***THE X-WING FIGHTER
Written and compiled by Artoo_Detour. Special thanks to Michifromhell, The Guilty One and Chiquetaba.The X-Wing Fighter was one of the first three vehicles released by Kenner in 1978 for their 3 3/4 inch action figure line. It quickly became an iconic and must-have toy for Star Wars kids in the 1970s and 80s, and featured throughout all of the major toy line changes - SW, ESB, ROTJ, Bilogo and Trilogo, and the Brazilian POTF.
There are five main vehicle variants: the Kenner white electronic, the Kenner grey electronic, the European (often referred to as Palitoy) white non-electronic, the European/Palitoy grey non-electronic, and the Glasslite silver/grey electronic sound only.
You may be surprised to learn that there are at least twenty-five (25) different box releases for this cool ship so far! Add to this the five main vehicle variants and their decal changes - this makes the X-Wing Fighter arguably the vintage vehicle with the most variations!
The following guide will work through the ten different licenses that produced the X-Wing Fighter, beginning with Star Wars releases, Empire Strikes Back and beyond.note: research is still ongoing. if you have any info to share please get in touch! TABLE OF CONTENTS#1. USA. Kenner 1st issue. SW. X-Wing Fighter. 1978.Box details: Red background. Double racetrack. LP logo. Kenner logo. Luke FB figure is pictured inside the cockpit.
Toy details: electronic light and sound. Nose light. Clear cockpit canopy. Moulded rear engine.
#2. USA. Kenner 2nd issue. SW. X-Wing Fighter. 1978. Special Offer issue.Box details: The box is the same as the 1st issue but with a yellow sticker added showing Han Solo and Luke FB figures.
Toy details: Same as 1st issue. Kenner includes two baggied action figures inside the box.
#3. USA. Kenner 3rd issue. SW. X-Wing Fighter. 1979.Box details: Same as 1st issue but Kenner removes the LP logo.
Toy details: Same as 1st issue.
#4. USA. Kenner 4th issue. ESB. X-Wing Fighter. 1980.Box details: For its first ESB release Kenner keeps the red background image but changes the double racetrack to single.
The figure in the cockpit changes from Luke FB to Luke X-Wing Pilot.
Toy details: Same as 1st issue.
#5. USA. Kenner 5th issue. ESB. X-Wing Fighter. 1981.Box details: Gone are the red backgrounds, Kenner introduces a new 'Dagobah' inspired scene for the box front design. This is to be the first of three different 'Dagobah' designs which we will see later. This one I will call Dagobah 1.
Toy details: The same as the previous issues.
#6. USA. Kenner 6th issue. ESB. 'Battle Damaged' X-Wing Fighter. 1982.Box details: Kenner changes the Dagobah 1 photo to a new Dagobah inspired photo (Dagobah 2).
Title changes to include the new 'Battle Damaged' features.
Toy Details: Here we see the first major change in the actual Kenner produced vehicle design - the X-Wing Fighter now switches from a white colour to grey with black front engine ports. The cockpit canopy becomes tinted and a 'battle damaged' decal sheet is included. The vehicle remains electronic.
#7. USA. Kenner 7th issue. ROTJ. 'Battle Damaged' X-Wing Fighter Vehicle. 1983.Box details: The 7th and final Kenner issue sees the new ROTJ logo making its debut.
The box design remains the same as the previous ESB issue.
A small title change is made with the addition of the word 'vehicle'.
Toy details: The vehicle remains the same as the previous ESB issue.
#8. UK. Palitoy. 1st issue. SW. X-Wing Fighter. 1978.Box details: Palitoy chooses a unique 'planet and space' inspired photo for its box front.
There is a double racetrack and the large Palitoy logo in the lower right. No figure is pictured inside the cockpit.
Toy details: Here we see a major design change from its Kenner counterpart. The Palitoy version comes with no electronics, battery compartment or nose light. The rear engine has also been changed from moulded to a black sticker. In addition to this there is also an alternative R2D2 head sculpt change.
#9. UK. Palitoy. 2nd issue. ESB. X-Wing Fighter. 1980.Box details: For its ESB release Palitoy changes the planet inspired background to Kenner's Dagobah 1 photo.
The double racetrack has also been changed to single. Luke X-Wing Pilot figure can be seen in the cockpit.
Toy details: Same as Palitoy 1st release.
#10. UK. Palitoy. 3rd issue. ESB. 'Battle Damaged' X-Wing Fighter. 1980.Box details: Another Palitoy ESB version is issued, this time the box front changes to the Dagobah 2 photo and the large Palitoy logo changes to a smaller version. A title change sees 'Battle Damaged' added.
