Jedi Interceptors

A few weeks back, I took apart the collection of Jedi Starfighters.  As a collection, I really appreciated the different design details for each Jedi's unique decoration.  A few weeks on, I'm now onto what Lego typically refers to as the "Jedi Interceptor".  In full-on lore, the terms "starfighter" and "interceptor" seem somewhat interchangeable but these are models of the Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor.  Smaller than the "starfighter", it apparently packed more firepower and is faster.  So, I know which one I'd want in a fight!

Actually, I am much less keen on the interceptor than the starfighter, as a Lego model.  Maybe it's just that all of them are pretty similar?  Over 15 years, Lego really hasn't innovated very much with the design - the same hexagonal flags as wings and - almost - the same cockpit canopy (on closer inspection, there are some very subtle changes to the print design).  And there's not the variation of decoration that we got with the starfighters: I count 3x Anakin yellow, 2x Obi Wan red, 1x Anakin dark green (clone wars) and one dark blue version with a hyperdrive ring (this one is my favourite).

The play features on these tends to be limited: wings move and there are retractable legs to improve "swooshiness".  Cockpit obviously opens.  Later models have springloaded bolts.  However, how much can you squeeze in to less than 250 bricks?  Annoyingly, the only version to have a lightsaber holder is 9494.

To list them off in terms of age:

• 7256 from 2005 sets the basic design which was never varied.  This one came with a droid fighter
• 7283, also from 2005, is the ultimate space battle and includes a unique interceptor in Obi Wan's dark red,  This is, however, identical in terms of design to the standalone 7256, with only the colours changed
• 7661 from 2007 with the hyperdrive ring.  The wings are again very similar though there are changes to the body design now (partly to to accommodate the hyperdrive dock).
  
• 9494 from 2012.  This is the dark green version and is fractionally larger (it sets a new basic shape for the remaining versions).  From here on, they also have full bays for the R2 unit to hunker down in the wing.  This one comes with a couple of add-on figures from Mustafar.
• Moving on to 2014, comes 75038, which is the 2nd yellow version.  I think this was the first one I purchased
• Then in 2016 comes its companion, 75135, in Obi Wan DR.  Again, nothing much to write home about, in my view.
• Finally, 2020 brought 75281, which is again in Anakin yellow.  Definitely the most detailed.  
• Somewhat controversially, though, I'm going to add in Yoda's interceptor: 75168.  Lego calls this a "starfighter" but lore tells me that this is a modified Eta-2 fighter so it best belongs in this collection.  I seem to have 2 of these!

As is usual with Lego, both the number of parts and the number of unique part/colour combinations goes up steadily.  I'm starting to reflect that I really liked the way that the number of part/colour combinations was limited on earlier sets - there are definitely times when hidden pieces are unnecessarily in a different colour in the newer sets.  Perhaps that's just because it takes me longer to sort out the pieces!

Anyway, here's a photo of them all: