I've never heard of a civil war where the Rebels had air power. If they did, surely they would be using stolen aircraft but that would mean they'd have the same fighters as the Empire. The Empire would not let some defense contractor create an entire fleet of fighters for the rebel alliance.
Was a neighboring empire/republic arming the Rebels? If so, why didn't they enter the conflict. Surely, the destruction of entire planets would call for intergalactic intervention, no?
1. "In that war they were fighting for the control of whole star systems" In response to Reply # 0
Once you liberate one planet you gain all of their production capabilities. Also there were systems that were outside of Imperial Rule so I'm sure they would like to make a quick buck by selling arms to the Rebels.
4. "They would have to come from outside the Empire " In response to Reply # 1
Those planets might have manufacturing, but they're set up to make tie fighters. Developing the X-wing would have taken trillions in R&D. Makes more sense to keep churning out the Tie-fighter.
6. "The Rebel Alliance has deep pockets" In response to Reply # 0
If you keep up with the side stuff in the Star Wars universe (games, cartoons, books...etc), they all allude to the fact that there were like 2000 planets that weren't down with the Empire.
17. "RE: The Rebel Alliance has deep pockets" In response to Reply # 6
>If you keep up with the side stuff in the Star Wars universe >(games, cartoons, books...etc), they all allude to the fact >that there were like 2000 planets that weren't down with the >Empire.
^^^^^^^ basically.....
GOAT of his era......long live Prince.....God is alive....
9. "The galaxy is very big." In response to Reply # 0
The Empire had direct control over the core worlds, but in the outer rim systems not so much. They may have been part of the empire but they didn't know everything that was going on. Think of it like Rome in it's last days when the Roman Empire was too large for them to have direct control on all the separate groups in far territories. In Star Wars there were entire planets who were officially part of the empire but were also working to support the rebellion in secret. It's like if the fall of Rome are escalated because all the separate groups of barbarians were able to communicate and organize in secret.
To your specific question, the x-wing was developed by a firm for the empire but they defected and ended up supplying the rebel alliance. in terms of resources the rebel alliance had plenty of $$$. Bail Organa was essentially one of the richest dudes in the galaxy and he bankrolled the beginnings of the rebellion.
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR