Star Wars: Episode VII's X-Wing Revealed - Update

[Often]

I'm amazed by how many people imperiously claiming that this can't be an x-wing because the wings aren't open seem to completely forget that the wings CLOSE even in the very first movie.

Plus it's 30 years later. Couldn't designs have... modified? Look at military jets 30 years ago compared to today.

 

[Mahorfeus]

Looks pretty damn cool - a respectable homage to the original, while looking streamlined enough to make it a convincing technological advancement. Compare to the ARC-170 starfighter, which while looking incredibly badass in its own right, was not a really convincing "predecessor" to the X-wing.

Here's hoping that the B-wing (my all-time favorite of the alphabet ships) shows up, though I'm not holding my breath... it's still a shame that its scenes in Return of the Jedi had to be cut, IIRC.

 

[Ark of the Covetor]

I'm amazed by how many people imperiously claiming that this can't be an x-wing because the wings aren't open seem to completely forget that the wings CLOSE even in the very first movie.

Plus it's 30 years later. Couldn't designs have... modified? Look at military jets 30 years ago compared to today.

The issue isn't that they have a new X-Wing design for the new movies, the issue is that after JJ took a massive shiny Apple-store dump all over Star Trek, and given his attitudes, a lot of folk don't trust him to actually have this be a "new" design at all. Ralph McQuarrie's conceptual work for Star Wars is stunning, but for 99.99% of Star Wars fans, it's something they experienced after the movies(if at all), and if JJ ends up retconning this new design as being "the" X-Wing, the Incom T-65, yeaaaaah that's not going to go down well.

He may not, he may as theorised cast this as a new model, or a refit of the original with updated engine tech or something, but his recent track record robs him of any right to expect the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

this is the original Ralph McQuarrie designed x-wing

note the engines

Mind=Blown. NOW I am excited to see it in action. After watching the video, I was just confused as to where the other engines went

 

[Hero of Lime]

The original X Wing is still my favorite spaceship/starfighter design of all time, this one looks alright. Obviously it's a redesign and I'm OK with that. Definitely prefer the original coloration and overall design.

 

[Nowhere Man]

The engines obviously split in half Ralph McQuarrie style - you can tell in the video where the camera starts close up. I don't understand all the fuss. It's been 30 years of course things are going to change. Time doesn't stand still, even in a Galaxy far away. Also who cares if its based off of EU material? They already stated months ago that they were going to be cherry picking elements from the EU and I think that's a cool idea. I love the new fighter and cant wait to see it in action.

 

[Buizel91]

Wonder if they have changed the Y-Wings and A-Wings slightly as well. Still this is good, its not the original obviously but it's a nice "Upgrade" They will undoubtedly have a reference to the older model somewhere in the film. even if it's one, broken down in a hanger or something.

Can't wait to see these new updated designs, hope they do them justice!

 

[Hiramas]

Looks like the s-foils now split vertically instead of horizontally (like on the classic X-Wing), with the front half folding down and the rear half folding up.

this.

Watch the video again, specifically timestamp 0:55 and notice the part of the wing that leads up to the lasers. The upper lasers-wing is slightly curved up and behind the slightly curved down lower laser.
That suggests this Fighter has S-Foils and they split in a vertical line instead of just two wings layerd like the old x-wing.
Additionally, seams and stuff might be added in postproduction because they are functional parts that cannot be build on a studio prop?
This looks already better than the prequels and better than what was done on Star Trek, so maybe this wont be so bad after all?
We can only hope....

 

[kael013]

Looks like the s-foils now split vertically instead of horizontally (like on the classic X-Wing), with the front half folding down and the rear half folding up.

This dude's got it right. Notice how the wing splits and curves where the laser cannons are fused to the wings. Also if you look closely you can see a line down the middle of the wing.

I really like the new design. It's still got the wear and tear look from the original trilogy era, but sleeker around the edges, giving it a sense of trying to recapture the Old Republic's aesthetics (which makes sense for an organization called the Alliance to Restore the Republic) while improving the tech and design. Very nice.

 

[Racecarlock]

It looks like the engines open in the middle. I thought it looked like a headhunter until a second glance.

Yeah, I think this looks neat. For the record, though, I really think the stripes should be Rogue Squadron Red. I mean, red's my favorite color because of the engine glows in episode IV. That's how much of an effect this series has had on my life.

 

[FFHAuthor]

I'm a die hard EU'er so I suppose it's just inflammatory to ask why if they changed the design they didn't go with a new generation of fighter, rather than stick with calling it an X-Wing but changing the design in ways that are subtle to the layman, but glaring to the fan...rather than just use a later fighter generation like the Defender or the E wing.

The rounded angles along the rear of the craft and the lack of an R2 unit just screams at me.

Though the generational change does jump at me from a military hardware viewpoint, the Z-95/Y-Wing to X-Wings/A-Wings/B-Wings is the same time jump as it is to the current period. They're still using X-Wings? Er...that would be like the US navy still using F4 Wildcats, or the US Airforce still using P-40's.

But...it's all moot if this fighter is being used by some small time outfit or is a running around craft. That would make sense.


Oh god...
I just had a vision that the Rebel troopers (which is the only real way you can actually think of them now since the whole EU got shot in the head) are going to look like modern Infantry with the same camo styles, web gear and weapons with attachments.

