R7-series astromech droid
The R7-series astromech droid, a product of Industrial Automaton, functioned as an astromech droid throughout the Galactic Civil War. This R7 series was uniquely engineered to pair with the E-wing escort starfighter of the Rebel Alliance/New Republic.
Characteristics
The R7-series' development was kept secret within the company, and it occurred simultaneously with the public promotion of the R6-series astromech droid. The R7 unit was constructed with two permanently fixed, wheeled legs, as well as a third leg that could retract, in addition to being heavily shielded to protect against electrical shocks. These droids found their main purpose on E-wing starfighters, and required substantial alterations to be compatible with X-wing or Y-wing starfighters. A standard R7 unit had the capacity to store up to fifteen hyperspace jump coordinates within its astrogation buffer and could withstand a near-direct hit from an ion cannon.
A duplicated variation of the R7's advanced droid brain was integrated into the Imperial XR-85 tank droid.
Behind the scenes
The astromech droid R7-A7, featured in The Clone Wars series, has been officially categorized as an R7-series droid. According to the Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia, R7-A7 is recognized as a prototype droid, but it remains unclear whether it serves as a prototype for the R7 model that appeared after the Battle of Endor.
While R7-D4 is known by the nickname "R7," his creation predates the R7's release. However, the initial two characters in a droid's designation are not always indicative of the model series, since they are part of a more extensive name, so this may not be an inconsistency.