They're fairly easy to miss in Return of the Jedi, but I collected the trading cards and magazines so I was keenly aware of this new and interesting ship (the new B-Wing was okay, but I preferred the compact, yet sporty, look of this one). In 1993 I was playing the X-Wing video game where you can fly and X-Wing, Y-Wing, and an A-Wing, and while I very much liked the other two ships (I just finished building a 1/72 scale Y-Wing, in fact), I was impressed with the speed and agility of the mighty A-Wing.
One night I was out with friends and we stepped into a hobby shop and, as soon as I saw this MPC kit I knew I had to build one, so I bought it then and there (for maybe about $15, IIRC).
(no, I didn't keep the box)
Although I had built an Enterprise refit in 1991 and some other Star Trek ships afterward (I don't remember the timeline or order of most of those other builds) my modeling and painting skills still had a long way to go. Studying this A-Wing before shooting it I noticed all kinds of things I'd be more careful with today, like filling seamlines and gaps, trimming the flash better, and doing a better paint job.
I painted the red, grey, and damaged areas with a brush using acrylics (I mixed that red myself!) and the hull is just the bare plastic of the model kit.
It's a simple enough model and I might try another one down the road using the skills and knowledge I've gained over the years (although the kit will likely cost me twice as much as I paid 23 years ago!). It'd be great if Bandai would make one in 1/72 scale to match my Y-Wing.
UPDATE!
Bandai has, indeed, released an amazing new model kit of the A-wing and I bought two of them because I was so excited. I have an idea brewing about what to do with the second one, but you can read THIS POST to check out what I did with the first kit.
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