodynamics. A nod to aerodynamics always improves aesthetics.
The gun on top of your head would make it hard to get in. &, when firing, you would be temporarily blinded? The Astro-mech would have to rely on monitors to pilot the ship when needed inside the ship. It is shaped like an (E)!
The E-Wing is an example of things I didn't care for in the original Expanded Universe. Every rendition I've seen of it was hideous. While I HATE the sequel trilogy, the best thing about it was seeing a newer generation / iteration of the X-Wing, rather than these hideous things.
Never understood why the central gun on an E-Wing was mounted over the cockpit and not either under slung or a spinal mount. You've got the entire barrel taking up valuable line of sight over the cockpit, and it is all but guaranteed to blind the pilot when it fires.
Well the E-Wing is extremely powerful and all, but it is the most generic star fighter design they could have come up with and that's why I hate it. At least the K-Wing was more imaginative, and as a bonus resembled one of the bombers from the Wing Commander games. I do have to say though, this E-Wing model being featured is much more impressive/better looking than any other representation I've seen of it so far.
I agree. My favorite Star Wars fighter types are the Tie Defender and the B-Wing, because they could only exist in the Star Wars Universe. The E-Wing, and even the K-Wing to an extent, look generic AF. (K-Wing at least is loaded with weapons, so it looks cool. :D)
@@shorewall B-Wing was always one of my favorites from a design perspective even as a child watching the OT in the late 80s. Tie Defender is one of my favorite "newer" ships that were introduced. It's just so OP and quite frankly it looks awesome. I didn't really give a damn about the K-Wing back in the day either, but it's grown on me. Reminds me of a combination of the Rapier & Raptor medium/heavy fighters in Wing Commander 1. I think there's a ship or two in WC2 that it also resembles but I couldn't find images for them in a quick googlefu. Oh and I'm pretty sure Mark Hamill did voice or mocap for later games in the series.
Personally i think it would look nicer if the engines were either integrated into the wings or placed up close to the body similar to the x wing. That top cannon could also easily be a bottom cannon which would make it a whole lot easier to get in and out of the ship. Seems like a slight design flaw
The E Wing looked cool as hell in the Lego yoda chronicles One of the best Lego adaptations of an existing IP I ever played btw too and it got removed from the App Store
Honestly, more than routine mounting or dismounting of the craft (which seems like it would be a pain in the butt), my concern would be, what happens if you need to eject? You'd either need a downward ejection, or explosive bolts to blast off the dorsal cannon and canopy as part of the ejection sequence. Downward ejection probably makes the most sense. This was used in a number of American and Soviet aircraft in the '50s and '60s. Also, why would you hang the "wing" engines way out on the ends of the wings in pylons, rather than in the fuselage? Yeah, it could make maintenance easier, but it would also take up more deck space (unless the wings could fold vertical for stowage, and based on the strut, and it looks like they might. But then we're back to s-foils, basically). Compare an E-Wing against a Viper Mk. VII. You're looking at a roughly similar form factor in terms of engines, weapons, etc. Which seems more efficient? For my money, I'd go with the Viper Mk. VII., assuming comparable weapons, shields, etc.
I've still got the micro machine action fleet Ewing from mid 90s. I love it but remember being so confused way back about what it was. Parents thought comics were devilry and had to sneak the novels but toys were readily available. Thanks for this! I thought it was a forgotten ship!
So @EckhartsLadder, it has been shown in some media where the centerline cannon, uh, folds in half to allow the cockpit canopy to hinge upwards like the X-Wing's.
How would its speed be a detriment for convoy duty? The Mustang and Thunderbolt were some of the fastest planes of ww2 and they were great bomber escorts. The only way speed could be an issue is if they were in an atmosphere and the convoy moved so slow that the Ewings aerodynamics stalled at those speeds. The only way it hurts the Ewing is that in the initial attack it's going convoy speed but that's an issue for any fighter escorting a convoy in space.
There are a few Comic shots, that actually show the top Cannon can rotate 90° to allow pilot ingress/egress. Also, it would be assumed that the barrel is jettisoned during an ejection from the fighter.
My main issue with this design is necessity of pilot TELEPORTING into cockpit... Other one is that laser canon being essentially flashlight in front of your face in very dark environment, constantly blinding you every shot, especially with piece of glass between canon and eyes, making it jj Abrams' wett dream of lens flare effects...
The laser cannon on the top does bother me , so I think the canopy sliding forward for access makes sense , or maybe the pilot boards from underneath ? That would be different for a Rebel Starfighter.
It would be so cool if we got a game with a whole bunch of playable ships- maybe if Squadrons gets a sequel, Id love to have a Tie Phantom go up against an E-Wing or even the Chad O-Wing
The E Wing was the New Republics version of our present day main battle tank. It was fast, well protected, and apart from problems with its early laser blasters heavily armed. The only thing it did not replace was future fighter bombers, but it could still compete with B Wings. Lore is full of interesting and realistic ideas. Keep talking about it because it is the best timeline!