Ungh...

 

[Nieroshai]

Sigh... it's a modified Headhunter. The tweet never said what it is; StewShearer assumed it was an X-Wing. And yes, it looks slightly different from a Headhunter's stock assembly because ALL Headhunters still in use by the battle of Yavin had to be repaired and upgraded with aftermarket parts since they stopped making them. Between this thread and the one discussing the Luke's Hand rumor, I swear we all on the Escapist are allergic to research and prone to assumption.

EDIT: apparently I can't read at this hour...

At any rate, I don't think the tweet of a producer has that much weight on nomenclature. I'm sure he saw the ship and assumed it was an x-wing. Imagine the possible conversation later:
WRITER: Hey JJ, it's not an x-wing, it's called a Headhunter.
JJ Abrams: Then why did you make it look like an x-wing?
WRITER: And this is why erasing canon is bad...

 

[Nieroshai]

I'm a die hard EU'er so I suppose it's just inflammatory to ask why if they changed the design they didn't go with a new generation of fighter, rather than stick with calling it an X-Wing but changing the design in ways that are subtle to the layman, but glaring to the fan...rather than just use a later fighter generation like the Defender or the E wing.

The rounded angles along the rear of the craft and the lack of an R2 unit just screams at me.

Though the generational change does jump at me from a military hardware viewpoint, the Z-95/Y-Wing to X-Wings/A-Wings/B-Wings is the same time jump as it is to the current period. They're still using X-Wings? Er...that would be like the US navy still using F4 Wildcats, or the US Airforce still using P-40's.

But...it's all moot if this fighter is being used by some small time outfit or is a running around craft. That would make sense.


Oh god...
I just had a vision that the Rebel troopers (which is the only real way you can actually think of them now since the whole EU got shot in the head) are going to look like modern Infantry with the same camo styles, web gear and weapons with attachments.

Ungh...

The tweet didn't call it an x-wing...
EDIT: apparently I'm blind... maybe he (the producer) isn't as attached to the nomenclature as the screenplay writer. I doubt it's an x-wing.

 

[The Bandit]

I'm a die hard EU'er so I suppose it's just inflammatory to ask why if they changed the design they didn't go with a new generation of fighter, rather than stick with calling it an X-Wing but changing the design in ways that are subtle to the layman, but glaring to the fan...rather than just use a later fighter generation like the Defender or the E wing.

The rounded angles along the rear of the craft and the lack of an R2 unit just screams at me.

Though the generational change does jump at me from a military hardware viewpoint, the Z-95/Y-Wing to X-Wings/A-Wings/B-Wings is the same time jump as it is to the current period. They're still using X-Wings? Er...that would be like the US navy still using F4 Wildcats, or the US Airforce still using P-40's.

But...it's all moot if this fighter is being used by some small time outfit or is a running around craft. That would make sense.


Oh god...
I just had a vision that the Rebel troopers (which is the only real way you can actually think of them now since the whole EU got shot in the head) are going to look like modern Infantry with the same camo styles, web gear and weapons with attachments.

Ungh...

The tweet didn't call it an x-wing...
EDIT: apparently I'm blind... maybe he (the producer) isn't as attached to the nomenclature as the screenplay writer. I doubt it's an x-wing.

Or maybe you're just totally wrong and need to stop sighing at everyone except yourself.

 

[FFHAuthor]

we've all player KOTOR y'know...or there abouts...

there's JJ...and a "real" "original trilogy" looking "x-wing", and pilot, and mouse droid...

it could have been the jar jar family picnic in CGI but noooo lets moan like fuck about this...

because they've slightly tweaked the design of a fighters engines referring back to original concept art for inspiration....

how awful.

you sound like a trekkie ffs.

Yeah, you're right, I am a Star Trek fan, and a Star Wars fan, and a Stargate fan and many other fans.

If it's a Z-95, (which it strongly looks like) then I don't have any problems with it.

Oh, and since the canon is only what's in the movies, then this whole KOTOR thing never happened. So nobody can claim that Star Wars tech 'generally hasn't changed much in literally 1000s of years', anymore. We don't exactly know what the tech does there anymore.

 

[Amir Kondori]

I can't help but think that 'redesigning' iconic images is just setting yourself up for failure. It looks nice and everything, it's even nicely close to McQuarrie's original artwork, but it's not the Incom T-65 X-Wing starfighter. In the same way way you can't repaint the Mona Lisa or re-panel a 250GTO it doesn't matter what you call your rebuild, it's not the original.

If JJ Abrams wanted X-Wings in his movie, he should just put X-Wings in his movie. I can't help but fear that the Millenium Falcon will get a similar treatment and then the internet will melt.

And already we see the terrible tight rope that Star War VII has to walk. I don't know why they bother making these, as I don't think some people will be happy with anything they do.

 

[fix-the-spade]

I don't know why they bother making these, as I don't think some people will be happy with anything they do.

Money, giant truckloads of it.

As far as being happy, I'm not happy or unhappy about it, but I do think it takes a special kind of obnoxiousness to take a globally recognised icon and decide it needs redesigning. Of all the thing in recent Star Wars history that needed reworking or re-imagining, why start with the things everyone already likes?