For this book I wrote creative history of the Star Wars X-Wing fighter. I based my description of the fictional spacecraft's flight characteristics on those of a famous World War I biplane fighter, the Sopwith Camel. The Camel was known for extreme maneuverability via the powerful torque of its engine, a trait which made the plane dangerously difficult for new recruits but which also made the Camel the most responsive attack ship in the sky in the hands of master pilots. The Sopwith Camel accounted for more Allied kills in World War I than any other type of plane, and that made it an appropriate prototype for the exciting X-wing fighter I saw maneuvering so dramatically over the Death Star in Star Wars. George Lucas gave so much of the classic Star Wars saga a convincing feel by basing elements on real-world prototypes--historical technology and situations. I wanted to give my description of his X-Wing fighter the same kind of convincing feel, and that approach is reflected in the characteristics I gave the X-wing in this book.
