Editing A-wing (section)

== Impact ==
{{Expand section|date=June 2016}}

''CinemaBlend'' said the A-wing received little attention after ''Return of the Jedi'' because no prominent characters pilot the craft.<ref name="cb">{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Star-Wars-Episode-VIII-Bringing-Back-Classic-Ship-125727.html|title=Star Wars: Episode VIII Is Bringing Back A Classic Ship|last=Libbey|first=Dirk|website=Cinema Blend|date=19 April 2016|access-date=June 9, 2016|archive-date=12 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160612163306/http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Star-Wars-Episode-VIII-Bringing-Back-Classic-Ship-125727.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Kenner Products|Kenner]] in 1985 released an [[Kenner Star Wars action figures|A-wing pilot figure]] as part of its ''Power of the Force'' line, and it released a "magnificent" A-wing toy as part of the ''[[Star Wars: Droids]]'' line.<ref name="universeofsw">{{Cite book|title=A Universe of Star Wars Collectibles: Identification and Price Guide|last=Wells III|first=Stuart W.|publisher=Krause Publications|year=2002|isbn=0873494156|edition=2nd.|pages=[https://archive.org/details/universeofstarwa00well/page/17 17, 212, 220, 222, 224, 266–267]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/universeofstarwa00well/page/17}}</ref><ref name="ultimateguide">{{Cite book |last=Bellomo |first=Mark |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISBN9781440240591 |title=The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Star Wars Action Figures, 1977-1985 |publisher=Krause Publications |year=2014 |isbn=9781440240591 |pages=45, 128 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Since then, the A-wing has been recreated as various other toys, models, and collectibles by companies that include [[Galoob]], [[Hasbro]], [[Model Products Corporation]], [[Estes Industries]], [[Lego]], and [[Fantasy Flight Games]].<ref name="universeofsw" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/129430/star-wars-x-wing-miniatures-game-wing-expansion-pa|title=Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game – A-Wing Expansion Pack (2013)|access-date=June 10, 2016|work=[[BoardGameGeek]]|publisher=Scott Alden|archive-date=June 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609111548/http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/129430/star-wars-x-wing-miniatures-game-wing-expansion-pa|url-status=live}}</ref>

''Screen Rant'' said the A-wing gained popularity as a playable craft in the ''[[Star Wars: X-Wing (video game)|Star Wars: X-Wing]]'' space combat simulator (1993),<ref name="screenrant" /> which ''[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]'' said depicted the ship as "an excellent [[dogfight]]er".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/12009-The-15-Best-Space-Combat-Sims-of-All-Time.5#&gid=gallery_2921&pid=1|title=The 15 Best Space Combat Sims of All-Time|date=July 29, 2014|website=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]|publisher=[[Defy Media]]|access-date=June 9, 2016|archive-date=July 1, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701221648/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/12009-The-15-Best-Space-Combat-Sims-of-All-Time.5#&gid=gallery_2921&pid=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> Subsequent video games that allowed players to pilot the A-wing also contributed to the ship's popularity.<ref name="screenrant" /> ''[[Syfy#Syfy Wire|Blastr]]'' ranked the A-wing 16th on its list of the best ''Star Wars'' vehicles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blastr.com/2015-9-11/v-wing-millennium-falcon-50-best-star-wars-vehicles-ranked|title=From the V-Wing to the Millennium Falcon: 50 of the best Star Wars vehicles, ranked|last=Dorville|first=Matt|date=September 11, 2015|website=Blastr|publisher=[[Syfy]]|access-date=June 9, 2016|archive-date=May 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531215014/http://www.blastr.com/2015-9-11/v-wing-millennium-falcon-50-best-star-wars-vehicles-ranked|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Prince Harry]] was photographed sitting in an A-wing cockpit during his and the [[Prince William, Duke of Cambridge|Duke of Cambridge]]'s April 2016 visit to the ''Star Wars: Episode VIII'' set.<ref name="royalvisit" /> Responding to the photographs, various publications called the A-wing "iconic",<ref name="movieweb">{{cite news|url=http://movieweb.com/star-wars-episode-8-a-wing-fighter-photos/|title=Star Wars: Episode VIII Brings Back the A-Wing Fighter|last=Gallagher|first=Brian|date=April 19, 2016|work=[[MovieWeb]]|access-date=June 7, 2016|archive-date=June 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610031607/http://movieweb.com/star-wars-episode-8-a-wing-fighter-photos/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://moviepilot.com/posts/3875634|title=This Iconic 'Star Wars' Fighter Will Return in Episode 8!|last=Creamer|first=Matt Timmy|date=April 20, 2016|website=[[Moviepilot]]|access-date=June 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624232214/http://moviepilot.com/posts/3875634|archive-date=June 24, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> an "unsung hero",<ref name="nerdist">{{cite web|url=http://nerdist.com/star-wars-episode-viii-will-bring-back-the-a-wing/|title=Star Wars: Episode VIII Will Bring Back the A-wing|first=Michael|last=Arbeiter|date=April 20, 2016|access-date=June 9, 2016|website=[[Nerdist Industries|Nerdist]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602133058/http://nerdist.com/star-wars-episode-viii-will-bring-back-the-a-wing/|archive-date=June 2, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> "woefully underappreciated",<ref name="nerdist" /> and "a classic".<ref name="cb" />

In 2018 a number of ''Star Wars'' starfighters - including the A-wing - had their aerodynamic abilities tested using the [[Autodesk]] Flow Design virtual [[wind tunnel]] program.  Of those starfighters tested the A-wing was among the most aerodynamic designs of all with a [[drag coefficient]] of .17, though it was still worse than the real-life example of the [[F-4E Phantom]] with a .02 rating.  These poor results were rationalized with the in-universe explanations that drag coefficient plays no role in space travel, and that ''Star Wars'' fighters can use [[repulsorlift]]s and [[Technology in Star Wars#Force fields|deflector shields]] to give themselves better flight profiles.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pockross|first=Adam|title=Testing the Aerodynamics of Star Wars Ships in a Virtual Wind Tunnel|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/testing-aerodynamics-star-wars-ships-virtual-wind-tunnel|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620025609/http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/testing-aerodynamics-star-wars-ships-virtual-wind-tunnel|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 20, 2018|website=SyFy Wire|access-date=9 September 2020}}</ref>
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