I'm sure this is said elsewhere, but it's a Battlestar Galactica Star Viper with a Star Wars recoat. And yet another example of Expanded Universe authors adding their own Super-Wonderful-The-Best OC. And yet it's *still* a delightful ship.
A fun video idea might be what starfighter. Luke and R2 used through thier history together. I personally missed a lot of legends and feel like he went from his classic xwing to stealth x.
Overall I like the E-wing, and I wish it had gotten some appearance in the new canon other than a few offhand mentions here and there. There are a few things about the design that I really think need to change, though. First is the obvious one that you and half the comments have mentioned, the dorsal cannon. Not great, but talked about enough. The other big thing for me is the engines. Especially on the official artwork, the engine pods under the wings look kind of silly; they're so long and skinny, and mounted the way they are they make the whole fighter look off-balance, at least to me. Personally I think it would've looked better with engines at the wing-roots, perhaps blending between the hull and the wings like a modern jet. This particular rendition does mitigate that issue some, though; the engines are beefed up, which is nice, and the third thrust nozzle on the aft helps to balance the whole thing out. Still think it would look better with the two wing-mounted engines moved, but that's just me. Overall it's a lovely rendering of the ship.
That unicorn horn looks ridiculous, and is guaranteed to blind the pilot and block vision. It would be far better to have it underslung or deleted entirely. Oh, you mentioned it too.
Even though I collected those comics you showed, and have the Micro Machines toy, I never thought that the E-Wing came after the X-Wing. To me it looks a bit more archaic, and more like a precursor to the X-Wing. Yeah, the only way that cockpit could open would be sliding forward.
I remember having a figure of this as a kid. Always found it interesting. On the topic of the cockpit cannon, if I remember correctly, the cannon lifted with the canopy on the figure.
Always loved the design of the E-wing and really hope that it comes back somehow from Legends. Would also love to find a good 3D print file for one or 20 lol.
“The less moving parts, the better.”
Literally everyone who ever had to design, service, or otherwise work on any piece of engineering.
Well yes, but the xwing design is iconic. E-wing look too generic.
@@MrIronhat Yes.
I feel for both of you.
It's one of the reason I can't take X-wing that seriously.
A&p mechanics
That 3d design is beautiful! Good job, ManPerson!
Didn’t expect to see you here!!
@@wingmanbarkerhere1696 I had the exact same thoughts lol I was gonna watch the kings and general video next
Nice to see that my favorite youtube channels all watch each other. small world ..or small internet i suppose
Omg last channel I thought would show up!
Well, this is a fine how do you do. Since you’re here you need to do an explanation of early rebellion resistances outposts, how they kept hidden, how they fought back, and how they supplied themselves in an world without Star Trek type replicators.
I would actually love to see a collaboration between a Star Wars scholar and a renaissance era scholar.
That top mounted laser cannon is literally the only thing I don't like about this thing
Otherwise its a masterfully crafted fighter that's beautiful, deadly, and effective in equal measure
I agree completely. Why not place the third canon under the nose or have two canons on either wing?
@@tumbleheart4664 Under the nose could obstruct the torpedoes, and having it be dorsal gives a direct firing line with the pilot's line of sight, as well as from the looks of things be bigger and possibly more powerful. I'm just going off visuals though, not read any of the material.
@@chaotixthefox Having it in its current position obstructs the pilots view of his surroundings so even if its lined up with his line of sight its degrading his situational awareness. Pushing it further back on its dorsal face would probably be the best option I think.
@@chaotixthefox move it to the back on the side and with a pair thus give it more firepower
The cannon is perfectly situated there
Really hoping that rogue squadron shows that the most powerful weapon besides the force is a damn good pilot in a badass star fighter
@@michaelandreipalon359 In the new Disney canon they seem to be still using X-wings 30 years in the future, so I do not expect them to be in Rogue Squadron. Also I'm guessing Rogue Squadron is set in/near the OT, because Disney seems to have retreated back to the OT for safety after the Mandalorian proved more popular than the sequels.
You misspelled pilot; I'm sure Wedge can help spell it out for ya.
Question: ¿Por qué no los dos?
That's what they tried to make Poe...before turning him into a laughing stock and Holdo's punching bag.
really hoping the space combat feels more star wars, think more rogue one less last jedi....
This is why the New Republic is so epic- their technology is just beyond anything we've seen. The E-wing is just one example of it. You explained it brilliantly, awesome video, thanks Eckarts.
I mean, it kinds of sounds like "ship, but good" to me, but it's nice that they didn't just reuse the same ships, like in the sequels. Or switch to worse ships. Like those freaking bombers.
In my book SW Legends is Lore. If you delve into Lore you find a fascinating rabbit hole of good ideas and reasonably logical ideas of a post ROTJ Star Wars galaxy.
