Via ew.com:

Step aboard the U-wing fighter, the newest Star Wars starship — but one with a retro vibe.

Rogue One is set just before the events in 1977’s Star Wars, so the machines of galactic battle needed to look similar to that era. Director Gareth Edwards also wanted something fresh, which led to the creation of this hybrid starship.

The U-wing is completely new to the Star Wars universe, but some of its pieces may look familiar, having been cribbed from previous aerial designs.

INTERCEPTOR WINGS

The Jedi Interceptor, a single-seat starfighter from the Star Wars prequels, was the preferred method of travel for the solitary members of the Jedi order.

Although it existed decades before the U-wing in the mythology, both ships share a forward-facing wing design, similar to a tuning fork.

The larger, troop-transporting U-wing can also retract those wings to form a more traditional airplane profile for maneuvering through heavier atmosphere.

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