E-wing Starfighter
Shortly after the [Battle of Endor, FreiTek was founded by the engineers and scientists who had designed the X-wing for Incom. The company’s first design, which was supported by the fledgling New Republic, was the E-wing starfighter. Given that many of the E-wing’s design team had been involved in Incom’s X-wing project, the new starfighter had an excellent pedigree from the very beginning. Expectations were also high, especially when the versatility and power of the X-wing fighter were taken into account.
The E-wing was originally conceived as a replacement for the A-wing starfighter. Initial trials of the fighter exceeded all expectations, since it was fast, well armed, and quite agile. After a time, problems with the E-wing’s weapon lasers became obvious, requiring that they be redesigned. Th result was the Type B E-wing. Though it is still host to a few minor technical issues, the Type B is a solid design that continues to be a favorite among Republic fighter pilots.
Though they are available only in small numbers, E-wings have nonetheless been distinguished in combat several times. They have seen service against the remnants of the Imperial Navy as led by Grand Admiral Thrawn, during the Black Fleet Crisis, and in the Yuuzhan Vong War. Given the expense of these starfighters, as well as their advanced capabilities, they are almost always flown by ace pilots.
Capabilities
The E-wing is extremely maneuverable due to its innovative control surfaces. These systems are inherently tied to the ship’s astromech droid, which must be installed for them to function at peak efficiency. To make matters somewhat more complicated, the E-wing isn’t able to employ standard astromech droids unless they are retrofitted (at a cost of 10,000 credits). The R7 astromech droid is the standard for which the E-wing was designed, and it can be used with no modification whatsoever. so long as the ship is equipped with an R7 (or sufficiently modified) astromech droid, the pilot benefits from a +2 equipment bonus on Pilot checks.
FreiTek Inc. E-wing Starfighter, Type B (CL 12)
Starships of the Galaxy, page 83.
Gargantuan starfighter
Initiative: +9; Senses: Perception +8
Defenses: Fort 28, Ref 19 (flat-footed 13) ; +8 armor, Vehicular Combat
Hit Points: 150; DR: 10; SR: 15; Damage Threshold: 48
Speed: fly 16 squares (max. velocity 1,300 km/h), fly 6 squares (starship scale)
Ranged: triple heavy blaster cannons +10 (see below) or
Ranged: proton torpedoes
Fighting Space: 4×4 or 1 square (starship scale); Cover: total
Base Attack: +5; Grapple: 38
Attack Options: autofire (triple heavy blaster cannons), fire-link (proton torpedoes)
Abilities: Str 46, Dex 23, Con —, Int 17
Skills: Initiative +9, Mechanics +8 (+13*), Perception +8, Pilot +9, Use Computer +8 (+13*)
* If the ship has an astromech droid, use these skill modifiers instead.
Crew: 1 plus astromech droid (expert); Passengers: none
Cargo: 110 kg; Consumables: 1 week; Carried Craft: none
Payload: 16 proton torpedoes
Hyperdrive: ×2, 10-jump memory (astromech droid)
Availability: Military/Restricted/Licensed; Cost: 200,000 (80,000 used)
Triple heavy blaster cannons (pilot)
Attack: +10 (+5 autofire), Damage: 6d10×2
Proton torpedoes (pilot)
Attack: +10, Damage: 9d10×2, 4-square splash