@@davidplowman6149 Is it all good, or did they just sort of throw 400 writers at a wall and see what stuck? (I don't have a lot of experience with the EU)
@@RorikH they just sort of throw 400 writers at a wall and see what stuck
there are some good ideas but theres also a lot of trash
oh and expect luke leia or han to be captured in dam near every story but somehow never just executed
@@scottgrasser9475 sometimes by each other and roped into really fucking convoluted and stupid romance dramas that could've been resolved with literally one conversation.
-glares at Courtship of Princess Leia-
But yeah, there's a lot of absolutely amazing stuff in Legends Lore, prefer it over the ST.
*E Wing mechanic:* The alignment of the top cannon is off again… bloody Flyboys using it as a handrail.
*Second Mechanic:* Almost makes you smile when one of them grabs it too soon after firing and burns their hand.
One of the big issues with the E-Wing that Ecks didn't mention is that the canon on top of the cockpit had to be removed for a pilot to enter or exit the ship
@@bkane573 I love the Strykers.
I think it would look better with quad turbo lasers, with two either each side of the cockpit or mounted under the wings inboard of the engines
@@bkane573 If an E-wing crashes in the hanger, letting the pilor burn is entirely consistent with its economical nature of the bird.
@@bkane573 Which makes a cockpit that guarantees they burn even more economical!
The 3rd gun over the canopy seems really impractical to egress. It would of looked a lot better with that 3rd gun under the nose ( e.g. A-10 )
I was just thinking further back, but same principle. It looks like it could be mounted to be parallel to the wing cannons, and not interfere with landing.
It's beyond dumb: It reduces top visibility, it leaves no space for a top-side astromech droid, it makes the ship center-mass the juiciest target and the hood makes the profile ugly beyond words. Don't get me started on the tubes below the wings. Lazy, shitty design.
@@ignazioacerenza9881 Astromech is directly underneath it, right behind the pilot.
@@lynngreen7978 I am aware, but putting it inside the ship means it's not a design element anymore. Out of sight, out of mind. You could tell me they have a full orchestra, complete with can can dancers inside of that ugly hull and I wouldn't care.
Putting the cannons right next to the engine nacelles also seems like a safety hazard.
Constantly referring to the Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, which I bought at the now defunct Sam Goodys back in the 90s, is what made me the stubborn Star Wars ship aficionado I am today. Poor old yellowish orange book is very used.
I got the New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels as a kid. It still sits proudly on my bookshelf... As a three ring binder! Poor book was not build for someone who read it as much as I did!
My school library had that in it, probably one of the most checked out books there was. Got both it and and the weapons/tech version of it much later on that I still like to reread now n then
*How does the ejection seat work?*
If it has to blow the top gun out of the way first, that leads to a _lot_ of potential issues - what if the system fails and the gun doesn't blow out of the way first, what if the system triggers accidentally without a pilot ejecting, and wouldn't it decrease the accuracy of the gun anyway; having the joins to separate?
Typically, rebel/new republic pilots don't carry any sort of mask or pressurized suit. So if you get shot down in space, a toxic planet, or one with a hostile environment, there's no point in ejecting since you're pretty much screwed at that point. In worlds where you can breathe and survive easily, ideally you don't get shot down but if you are, you're expected to crash land.
Maybe it ejects out of the bottom like some bomber ejection seats.
Well in fairness, we've already got an attack helicopter today (The Ka-50) with an ejection system which explosively jettisons the rotors out of the way before the pilot's shot upwards, so if we can figure that out today and make it reliable, I reckon they could do it in Star Wars.
@@marrqi7wini54 that's not true at all didn't you read any of the books? I mean look how long JEDI could stay alive after ejection? Almost a week if not more..
@@marrqi7wini54 rebels have often been depicted ejecting safely. The flight suit is clearly enough to survive a short while in a vacuum. Apparently there is some sort of lower face covering flap with a breathing tube which can be affixed to the standard helmets... Not that it's ever shows up in the movies.
Perhaps canonically it's there but is removed for audience clarity of facial expression? Perhaps it deploys from the helmet in some way when the ejector is punched. Lol.
I just realized something. Jek-14s Lego Stealth Starfighter is a repainted E-Wing!
The E-Wing may carry the second, later third most ammo, but some stats only gave it one launcher to fire them from.
Yes, it has one launcher. After all it is still Attack Fighter not a bomber.
The X-wing also only has one launcher the last I checked and it could fire 2 proton torpedos in a second. I think it was less a challenge of firing all of them and not dumping them too quickly.
@@acephantom903 Or it is a technical mistake.
@@acephantom903 X-wing has 2. It's also possibly just an error by the essential guide since the part they have the missle port in doesn't exist in Dark Empire and instead there's 2 normal ones on the nose.