**Note: The box front shows a grey variant vehicle that is non-electronic (see the absence of nose light and electronic button compared to the Kenner grey versions). This is the same variant as the Euro Bilogo versions (see later entry).
Toy details: Same as previous Palitoy issues but with 'Battle Damaged' decal sheet included.
**note: the X-Wing pictured is the grey, non-electronic version with the 'dummy' battery compartment that contains no internal wiring and no red nose light. It comes with a 'dummy' blue electronic button that is not pictured on the box.
**Note: The four black engine ports and the tinted cockpit canopy.
**Note: This package has also shown up containing the white non-electronic Euro/Palitoy fighter.
#11. France. Meccano. 1st issue. SW/La Guerre Des Etoiles. Chasseur X. 1978. Box details: Meccano issues the same planet and space photo as Palitoy for its box front along with a double racetrack and the Original Meccano logo. No figure is pictured inside the cockpit.
Toy details: The vehicle is the same non-electronic version as the Palitoy white.
#12. France. Meccano. 2nd issue. SW/La Guerre Des Etoiles. Le Chasseur X. 1979. Box details: Meccano switches to the red style background box fronts and a double racetrack as used by early kenner versions. The box states that this is an electronic light and sound version. It keeps the original Meccano logo.
Luke FB is pictured inside the cockpit. A small title change is made from 'Chasseur X' to 'LE Chasseur X'.
Toy details: White, electronic light and sound version.
#13. France. Miro-Meccano. 3rd issue. SW/La Guerre Des Etoiles. Le Chasseur X. 1981. Box details: Same as the 2nd issue but the logo changes from 'Meccano' to the new 'Miro-Meccano' design. The box states that this version is the electronic light and sound version. Luke FB can be seen inside the cockpit.
Toy details: white, electronic sound and light version.
#14. Canada. Kenner Canada. Ist issue. SW/La Guerre Des Etoiles. X-Wing Fighter. 1978. Box details: Red background, double racetrack. Bi-lingual language French/English.
Kenner logo and LP logo. Luke FB is pictured inside the cockpit.
Toy details: White, electronic light and sound.
#15. Canada. Kenner Canada. 2nd issue. ESB. X-Wing Fighter. 1980. Box details: The ESB version changes to the Dagobah 2 background with a single racetrack.
Bi-lingual language French/English. Luke X-Wing Pilot figure can be seen inside the cockpit.
Toy details: White, electronic light and sound version.
#15b. Canada. Kenner Canada. 2nd issue. ESB. X-Wing Fighter. 1980. Canadian Sears Exclusive issue.In 1980 Sears Canada issued an exclusive Kenner Canada 2nd issue that was packaged with a Luke X-Wing Pilot figure.
No Available Photo Yet. Please send us your pics if you have this rare box or any further information.#15c. Canada. Kenner Canada. 2nd issue. ESB X-Wing Fighter. 1980. with Miro-Meccano sticker. ESB. X-Wing Fighter. 1980. This rare version of the Kenner Canada 2nd issue comes with a Miro-Meccano import sticker.
#16. Canada. Kenner Canada. 3rd issue. ROTJ. Vehicule X Aux Avaries De Combat. 1983. Box details: For the Kenner Canada ROTJ version the photo changes to Dagobah 2 and includes a single racetrack.
Bi-lingual language French/English. Luke X-Wing Pilot figure can be seen in the cockpit.
The vehicle depicted on the box is now the Battle Damaged grey electronic version.
Toy details: Grey, electronic light and sound version with Battle Damaged decal sheet.
Cut front box:
#17. European Trilogo. Only issue. ROTJ. X-Wing Fighter Vehicle. 1984. Box details: This extremely rare made in Spain Trilogo release sees the iconic trilogo graphics against yet another 'Dagobah' style background photo (Dagobah 3). The vehicle depicted is the white Palitoy non-electronic with alternative R2D2 head sculpt and a black sticker for the non-moulded rear engine.
Toy details: White, non-electronic Euro/Palitoy version.
#18. European Bilogo. 1st issue. ROTJ. X-Wing Fighter Vehicle. 1983. Box details: Dagobah 2 background photo with single racetrack. Bilingual language French/English alternate box fronts. This #18 Bilogo box front depicts the Kenner electronic grey version.
**note: the #19 Bilogo box front depicts the Palitoy version. In addition to this, one of the side panels of the #18 Bilogo shows Luke XW Pilot sat in the cockpit with four Hoth figures standing outside the vehicle. The #19 Bilogo box panel depicts just the X-Wing vehicle and no figures (see comparison pictures).
