Y-wing Fighter - TAC - Vehicles (Exclusive)

Hasbro is really good about getting classic vehicles out during anniversary or commemorative years. In 2004 during The Original Trilogy Collection, collectors were treated to a plethora of Original Trilogy goodness and again the same is true in the 30 (77-07) line. For the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars property, Hasbro really steps up to the plate (all around) and clearly has put some thoughts in their store exclusives and released a pretty awesome version of the Y-wing Fighter based on Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The vehicle has an incredible paint job (it’s one of the best this vehicle mold has ever seen) and while Hasbro didn’t hollow out the droid socket so we could choose the droid, they did create an awesome pilot/droid combination and gave us two new characters from Episode IV that have never been available until this release. That same "steerless" cockpit is brought back as well, but it's barely a setback.(On a different note, we are unable to find R5-F7 anywhere in the film, but that doesn’t mean this droid isn’t somewhere elusive in the film. Created for Toys R Us as one of their summer exclusives, the Y-wing Fighter will surely excite fans of all ages.

The weaker pack-in figure in the set is the Y-wing Pilot. That’s the official name of this figure on the packaging, but you’ll find Lieutenant Lepira’s name in the text description. Based on an older sculpt, Y-wing Pilot is a kit-bashed figure that uses the body of 2004’s SW Dutch Vander Gold Leader (Battle of Yavin) ('04 #13) figure with an all-new head. The likeness isn’t anything superior, but Hasbro did get the proportions and the head shape pretty correct and even included the birthmark on Lepira's face, so you can identify it is him. The figure is limited with only nine points of articulation and you’ll notice that he needs more articulation in the arms. The ball-jointed knees are nice to have, but we have to ask what the point of them are when the rest of the figure is a “now inferior” sculpt. The Y-wing Pilot also comes with a removable helmet and it fits like a glove on his head. No weapons are included for this figure, but we ask, “do you really need one” here? The great news is that he fits in the cockpit beautifully and you won’t be able to see him underneath the tinted glass.

Perhaps the greatest thing in this set besides the actual vehicle itself is the pack-in R5-F7 astromech droid. Hasbro has gone amazingly above the call of duty with this droid. Not only do we get the “accessory” permanently affixed to the vehicle (with a removable antenna no less), we also get the “completed” droid to display in your collection wholly intact. Based on the collector favorite 2006 TSC R5-D4 (SAGA 032) mold, you know what a great and accurately detailed sculpt this is. And it couldn’t look or work any better for R5-F7. The paint job is stunning. This astromech is filthy and has a simple but powerfully noble color scheme. The yellow and red accents you’ll find on the droid perfectly complement the Y-wing Fighter. For $29.99, we feel that it is easy to say this set is a steal. Two figures of this quality would easily set you back almost half the price of the $29.99. So for another $15, you’re getting a great and classic vehicle. There isn’t really that much more you could want here. You may want a Y-wing with an empty droid socket and we prefer that too, but you can’t take away just how awesome the 2007 version of the Y-wing Fighter is at all.