I disliked the E-wing, the cannon over the top of the cockpit makes flying it hazardous. If it starts firing and the flashes interferes with the pilots sight it can make it vulnerable. If it was underslung on the bottom it would be better.
would look better as well
@@kinggoten I figured the people that 'be' always thought we had to see the third barrel and it needed to be prominent. If you sling it under the nose between the gear skids or put it in the nose and shift the sensor equipment around the audience 'wouldn't see it and be confused'. As I wrote above if they switched the nose sensors and third blaster around, even put a small dome bubble behind the cockpit to show the sensor's placement would make more sense for the 'monkey brain engineer' in us. A term used to describe us fathoming building in the future and it needing to conform to older tech capacities to quiet the 'monkey brain engineer' in us. Something we all have when comparing very new ways to build things.
I dont see why it would blind you, given TIE Fighters have their cannons mounted right beneath the windscreen.
my question is how do you open the cockpit ?
@@Chiller1967 it slides forward?
I love all the models that you show us and commission, it adds another layer of realism and scale to these concepts and art depictions usually only ever seen in books or comics 🌌
How the e-wing cockpit opens is in an image just under the “history” header of its Wookieepedia page
Thanks for the info, cool to see that actually.
Yea they just removed the top gun first 😂😂 hardly a viable demonstration, and a clear design oversight
@@derrickstorm6976 no, the top gun is still there. What it looks like to me is that the actual firing part slides back with the droid socket covering, and the barrel stays attached to the cockpit
I remember seeing somewhere that the barrel of the cannon separates from the base and actually stay attached to the canopy when the canopy opens.
Yes, the Dark Empire comic (with different ship's nose, somewhat) does pretty much show this.
Ok! I was wondering how that all worked out.
ugh that then creates seating and connection issues if the canopy is even a bit off or fuselage damage happens. Really they need to side or undermount it.
@@eonaon6914 its star wars, i doubt there is any problems
Love the model. I personally would of made the E-wing a fighter bomber. Replace the top cannon with an ion Cannon and had it have two torpedo launchers with 8 torp magazines.
Now you have a fighter bomber that doesn't need an escort.
Agree. Basically more capable Y-Wing, without ability to carry actual bombs in exchange for performance.
It didn't really replace the X-wing. The X-wing had successor variants itself, like the XJ line. I believe they were still more common in the Galactic Alliance than the E-wing.
Yeah the cannons are prone to breakdown and it needed an advanced R7 astromech. Probably not the best thing during combat when your guns dont shoot lol
@@Pyro978 Please fly the E-wing, fun fact the X-wing blew up the death star the E-wing blew up... a toilet bowl 😂
It actually was intended to be a replacement. The problem was, units like Rogue Squadron refused to upgrade. Add the Proprietary Astromech problem, and the Synthetic Tibanna Gas issue, and the 25% less non-ammo dependent firepower, and it never had a chance.
I found the whole "the A wing is a poor convoy escort" bit amusing as to why this thing is justified.
The A wing is a designated interceptor, ofcourse it's a poor escort. Also no, SW EU has made it clear an Awing can accelerate from a dead stop to top speed in 5 seconds (seems all SW fighters can for some reason). If you can be ontop of them with them in your sights faster than 5 seconds, it doesn't matter how good their craft is, it's dead.
@@cgi2002 Militaries often replace things for dumb reasons. A good real life example is the current G36 controversy in the German army. Long story short, when the German army introduced the G36, they also ordered an LMG variant with a heavier barrel for longer sustained fire from H&K. However, they cancelled the order and only adopted the standard assault rifle variant. 20 years later, the German army suddenly started to complain that the gun gets too hot and loses precision after dumping several mags of ammo. Yeah, no shit, that's what the heavy barrel of the LMG was for, but you cancelled the order you geniuses. Now they're looking for a new assault rifle because of this. So essentially, they want to replace an assault rifle for not being an LMG, but when they get a new assault rifle, it won't be an LMG either.
From a looks perspective I feel like the E Wing “looks” like a much older more basic model because the further you go back in the timeline the more basic everything looks
If the X wing was complicated and thus not suited to the Empires needs then it makes sense the new republic would its self need a simpler ship than the X wing. It's going to be roughly empire sized and it can't really afford to pay for a billion X wings to fill out its military.
I'm pretty sure this was a lego set back in the day. Jek-14's stealth starfighter, an E wing, just with different colors.
Wasn't that long ago lol...about 4 years is all
Yep I remember getting it and then finding it in the essential guide to Star fighters
The Lego Star Wars visual dictionary even referred to it as an E-wing. Maybe it was a prototype.
Frankly I think it had a better design. If I remember correctly, it had a turret on its dorsal section instead of a fixed cannon.
@@trollerpilotxiv3079 also the cannon above the windshield could move so that you could actually open the cockpit and aim at targets more easily
Does anyone recall the mods to X-Wing Alliance that brought both the E-Wing and the K-Wing, man 1999-2003, what a great time for star wars games
I vaguely remember them being unimpressive.
Great game though…
As much as I'd love to agree with the esteemed EL, I simply cannot agree. The E Wing loses the charm of the X-wing's four wings, seemingly reduces its firepower (going from four guns to three), and puts a GIANT cannon ABOVE the cockpit. It would've made more sense to mount it ventral.
