Colonial Viper
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A Colonial Viper is the name of the primary fighter spacecraft type used by the Colonial Fleet in the fictional Battlestar Galactica universe.
Contents |
[edit] Original series (1978, 1980)
| Viper (1978, 1980) | |
|---|---|
 Vipers in flight. |
|
| First appearance | Saga of a Star World |
| Affiliation | Colonial Fleet |
| General Characteristics | |
| Armaments | Lasers |
In the original run of Battlestar Galactica, the single-seated Colonial Viper is the only known fighter flown by Colonial Pilots, referred to as "Warriors". There is only one known variant of Viper seen in the series. The flight helmet worn by the Warrior pilots resembles an ancient Egyptian headdress.[citation needed]
The Vipers are launched from a long tube, apparently assisted by some sort of catapult mechanism. In flight, the Vipers typically use all three of their engines for powered flight, and can use a "Turbo" boost for greater speed, analogous to a modern fighter plane's afterburner. They can also reverse thrust for rapid deceleration, a useful tactic when being pursued by enemy ships who would then tend to overshoot the Viper, placing them in a vulnerable position. Vipers are capable of atmospheric as well as space flight, and can land and take off from a planetary surface.
Armament consist of two energy beam weapons, linked together to fire simultaneously. They can also carry fire suppression equipment, shown in one episode where they are used to battle a fire on the Galactica after action against the Cylons.
Some Vipers are known to be capable of invisibility when on the ground, as seen in the Galactica 1980 series. (In other 1980 episodes, we learn that a Colonial Warrior's uniform is meant to protect against the crushing effects of gravity, similar to an inertial dampener.) A 2-seat version of the Viper is also seen in the Galactica 1980 series, and hinted at in the first episode of the TV series.
US Air Force pilots gave the F-16 Fighting Falcon the unofficial nickname of "Viper" in homage to the fictional starfighter,[1] and pilots in the Japan Self-Defense Forces call their own variant of the F-16 the Viper Zero.
[edit] Re-imagined series (2003)
| Colonial Viper | |
|---|---|
 A Mark II Viper in space. |
|
| First appearance | Mini Series, Part 1 |
| Affiliation | Colonial Fleet |
| General Characteristics | |
| Armaments | Kinetic energy weapons Conventional missiles |
In the 2003 remake of Battlestar Galactica, the Viper series of starfighters are the Colonial Defense Force's primary space superiority fighter/attack craft. Capable of atmospheric flight, the Viper is a single-seat craft mounting two kinetic energy weapons, as well as having hardpoints beneath the wings for mounting missiles, munitions pods and other ordnance. There are at least seven versions of the Viper design at the point in history depicted by the reimaged miniseries.
Richard Hudolin, the production designer for the miniseries, has stated that "The only things that we wanted to carry through (from the original film and series) were the Mark II ships." [2]
[edit] History
The Viper was introduced into Colonial service shortly before the outbreak of the Cylon War. However, it was the Mark II Viper series, designed specifically for use with the new Colonial Battlestars, that is best remembered.
The Mark II was used during the Cylon War, proving a capable fighting vehicle. It is regarded as one of the reasons the Twelve Colonies did not suffer defeat at the hands of the Cylons.
The Mark II remained in service after the end of the war, with William Adama commenting that he last flew his 'own' Mark II Viper (N7242C), likely one of the last of its type, roughly twenty years after the end of the war.
The Mark II was subsequently superseded by newer models, with the Mark VII serving in front-line duties forty years after the end of the Cylon War, as seen in Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries. By this time the Viper design had been progressively evolved, retaining the basic structural configuration (essential for use with Colonial battlestars), but with variations in length, equipment, and capability. Very little is known to fans about the intervening designs, but by the time the Mark VII was introduced the Viper design incorporated software-based controls and fully networked systems; providing superior agility, battle management, and fight information for the pilot.
The Mark VII was later upgraded to include Dr. Gaius Baltar's navigational software. Along with the majority of the Colonial Fleet, this software allowed the Cylons to remotely disable the Vipers during the renewed attack on the Twelve Colonies, forty years after the original war ended. The few Mark VIIs that survived the disaster were later stripped of this software, and retrofitted for manual control.
The older Mark II fighters, not equipped with the "fly by wire" systems of newer Vipers, were unaffected by the Cylon modifications to Dr. Baltar's program. Two squadrons of Mark IIs were present in the Galactica's starboard flight pod in preparation for the Battlestar's new role as a museum, and after the Galactica's Mark VII squadrons were destroyed by the Cylons, the display of Mark II's were refitted for combat by Galactica's deck crew. They made up the majority of Galactica's fighter corps during the Cylon sneak attack, the Battle of Ragnar Anchorage, and most of the Galactica's action prior to the arrival of Battlestar Pegasus, adding her ability to manufacture more Mark VIIs to the fleet. When the Pegasus was destroyed, her nearly intact squadrons, all of them composed of Mark VII's, were transferred to the Galactica.
[edit] Armaments
The Viper is armed with multiple kinetic energy weapons, both have weapon hard points for mounting missiles under the wings.
- Mark II
- 2 x forward-firing "Kinetic energy weapons", mounted in the wing roots.
- Mark VII
- 3 x forward-firing "Kinetic energy weapons", 2 mounted towards the outboard sections of the wings, 1 mounted on the top "fin".
[edit] Notes
- ^ "F-16 Fighting Falcon, F16, or Viper"
- ^ Battlestar Galactica: The Lowdown documentary. (Miniseries)
[edit] External links
- 1978 Viper (Battlestar Wiki)
- Re-imagined Viper (MkII and MkVII) (Battlestar Wiki)
- Battlestar Galactica Ship Gallery from SciFi Channel's website
| Battlestar Galactica spaceships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Colonial Military | |||
| Battlestars | Military Vessels | ||
| Galactica | Pegasus | Valkyrie | Viper | Raptor | Blackbird | Stealthstar | ||
| "The Fleet" | |||
| Astral Queen | Colonial One | Cloud 9 | Olympic Carrier | other.. | |||
| Cylon Vessels | |||
| Basestar | Raider | Heavy Raider | "Resurrection Ship" | |||
