Check out (or not) the Del Rey 'Essential Guide to Star Wars' series: droids, vehicles, planets, aliens. Ultrarevisonist.
* Boba Fett escaped the Sarlac on Tatooine. Presumably that big worm with big teeth thing. Sheesh. Boba Fett is a *LAME* character. Now we're expected to believe he reached the other end, wiped the worm poopy off, then headed off for new EU adventures? He died, fanboys, and he was never cool. Get over it.
* Governor Tarkin refused to launch the TIE fighters when the rebels attacked, so only Darth Vaders personal squadron was launched. That's right: Even though according to the Del Rey guides the Death Star had 7,000 fighters, that's why we never saw them. It was just Darth Vader's squadron they launched. Can you believe that? Or the fact they expect us to believe it?
The prolog to the Del Rey books reveals they were written by the shaking hands of the Force.Net fanboys. Well at least one hand.
So you're saying they just can't be trusted? How about the original model?
Anyway, I asked a question about this on another star wars forum and guess what the experts on the EU there came up with?
The guns use a "focusing crystal" that is really finicky and so due to poor servicing, the Rebel Y-Wings COULDN'T USE their rear facing guns! LOL!
Sort of like how the EU tells us that the Gammorean guards all have "Vibro Axes" but since the Gammoreans have this "honor code" where they have to make things harder for themselves for a challenge, they have the vibro ability turned off, and never use it, so that their axes function like ordinary axes! (but at least that doesn't affect the plot)
I agree, the EU is crap, but if the models have a rear gun, why don't they ever use it, especially where it would make sense?
There's also no reason for the ships not to swoop around to attack the fighters. After all the guns stopped (and could be dodged anyway pretty easily, after all, only one fighter got hit by them and then Porkins got aced supposedly only because of a freak mechanical failure that made him fly predictably in a straight line for too long so he could be tracked) so it's not like they had to worry about being shot by turrets. I'd rather take my chances with dodgy turrets though than having Vader pick me and my men off one by one in the back with no defense!
Here's a pic of a REPLICA of the original movie prop:
http://www.xscapespr...rs_Props_P3.htmAnother cool (in a nerdy way) site, though not much help:
http://www.bigbaddad...m/episodeiv.htmFan made prop:
http://www.roboterka...props/ywing.htm