There's no easy way to get out of the cockpit. No way to have an ejection system.
The E Wing has a lot going for it, but the overhead cannon is just not doing it for me. It bugs me too much.
Spent the whole episode wishing it was underslung rather than overhead mounted. surely that gives you a pretty dangerous moment of blindness every time you fire?
@@Cryshalo how would you even enter/exit the cockpit?
That overhead canon needs to be on the underbelly.
@@lamarravery4094 facts. This is why you don’t design spaceships drunk or high kids!
@@realburglazofficial2613 I mean since they were being attacked and y'know, they're basically the equivalent of drunk so... yeah.
That 3d model is really nice, my only grief is the dorsal canon's position being right on top of the cockpit... Kudos on adding that 3rd engine though!
that dorsal cannon should have been either in the nose or in the belly. that cannon will blind the pilot when it is fired. it also affects the aerodynamics for atmo flight.
@@jamesheald7971 You could just as easily mount it on a dorsal fin further back which would also allow the cockpit to open more and generally look better
@@SorenNido it's not about looks. it is about aerodynamics. and there is probably something to be said about functionality. instead of one gun over the cockpit, there should have been two guns on the fuselage similar to the placement of the guns on the Colonial Viper. they should have stretched that out a bit more so they could put a tail gun position on it like they did for the speeders in Empire Strikes Back.
@@jamesheald7971 Aerodynamics are irrelevant in SW when you have the ability to angle shields to allow for optimal atmospheric performance, and anyways if you can put out enough thrust it doesn't matter if you're a brick shaped object
@@SorenNido oh yeah. screw physics and atmospheric flight. SW is good at that. and that is one of the most common complaints SCS has with the vast majority of ships and fighters in the SW universe.
Loved the e-wing ever sense I got it for the fantasy flight game
@@bkane573 I only played the original one, it was solid fun but also pretty intense
I've never liked the E-Wing. It's a design that's good because we're told it's good and not for any other reason.
The top mounted cannon is clearly an afterthought by the original artist and makes no sense - the weapon obscures the pilot's vision and when fired the muzzle flash and projectile will fill the pilot's vision with afterimages.
It also features only 3 cannons and one torpedo tube, giving the E-Wing significantly less firepower than an X-Wing, but we're told it's superior - even though I believe that other than the original T-65 the X-Wing variants use the same cannons.
Personally I'd rather see almost any other fighter design, the E-Wing has been a pet peeve of mine since I first saw it in one of the Rogue Squadron books as a kid
/Rant 😂
Thank you! Totally agree. Not that I hate the E-wing but it is nowhere as cool, iconic or simply as effective as the X-wing.
@@bkane573 Nice troll attempt. Back under your bridge now
Loved the E-wing ever since I first saw it in the Essential Guide to Vehicles. Immediately felt like a ship from the future of Return of the Jedi. Great to see some love for this ship, especially its goofy, blocky original tri-cannon design instead of the more sleek depiction in fan stuff or Crimson Empire.
Beautiful model, too! The third engine is a nice bit of added symmetry with the three cannons.
I love it when you make videos like this, you are truly talented at what you do, great job! PS: the 3D model is stunning congrats to ManPerson :).
Love the E-wing, but there are a few changes I'd make to the design, both for the sake of aesthetics and apparent functionality. For instance, perhaps moving the outboard lasers to the wingtips, and maybe installing the top laser cannon within the nose itself, perhaps off center, similarly to cannons in modern day fighter jets.
I thought some swiveling blaster canons on each side of the cockpit and 2 on the wingtips would be great...the A-wings blasters swiveled
Something to ponder with canonical info: the X-Wing isn't considered as offensively powerful as the E-Wing, yet, aside from double the launcher payload, and likely more powerful Taim and Baks, the E-Wing should, technically, lose to the X-Wing, as it had more cannons as a base design, meaning once the payload of torpedoes or missiles is empty, the X-Wing can still bring more fire-power to bear against opponents.
Respectfully, the muzzle flash of that center cannon has got to be painful
Not to sound overly pessimistic but this looks like a prototype for the viper mark one from battle star Galactica
Lol
Exactly what I was thinking
The E-Wing is the Star Wars equivalent of a Viper MK2
I mean, in all fairness the original Vipers were basically knockoff X-Wings.
I had the Action Fleet E-wing toy as a kid and loved it. Very cool! As a note, the cockpit hinge on the toy was aft of the cannon so the whole assembly tilted up when the cockpit opened.
I'm really glad Ashoka is bringing this back. It was never my favorite (felt very generic in design) but I'm glad it's not forgotten. Plus an Astro mech port really sold me on it.
Yeah, I’m already not a fan of the E-Wing. I’m not against the Raw design, but a HUGE amount of changes could be made to the wings, especially their supporting struts issue, as well as repositioning that top canon further back. How would you redesign the E-Wing to be more Pragmatic while keeping the raw design (engines & weapons, regardless of placement & such)?
you could in theory, push it more onto the top and maybe work in a flipping turret rotator, so you could shoot behind yourself to attack chasers.
