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C-wing Heavy Starfighter

Deviation Actions

Published: Apr 18, 2020

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Literature Text

RX-282 C-wing Heavy Starfighter

Manufacturer: Hoersch-Kessel Drive.
Model: RX-282 C-wing
Class: heavy assault starfighter
Cost: 180, 650 credits (armed variant), 130,500 credits (unarmed variant), 116,00 credits (used)
Length: 27m
Width: 25m
Max Acceleration: 16
MGLT: 88
Max Atmospheric Speed: 900 km/h
Maneuverability:
Engines: XJV-34567
Hyperdrive/Backup: 1.5/3
Shielding: equipped
Navigation: astromech droid assisted
Sensors: equipped
Armament: wingtip blaster cannons x2, dorsal fire-linked triple blaster cannon turret x1, ventral fire-linked double dual-purpose turrets x2, multipurpose ordnance launchers x6 (w/6 concussion/mag pulse/ion pulse missiles, 4 proton torpedoes, 3 proton rockets, 2 proton bomb per launcher)
Other Equipment: folding wings, cockpit ejection system, onboard refreshers
Crew: 1 pilot, 1 co-pilot, 2 gunners/bombadiers, 2 astromech droids
Minimum Crew: 1 pilot, 1 astromech droid
Passengers: none (up to 3 if minimally crewed)
Cargo: 220kg (640kg on unarmed variant)
Consumables: 2 weeks (8 weeks on unarmed variant)
Availability: military (unarmed to civilians)
Roles: assault starfighter, long-range starfighter, bomber, escort, law enforcement, advanced trainer, priority transport
Affiliation: various

Description: twin-tandem cockpits, single triple turret mounted centrally on the spaceframe, two double turrets mounted underneath and aft of each cockpit, folding wings

History: the RX-282 C-wing was a response by Hoersch-Kessel Drive (HKD) to the advent of the Galactic Empire's Missile Boat starfighter following the Battle of Hoth. In an attempt to recoup the losses from the disasterous T-wing interceptor project HKD marketed the C-wing to the Alliance to Restore the Republic as a multipurpose starfighter that could out-fly and out-fight the Missile Boat. Initially Alliance High Command showed interest in the project as there was fear that the Empire was starting to adopt heavier starfighters in the form of the Star Wing assault gunboat and Missile Boat alongside encounters with more advanced TIE variants. However with the sudden withdrawal of the Missile Boat, and the limited deployment of the Star Wing and more advanced TIEs the need for the C-wing was called into question.

Limited production was ordered by a hesitant Rebel Alliance and a desperate HKD who agreed to produce an initial batch of starfighters for the Alliance in the hopes that they'd purchase a full production run of the C-wing. However by this point in the war the Rebel Alliance had started to move away from its motley collection of starfighters and begun to standardize on the X-wing, A-wing, Y-wing, and B-wing. As a result there was great resistance to adopting such a large starfighter designed to do the same roles as the starfighters already in the Alliance inventory. The limited run of C-wings reached the Alliance Starfighter Corps within six months after the Battle of Hoth and several squadrons were quickly trained up on the type and were deployed to the front lines by the end of the year.

The type saw some successes with the squadrons it served with but with the Battle of Endor and the shifting of the war to an offensive against an increasingly splintered Empire the newly formed New Republic opted to further standardize on single-seat and two-seat starfighters rather than introduce the four-being crew C-wing. HKD was devastated by this decision as they'd already begun tooling up several major factories in the hopes that the C-wing would see widespread adoption throughout the Alliance and now New Republic. However an opportunity was seen in the increasing collapse of the Empire and much like the previous T-wing debacle Hoersch-Kessel Drive was able to recoup some of their losses by selling the type on the open market that was now increasingly hard for the Galactic Empire to regulate. The appearance of an assault starfighter on the open market caused some limited panic amongst various governments but HKD allayed some of this by calling the C-wing a 'heavy starfighter' instead of advertising it as the assault fighter it very clearly was.

The C-wing was designed to be highly modular and while the core design was heavily armed Hoersch-Kessel Drive was more than willing to sell unarmed variants to those wishing to purchase them. Typically the unarmed variant did away with the powerful ordnance launchers and their accompanying ordnance bays as well as the turreted cannons. The saved space was filled with additional cargo capacity, turning the C-wing into a starfighter sized light transport that maintained the wingtip mounted blaster cannons for self-defense. In this guise the C-wing found a strange niche as a priority transport and courier ship aided by its swift hyperdrive.

A fully armed C-wing however showed the type's military roots. The wingtip mounted blaster cannons were suppemented by a single triple blaster turret atop the spaceframe and two underslung dual-purpose double turrets beneath and behind each cockpit. These dual turrets were an experimental design that enabled the gunner of the C-wing to switch between heavy blaster cannons or ion cannons giving the C-wing the capacity to disable a target should the need arise. Backing up this significant cannon punch were six multipurpose ordnance launchers that could carry a wide assortment of missile, torpedo, rocket, and bomb types in respectable quantities.

All this firepower was meant to be fielded by a crew of four, a pilot, co-pilot split between each cockpit with a gunner and bombardier sitting behind them. In this fashion the considerable weapons loadout was able to be handled by the gunner and bombardier whilst the pilot and co-pilot coordinated the movements of the craft as well as the forward firing wingtip weapons. A pair of astromech droids behind each cockpit rounded out the crew and enabled the C-wing to perform advanced hyperspace jumps without the need for an onboard navicomp. A single pilot was in theory capable of operating the C-wing by themselves but it was found that this severely limited the utility of the turreted weapon systems and so most C-wings went into battle with at least two crew in the form of pilot and co-pilot.

The versatality of the RX-282 and its sales on the open market meant that Hoersch-Kessel Drive was able to soften the blow from the lost military contract from the New Republic. However the craft was never common or in widespread demand throughout the galaxy at large, meaning HKD initially sold it at a loss. Despite this enough planetary and system governments showed interest in the design alongside various private entities to keep the C-wing production lines open and profitable. Whilst a military contract from a galactic government would have guaranteed a greater profit the C-wing did at least guarantee a steady stream of income for the struggling Hoersch-Kessel Drive and was seen as a potent starfighter by those individuals and organizations that acquired them.

starfighter starwars

This is inspired by a starship designed by Ravendeviant who was kind enough to allow me to take the ideas they articulated in their design and give it a profile within the Star Wars universe.

C-Wing Fighter - Schematics by Ravendeviant

C-Wing Fighter - Top View by Ravendeviant

C-Wing Fighter - Portrait by Ravendeviant

They originally called it the 'CX-282' (inspired by the F-82 Twin Mustang) but since I made Hoersch-Kessel Drive the manufacturer I changed the designation to 'RX-282' to reflect Hoersch-Kessel Drive's naming habits.

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