Introduction
Tying into the Star Wars theme this month, I thought it would only be fitting to display what I argue is the best star faring vehicle in the Rebel Alliance’s arsenal: the Y-Wing bomber. The BTL-A4 Y-Wing really is a thing of beauty and, despite what Imperial propaganda and naysayer pilots would have you believe, is the true workhorse of the Rebel Alliance. Sure, it’s an older model star-fighter, it moves like a sleepy Hutt, and it might not look as aesthetically pleasing as those fancier, newer X-Wing or A-Wing fighters. But it hits like a Wookie, is tough as a Rancor, and simply inspires pilots with its heart like no other fighter can.
If you can’t tell by now, I absolutely adore the Y-Wing and it’s my favorite star-fighter bar none. There’s a mystique that surrounds this ship for me. I remember going as a kid to see a replay of Episode IV in the theater several years after release and adoring Gold Squadron’s attack run on the first Death Star. And although they spent minimal time on screen, I just knew this was my vehicle. This version is a 1/72 scale model from Bandai’s Star Wars line and can be picked up virtually anywhere most model kits are sold. I picked it up back in 2018 during one of life’s rough patches as a mental break from lots of stress at the time.
Once I committed to the project, I was able to clean, assemble, and paint it over a couple of days total, and all in all it went together easily. The only real tricky part was the piping along the engines. The model is built so that you really could pull it out of the box, assemble, and display it, but what fun is that? After assembly I primed it in GW Grey Seer and started painting. Painting was super easy due to the limited color palette and everything I used were basic GW paints. After painting I felt it wasn’t complete, so I thought it only befitting that it had some weathering and a bit of battle damage. A little sponge weathering and some additional washes around the weapon barrels added those final touches I was looking for. She may not look like much, but she has it where it counts.
At some point my plan is to get Luke’s X-Wing at the same scale. I’ve seen it floating around at places like Hobby Lobby and one of my friendly local gaming stores. But for now I’m content with my solo Y-Wing cruising through the galaxy and attacking Imperial forces whenever it gets the chance.
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Ryan
A New England transplant that originated from parts westward, Ryan is a bit of a nerd that knows a little bit about a lot of things, all while claiming to know nothing about anything. Seemingly part Khajit a logistician by trade, he’s the kind of guy that can get you virtually anything if there’s coin to be had a problem to solve. Ryan began to learn the scrounging arts while serving time in parts east as a Loggie and has been perfecting them steadily over several decades. He has a problem with continually purchasing models, paints, and terrain that he doesn’t really need but his wife doesn’t seem to mind.