I am not as much of a fan of the E-wing as Eckharts, but you could say that you want the cannon moved that far forward because it would be *blasting away at enemies*. In other words, imagine it moved back and closer to the pilot and blasting away? That might be very bad for the pilot.
Personally, I'd move the laser cannon to the underside of the ship. There's nothing down there anyway that would get in the way. The ship's landing gear could extend from in front of the gun, since when landing it wouldn't need to be fired anyway. And maybe those supporting struts on the sides could more resemble the pylons of a TIE Fighter, to make things a little less "good guys/bad guys" visually.
@@mitchellhayward6492 actually I'd side mount two or undergun to the nose like you said but move it in from of the landing gear. So if a pilot accidently discharges the forward weapon it wont affect landing. Then for the connection point issues I'd add either a slant connection from the body and then armor them a bit to add more ammo since one of the reasons x wing pilots didnt like it was lesser ammo capacity, that and add heat sinks.
I would also move the wing engines to a center point rather than directly under the wing mounted weapons so that weapon heat isn't effecting the engines and engine heat isn't effecting the weapons. This also allows for the maneuverability they were trying for while solving a heat sink issue.
@@eonaon6914 Activating the landing gears could disconnect the weapons simultaneously so that they can't be fired while touching down. I get that having a landing gear right in front of a gun could otherwise be problematic. Or else, 2 landing gears could emerge from each side of the barrel.
I like the placement of the engines and the wing-tip laser cannons, because they resemble aircraft hardpoints. A bit more space between them makes sense though.
Love that cg model! I used to have a lot of affection for the E-wing, but I guess now its aesthetic design just looks ugly to me compared to the classic starfighters. Still, I appreciate this retrospective on a somewhat forgotten starfighter that's been around since the early days of post RotJ EU!
Low-key one of my most anticipated videos from you. I've always appreciated the E-Wing as a superior craft and one of the biggest disappointments for me was the lack of them in the sequel trilogy. Like, I would have forgiven a lot of bad story decisions and crappy characters if they'd had E-Wings
I'd even be happy with some cool B-Wing action. They're cool but get very little screentime in the movies. I think the Starfortresses in TLJ might have been their successors, but man they had mobility issues. (Assuming your intended destination wasn't Hell)
"Less moving parts".... Didn't early models have to have the top gun removed to allow the pilot to exit. I swear that's in one of the ship breakdown books.
Iirc then at least one model had a break action barrel to swing up when the canopy opened, but that was a weak point which sometimes broke after sustained firing.
I wish the sequels had some new ships and not just "Tie-fighter with a red stripe"
Appeal to nostalgia
I think that the central engine presents a couple of problems: There's not enough room in the fuselage to hold the same type of engine as those on the wings. Even allowing for a smaller engine, there would be very little interior space left for anything else.
If I was a E-Wing pilot I’d probably have the top cannon moved backed an replaced with an ion turret. I would also have options of having the astromech use it, have it automated or use it manually.
my favorite new republic ships thanks eck
By far one of most favorite SW starfighters! Thanks for commissioning the 3D model- it looks great!
Beautiful, love the E-wing
Replaced the X-Wing till the later model X-Wings reintegrated the E-Wing's tech advances and they brought back the classic look. (The 65A2, A3, and XJ variants)
I always preffered the V-Wing Airspeeder more myself.
Wish there was more content on that.
Love you content dude love to see you talk about how you would build a fleet with ships of your. Choice with full choice of support ships
Chief Engineer: and it has less moving parts...
Pilot: Cool.. Cool.. Cool.. Soooooooo how do I get in? The cannon is in the way.
Chief Engineer: .......... KARABAST!!!
The E wing looks like it has another certain weakness, the 2 engines VERY exposed on it's wings.
@@bkane573 Uh... The engines on both the X-wing and the A-wing were close to the main body
Has someone who has an Action Fleet E-Wing I'm happy Eck Posted this.
Is there an in-universe explanation for the thin secondary connection between the main body and the wings? Maybe just extra structural support when maneuvering in atmosphere so the wings don't snap off? 🤔
Fleet battle
Rebel fleet at Endor vs. Cole’s fleet at Cole’s last stand
While I do like the E Wing, I have a couple of gripes with it.
1. The wing engines are too close to the cannons. I'd say move them a little more to the center of the wing.
2. Of course it's the cannon on top of the cockpit. I think it should go on the bottom below the cockpit. Oooh and also, make it swivel from left to right like it can track what it's firing at.
3. No droid. Instead, put the droid where the top cannon used to be.
That, I believe, would definitely be a improvement in the design. What do you think?
Was about to comment about that blaster over the cockpit. Glad I waited until the end of the video...
The extra engine fixes the major physics issues with the ship somewhat to! Cool!