Toy details: According to Stéphane's Meccano to Trilogo book, the vehicle issued with this Bilogo version is the white, non-electronic Euro/Palitoy. Includes Battle Damaged decals sheet.
Comparison pictures showing the box variations between #18 (top) and #19 (bottom) Bilogo boxes.
**note: the #19 Bilogo has a white sticker that covers the printed COO "Fabrique en Angleterre" and reads "Made in France".
#19. European Bilogo. 2nd issue. ROTJ. X-Wing Fighter Vehicle. 1983. Box details: The box design remains exactly the same as the previous issue, with the recognised French/English bilingual logo on both sides of the box fronts. However, the vehicle now shown is the non-electronic grey, Euro/Palitoy version and the details of one of the side panels have changed to include action figures (see #18 entry for comparison).
**Note: the absence of the rear blue electronic button and red nose light.
Toy details: This package has shown up containing either the white or grey non-electronic Euro/Palitoy versions.
The following #19 is a 'Made In Spain' version.
The following #19 is a 'Made in France' stickered version with an additional orange Swedish import sticker stating: "Dolls / Figures not included."
#20. European Bilogo. 3rd issue. Spain. ROTJ. El Retorno Del Jedi. X-Wing Fighter Vehicle. 1983. Box details: This very rare Spanish version is the same as the issue #2 Bilogo but the French/English bilingual logos on either side of the box fronts have now been changed to a Spanish/French combination. The language of the yellow and red information 'sticker' on the top right has now been changed from English to Spanish. The fighter on the box is a grey non-electronic Euro/Palitoy version.
Toy details: It's possible this version came with the grey or white non-electronic Euro/Palitoy versions.
#21. Italy. Harbert. Only issue. SW. Guerre Stellari. Caccia Ala-A. 1978. Box details: Stylised red backgound painting depicting an electronic white vehicle.
Double racetrack with twin Harbert logos to the top left and right.
Toy details: The vehicle depicted in our picture here appears to be the white, non-electronic Euro/Palitoy version.
#22. Spain. PBP/Poch. Only issue. ESB. El Imperio Contraacta. La Nave Supersonica De Luke. 1980. Box details: This attractively titled Spanish X-Wing Fighter comes in a Dagobah 1 designed ESB box with a single racetrack.
Toy details: White, non-electronic Euro/Palitoy version. The usual brown cardboard insert is replaced here with white inserts like the Glasslite version.
#23. Brazil. Glasslite. Only issue. POTF. O Poder Da Forcer. Caca Estelar Asa-X. 1988. Box design: This unique Brazilian Power Of The Force version comes with a Dagobah 2 background and photo stills of Luke, R2-D2 and C-3PO, along with a single racetrack. The box tray is made from strong cardboard and includes a white cardboard insert to protect the toy (note: my example in the pictures lacks an insert).
Toy details: The Glasslite X-Wing is a truly wonderful variation with its silver/grey body colour and alternative decals. The vehicle is sound-motorized but lacks the wiring for light - the red nose light is in fact a "dummy" light that simply sits in the nose recess.
Another unique feature of this cool ship is the addition of a "thumb lever" on the lid of the battery compartment. The cockpit canopy has a dark tint to it, though not as dark as some of the Euro/Palitoy non-electronic versions. The laser cannons have a slightly lighter colour and more 'waxy' texture than their Kenner counterparts.
#24. Japan. Takara. Only issue. SW. X-Wing. Transforming X-Wing. 1979. Box details: Photo of X-Wing in space with five photos of the transforming X-Wing.
Double racetrack. Takara and ST logo.
Toy details: Not strictly a genuine figure vehicle as it comes with its own unarticulated Luke figure. This cool X-Wing actually transforms into different guises and features rocket firing missiles!
X-Wing Variations (Loose Vehicles)
'Battle Damaged' Stickers Variations
Original DecalsThank you photo contributorsAckbar100, ArtooDetour, Capetown, Final Frontier Toys, Gonzalo Diaz-Faes, Jawa.57., Michael Chomyn, Matt Lake,
Michael Gohlke, Rich Lawlor, Ron Salvatore, Stéphane Faucourt, Syd Swans, Toxic Toyz, Yeah-sus.
note: research is still ongoing. if you have any info to share please get in touch!Please send us your pics if you think you can contribute to this resource.
Also let us know if there are versions out there which we may have missed so far (just by posting in this thread).
For more info about this project you can click here: PROJECT OUTSIDE THE BOX 
Subject: THE X-WING FIGHTER VARIATIONS THREAD 
Sun Sep 28, 2014 3:28 am
