Incom R-type

bsed off the highly successful X-wing  the R-type s a heavy duty , long range high speed reconnaissance fighter. The A-wing served well as a light duty high speed interceptor and scout fighter but it's small size and limited weaponry left it vulnerable to enemy interceptors. The R-type was designed to allow the fighter to penetrate deep into well defended areas, carry out high speed recon, and fight it's way clear if required. 

It's lighter spaceframe and shielding does reduce it's combat effectiveness when compared to the heavier X-wing but it's primary role was one that did not place it in direct combat situations where it would have to regularly engage in dogfights with an opposing force. Combat was a purely secondary role for the R-type despite it's heavy weapons load and firecontrol systems. This fact allowed the reduction of armor and shielding to be considered by the designers as an acceptable trade off for speed and agility.

The R-type makes use of an unusual system to replace the typical Astomech Droid common in modern starfighters. The Fighter has numerous remote systems which allow a permanently fitted Droid brain to carry out many of the functions of a standard Astromech Droid, but the droid also has limited control over flight and navigation systems. In effect at time the fighter can operate with it's pilot asleep in the cockpit on long flights. In addition the limited control the Droid has over the fighter allows it to take action when the pilot is injured or otherwise incapacitated.

Like the Z-83 headhunter II which was designed by the same team, the R-type uses fixed S-foils for simplicity and reliability. it is also equipped with a number of features that allow it to operate in atmosphere as effectively as it can perform in Space. Numerous small panels on the S-foils can extend and retract giving the R-type greatly enhanced flight control when operating inside a planets atmosphere. This was added due to the great likelihood of the craft being tasked to perform close range surveillance flights to investigate surface facilities.

The R-type has not been fully adopted by any force, due to the ready availability of X-wings, which have a proven combat record and can perform the role of reconnaissance with acceptable results. The few fighters constructed for field tests do see use in limited fashion, with special duty squadrons as a long range high speed courier to deliver vital communications too sensitive to be transmitted by any long range communications system.