Put the top cannon on the Bottom and I say: get it on screen. It's an interesting design and better/more original than the X-wing copy-paste they did in the Sequel Trilogy
3D model is very Nice, well done👌
I’m not sure how I feel about this E-wing design. I still prefer the T-80 X-wing design.
I think a better placement for that top blaster would be alongside the nose, and under the cockpit. Also, if there were two of these blasters on each side, they could fire alternatively, and allow for more effective cooling.
Nice video eck! Thanks for yet more knowledge on this fighter, I’m always in search of more Star Wars knowledge cause of you.
It's a cool design...except for the top mounted laser, which makes no sense. Why wouldn't that be placed on the center line under the nose? Putting it on top like that exposes it to damage, obstructs the pilot view, and gets in the way when the canopy is opened. It's also easier to bore sight a weapon that is placed in the nose of the ship, rather than one offset the center line like that.
Great 3d render. Just need to preface with that.
My immediate reaction upon seeing the design: Its ugly. It looks like someone said let's take a Z-95 Headhunter and strip it down like the Rebel era Y-Wing and then hit it with the ugly stick about 5 times.
I hate this design. There are "Ugly" fighters that are more aesthetically pleasing. How would I fix it? Move the wing to the top of the fuselage and embed the engines into the wing. That little change would make it much better. Throw on some panel covers for good measure to smooth out the exterior and increase aerodynamics. A nod to aerodynamics always improves aesthetics.
Just imagine some mad man makes a vulture droid a pilotable ship and gives it a hyperdrive
The gun on top of your head would make it hard to get in. &, when firing, you would be temporarily blinded?
The Astro-mech would have to rely on monitors to pilot the ship when needed inside the ship.
It is shaped like an (E)!
The E-Wing is an example of things I didn't care for in the original Expanded Universe. Every rendition I've seen of it was hideous. While I HATE the sequel trilogy, the best thing about it was seeing a newer generation / iteration of the X-Wing, rather than these hideous things.
The E-Wing needs to make more appearances in canon. That one cameo in the Poe Dameron comic can't cut it.
Never understood why the central gun on an E-Wing was mounted over the cockpit and not either under slung or a spinal mount. You've got the entire barrel taking up valuable line of sight over the cockpit, and it is all but guaranteed to blind the pilot when it fires.
Well the E-Wing is extremely powerful and all, but it is the most generic star fighter design they could have come up with and that's why I hate it. At least the K-Wing was more imaginative, and as a bonus resembled one of the bombers from the Wing Commander games.
I do have to say though, this E-Wing model being featured is much more impressive/better looking than any other representation I've seen of it so far.
I agree. My favorite Star Wars fighter types are the Tie Defender and the B-Wing, because they could only exist in the Star Wars Universe. The E-Wing, and even the K-Wing to an extent, look generic AF. (K-Wing at least is loaded with weapons, so it looks cool. :D)
@@shorewall B-Wing was always one of my favorites from a design perspective even as a child watching the OT in the late 80s. Tie Defender is one of my favorite "newer" ships that were introduced. It's just so OP and quite frankly it looks awesome.
I didn't really give a damn about the K-Wing back in the day either, but it's grown on me. Reminds me of a combination of the Rapier & Raptor medium/heavy fighters in Wing Commander 1. I think there's a ship or two in WC2 that it also resembles but I couldn't find images for them in a quick googlefu.
Oh and I'm pretty sure Mark Hamill did voice or mocap for later games in the series.
Personally i think it would look nicer if the engines were either integrated into the wings or placed up close to the body similar to the x wing. That top cannon could also easily be a bottom cannon which would make it a whole lot easier to get in and out of the ship. Seems like a slight design flaw
The E Wing looked cool as hell in the Lego yoda chronicles
One of the best Lego adaptations of an existing IP I ever played btw too and it got removed from the App Store
Honestly, more than routine mounting or dismounting of the craft (which seems like it would be a pain in the butt), my concern would be, what happens if you need to eject?
You'd either need a downward ejection, or explosive bolts to blast off the dorsal cannon and canopy as part of the ejection sequence. Downward ejection probably makes the most sense. This was used in a number of American and Soviet aircraft in the '50s and '60s.
Also, why would you hang the "wing" engines way out on the ends of the wings in pylons, rather than in the fuselage? Yeah, it could make maintenance easier, but it would also take up more deck space (unless the wings could fold vertical for stowage, and based on the strut, and it looks like they might. But then we're back to s-foils, basically).
Compare an E-Wing against a Viper Mk. VII. You're looking at a roughly similar form factor in terms of engines, weapons, etc. Which seems more efficient?
For my money, I'd go with the Viper Mk. VII., assuming comparable weapons, shields, etc.
As good as it is, it will never not look to me like someone did the best they could with an X-wing LEGO set that was missing pieces.
Anyone else stay to the end of every video for that satisfying outro?
Loved the video Ek, these are what I like.
