to the TIE fighter while also resembling the Jedi's Delta-7 starfighter. According to Star Wars canon, the V-wing's design combines elements of the ARC-170, V-19 and Delta-7, making it an ideal escort fighter. Introduced by Kuat Systems Engineering during the final days of the Clone Wars, the compact V-wing is just long and wide, with its height expanding to when the wings are deployed. An astromech droid assists the pilot with in-flight navigation and maintenance. Two pairs of laser cannons on swivel mounts in the wing struts provide a rapid-fire offensive punch. The V-wing is far more maneuverable than the ARC-170, making it perfect for combating swarms of Tri-fighters and Vulture droids, while a pair of powerful ion engines can propel the fighter to a top atmospheric speed of . In order to save on weight to make the fighter so fast and maneuverable, it does not feature a hyperdrive or pressurized cockpit. Additionally, folding wings on either side of the hull contain radiator panels to manage heat levels during intense activity. Vulture Droid The Vulture Droid or Variable Geometry Self-Propelled Battle Droid is a droid starfighter that made its theatrical appearance in The Phantom Menace (1999) as part of the Trade Federation's space fleet and appeared again, slightly different, in Revenge of the Sith (2005), as a Separatist space unit (likely coming from the Trade Federation, which sells its droid forces to the CIS, as established in Attack of the Clones). Original designs depicted the droid starfighter not as a droid itself, but instead piloted by a battle droid. In order to demonstrate that it was both a robotic being as well as vehicle, it was decide to give the vulture droid a transformative element, allowing its wings to fold down and serve as legs. Two 18" maquettes of the vulture droid were built - one in ship mode and one in walking mode - to help create the digital model. In order to represent the idea of three vulture droids sharing one "brain," animators purposefully linked the motion of each three-ship flight when creating the climactic battle of The Phantom Menace. As per Star Wars sources, vulture droids were originally produced by the Xi Char cathedral factories of Hoar Chall Engineering for the Trade Federation before later becoming a mainstay of Separatist fighter squadrons during the Clone Wars. At long when in flight mode, these droid starfighters are