Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter

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Production information
Manufacturer
Kuat Systems Engineering

Product line
Alpha-series

Model
Alpha-3 Nimbus-class "V-wing" starfighter

Class
Starfighter

Cost
45,000

Technical specifications
Length
7.9 meters

Width
3.8 meters

Height/depth
5.84 meters (wings extended)

Maximum acceleration
4,800 G

MGLT
75

Maximum speed (atmosphere)
1,050 km/h to 52,000 km/h (with deflector shields on)

Hyperdrive rating
Class 1.0 (with booster ring)

Hyperdrive system
None or (Syluire-45 hyperspace transport ring)

Shielding
Equipped

Armament
Twin laser cannons (2)
Some were equipped with Flak guns and Proton bombs

Crew
Pilot (1)
Q7-series astromech droid (1)

Passengers
None

Cargo capacity
60 kg

Consumables
15 hours


The Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter, often simply known as the V-wing starfighter or Nimbus fighter, was a short-ranged starfighter deployed late in the Clone Wars by the Galactic Republic.

V-wing were later succeeded by the Imperial TIE Fighter and its variants, as well as the Rebel RZ-1 A-wing interceptor, all of which incorporated aspects of the V-wing into their designs.

The Alpha-3 Nimbus-class starfighter was a sturdy, wedge-shaped starfighter similar to the Delta-7 Aethersprite-class interceptors employed by the Jedi Order. It was manufactured by Kuat Systems Engineering, the same company responsible for both the Delta-7 fighter and its successor, the Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor.

Both the Delta-7 and the Alpha-3 models were designed by the engineer Walex Blissex, who would later co-design the Rebel Alliance's A-wing fighter with Jan Dodonna. The V-wing had wing mounted laser cannons and had a wedge shape. The V-wings also featured folding wing radiators similar to those fitted on the later Eta-2 interceptors. But when landing, the wings fold downward to form as landing gear. Nestled between each wing and the hull were two twin laser cannons, which could swivel on the vessel's wing hubs to provide a wide range of fire.

Aft of the starfighter's main hull were two deflector shield heat sinks, located above the two vertically stacked ion drive thrusters. These flaps also provided some protection for the V-wing's clone pilot.

In keeping with the design of the Delta-7, the Alpha-3 featured an astromech droid socket aft of the oval cockpit. V-wing pilots were often assisted by spherical Q7-series astromech droids which provided in-flight navigation and maintenance skills that would otherwise require a copilot—which the compact V-wing could not accommodate. However, later incarnations of the V-wing used by the Galactic Empire omitted the astromech, with the pilot as the only occupant.

As the V-wing starfighter was too small to feature an integrated hyperdrive, it required a transportation into combat zones by carriers such as the Venator-class Star Destroyer. Each carried 192 V-wing fighters. V-wing fighters were also capable of using a Syluire-45 hyperspace transport ring to go long distance without a carrier vessel.

The clone troopers who flew the fighter had specially adapted helmets. These helmets, along with their flight suits, were fully sealed due to the lack of a life support system.