I've still got the micro machine action fleet Ewing from mid 90s. I love it but remember being so confused way back about what it was. Parents thought comics were devilry and had to sneak the novels but toys were readily available. Thanks for this! I thought it was a forgotten ship!
So @EckhartsLadder, it has been shown in some media where the centerline cannon, uh, folds in half to allow the cockpit canopy to hinge upwards like the X-Wing's.
How would its speed be a detriment for convoy duty? The Mustang and Thunderbolt were some of the fastest planes of ww2 and they were great bomber escorts. The only way speed could be an issue is if they were in an atmosphere and the convoy moved so slow that the Ewings aerodynamics stalled at those speeds.
The only way it hurts the Ewing is that in the initial attack it's going convoy speed but that's an issue for any fighter escorting a convoy in space.
Beautiful model and great video
There are a few Comic shots, that actually show the top Cannon can rotate 90° to allow pilot ingress/egress. Also, it would be assumed that the barrel is jettisoned during an ejection from the fighter.
My main issue with this design is necessity of pilot TELEPORTING into cockpit... Other one is that laser canon being essentially flashlight in front of your face in very dark environment, constantly blinding you every shot, especially with piece of glass between canon and eyes, making it jj Abrams' wett dream of lens flare effects...
The laser cannon on the top does bother me , so I think the canopy sliding forward for access makes sense , or maybe the pilot boards from underneath ?
That would be different for a Rebel Starfighter.
Just made a squad on Xwing with them. Pretty hearty
It would be so cool if we got a game with a whole bunch of playable ships- maybe if Squadrons gets a sequel,
Id love to have a Tie Phantom go up against an E-Wing or even the Chad O-Wing
The E Wing was the New Republics version of our present day main battle tank. It was fast, well protected, and apart from problems with its early laser blasters heavily armed. The only thing it did not replace was future fighter bombers, but it could still compete with B Wings.
Lore is full of interesting and realistic ideas. Keep talking about it because it is the best timeline!
I'm sure this is said elsewhere, but it's a Battlestar Galactica Star Viper with a Star Wars recoat. And yet another example of Expanded Universe authors adding their own Super-Wonderful-The-Best OC.
And yet it's *still* a delightful ship.
A fun video idea might be what starfighter. Luke and R2 used through thier history together. I personally missed a lot of legends and feel like he went from his classic xwing to stealth x.
Hey Eck--
I think the center, where you put a third thruster, is where the hyperdrive is s'posed to be, jus' sayin'.
Always thought it looked like the offspring of an X-Wing and a Colonial Viper.
I was really looking forward to seeing E-wings and Tie Defenders in the new films.
It's criminal that we never got this starfighter in any of the flight sim games.
Overall I like the E-wing, and I wish it had gotten some appearance in the new canon other than a few offhand mentions here and there. There are a few things about the design that I really think need to change, though. First is the obvious one that you and half the comments have mentioned, the dorsal cannon. Not great, but talked about enough. The other big thing for me is the engines. Especially on the official artwork, the engine pods under the wings look kind of silly; they're so long and skinny, and mounted the way they are they make the whole fighter look off-balance, at least to me. Personally I think it would've looked better with engines at the wing-roots, perhaps blending between the hull and the wings like a modern jet.
This particular rendition does mitigate that issue some, though; the engines are beefed up, which is nice, and the third thrust nozzle on the aft helps to balance the whole thing out. Still think it would look better with the two wing-mounted engines moved, but that's just me. Overall it's a lovely rendering of the ship.
I wish the Alpha-class Xg-1 (assault gunboat from Tie Fighter) saw a lore upgraded version.
Those are cool, Like an imperial shuttle but more X-Wingish
You mean the Starfighter that Lego's Jek-14 flies is:
1.) A model that is already used in the galaxy?
2.) Is an E-wing?
How did I miss this?!😯
That unicorn horn looks ridiculous, and is guaranteed to blind the pilot and block vision. It would be far better to have it underslung or deleted entirely.
Oh, you mentioned it too.
Wish squadrons could add these ships.
Even though I collected those comics you showed, and have the Micro Machines toy, I never thought that the E-Wing came after the X-Wing. To me it looks a bit more archaic, and more like a precursor to the X-Wing.
Yeah, the only way that cockpit could open would be sliding forward.
I remember having a figure of this as a kid. Always found it interesting. On the topic of the cockpit cannon, if I remember correctly, the cannon lifted with the canopy on the figure.
I still have my Action Fleet E-Wing toy from the '90s.
I love that ship.
With that 3rd engine, it doesn't look like there's enough room for an astromech and 16 torps.
Video Idea: Which Sci-Fi Faction has the best Dropship | Phantom(Halo), Cheyenne UD-4L(Aliens), Puddle Jumper(StarGate), UT-47 Kodiak(Mass Effect)
Always loved the design of the E-wing and really hope that it comes back somehow from Legends. Would also love to find a good 3D print file for one or 20 lol.