Battle Damaged X-Wing Fighter
In 1982, Kenner decide to freshen one of their most popular Star Wars toys, the X-Wing Fighter vehicle. What they came up with was the so-called "Battle Damaged" X-Wing, a toy that actually was designed to look beat up! Actually, a sheet of "battle damage" decals was included with the toy, so that kids could apply them to their X-Wings and thereby make them look more realistic. Or, if you were like me (Ron), you applied them and then immediately decided you hated the way they looked. And I can tell you from experience, the things weren't designed to be temporary-- to get them off, you had to literally scrub the toy down, removing not only the offending battle damage decals, but the standard ones as well. Then you were left with a vehicle that had no decals at all and you had to beg your dad to paint the vehicle's stripes on with cheap model paint. So, basically, you were left with the tackiest looking X-Wing Fighter imaginable-- one with smudgy stripes and haphazard red and yellow finger prints. But I'm not bitter.

Anyway, the newer X-Wing also differed from its earlier counterpart in terms of coloration (it was gray rather than white), tinted canopy (as opposed to clear) and black engine well inserts (which had been white on the original toy). Although, since it was issued in the final year of the Empire Strikes Back run, the toy was initially released in an ESB box, it is much easier to find in the later ROTJ packaging.

Description by: Ron Salvatore
Photo: Ron Salvatore
From the collection of: Ron Salvatore
Country:United States
Film:Return of the Jedi
Licensee:Kenner
Year:1983
Category:Toys / Action Figure Related / Vehicles


  


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