Viper (TRS): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 20:59, 18 February 2024

The Viper is the primary attack/interceptor vehicle in use on the Twelve Colonies with a wide range of both atmospheric and space capable craft dating back to before the First Cylon War.

Pre-Cylon War

See also Air Force Viper and Vintage Viper

The history of the Viper can be traced back to before the Cylon war, where propeller powered, and later, jet engine powered Vipers were utilized by colony based air force organizations, prior to the unification of the Colonies.

Digital representations of these early Vipers are popular with holoband users, available for flight simulations in the virtual world ^{(CAP: "The Imperfections of Memory")}. Earlier Vipers are also appear in the popular hacked environment, New Cap City ^{(CAP: "There is Another Sky", "The Imperfections of Memory" and "Ghosts in the Machine")}.

Cylon War

After the outbreak of the Cylon War, and the unification of the Colonies, the Viper Mk. II became the colony-wide service plane of choice, serving with distinction throughout that conflict. By the end of the war, the Mk. II was being phased out in favor of the Mk. III, however the Mk. II still continued to see action, even up until the Armistice. The Mk. II is later chosen for preservation in the Battlestar Galactica Cylon War Museum, following its decommissioning nearly 40 years since the end of hostilities ^{(TRS: "Miniseries")}.

Post-Cylon War

By the time of the Fall of the Twelve Colonies, the Viper Mark VII has taken up the mantle of the Mark II. However, due to its advanced construction and computer system, the standard Mark VII is vulnerable to the Cylon computer virus. Most of these are destroyed by the Cylons, who break in, and shut the Viper's computers off. A few remain with the fleeing Colonials, only after having their computer systems purged of the offending software ^{(TRS: "Miniseries")}.

Flight Regimes

The Viper is designed to operate in both space and atmospheric conditions.

In space flight, the Viper is highly maneuverable, dangerously so in inexperienced hands. Reaction control system (RCS) thrusters for rapid and flexible attitude control, a cluster of 3 main thrusters for high acceleration, and retractable reverse thrusters housed in both port and starboard cowlings for some degree of deceleration can subject the pilot to punishing g-forces. Its retractable landing struts can be magnetized to secure the Viper on metal decks and surfaces in zero gravity.

In atmospheric flight, Vipers consume more Tylium fuel than in the vacuum of space. Once in an atmosphere, the engines must run continuously to maintain sufficient airflow over the wing lifting surfaces. Depending on the composition of the atmosphere itself, this can place severe strain on the Viper's engines ^{(TRS: "You Can't Go Home Again")}. In addition to greater fuel consumption, the high wing load (i.e. small wing area relative to weight) may compromise the Viper's overall maneuverability. Because the smaller wing surfaces generate less lift, higher speeds are needed to stay aloft. The fighter's RCS thrusters might partially compensate for this.

Life Support

Viper cockpits are pressurized and heated, and pilots wear flight suits which, along with a breathing pack housed within the back, provide full life support should ejection be required (TRS: "You Can't Go Home Again)". In atmospheric ejections, the seat jettisons automatically once clear of the Viper, exposing a parachute which is deployed at a safe altitude (TRS: "Act of Contrition", "Razor").

Viper cockpits are also hardened against radiation, including a canopy made of a radiation-resistant glass and is capable of protecting a pilot against radiation levels that would kill a healthy human in 30 seconds ^{(TRS: "Blood and Chrome")}

Because of the stamina required to operate Vipers, battlestars have a specialized weight room where the pilots maintain their physical condition.

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-:''This article discusses the two Viper-class fighters seen in the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]]. For information on the Viper used in the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]] and in [[Galactica 1980]], see [[Viper (TOS)]].''
+{{disline|This is an overview page for all Viper fighter craft. For detailed information on ''de facto'' variants, see: [[Viper Mark II]] and [[Viper Mark VII]].}}
+__NOTOC__
+[[File:Viper Mk VII retcon and Mk II.jpg|thumb|Two Vipers circa {{ACH|3}} on patrol {{TRS|Maelstrom}}.]]
+The '''Viper''' is the primary attack/interceptor vehicle in use on the [[Twelve Colonies of Kobol|Twelve Colonies]] with a wide range of both atmospheric and space capable craft dating back to before the [[First Cylon War]].
-{{Ship Data
+== Pre-Cylon War ==
-| image= Bsg-viper-1.jpg
+::''See also [[Air Force Viper]] and [[Vintage Viper]]''
-| title= Viper Mk. II
+[[File:Vintage Viper.jpg|thumb|left|Early Vipers fly in formation.]]
-| race= Colonial
+The history of the Viper can be traced back to before the Cylon war, where propeller powered, and later, jet engine powered Vipers were utilized by colony based air force organizations, prior to the unification of the Colonies.
-| type= Military
-| ftl= No
-| crew= 1 pilot
-| role= Space superiority fighter
-| weapons= 2 [[KEW|Kinetic Energy Weapons]], missiles
-| status= Obsolete
-| length= 8.4082 meters
-| height= 2.7247 meters{{ref|inflight}}
-| wingspan= 4.7168 meters
-}}
-The '''Viper''' is the [[Colonial Fleet]]'s primary space superiority fighter / attack craft. Capable of atmospheric flight, the Viper is a single-seat craft mounting two kinetic energy weapons ([[KEW]]s), as well as having hardpoints beneath the wings for mounting missiles, munitions pods and other ordnance ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]).
+Digital representations of these early Vipers are popular with [[holoband]] users, available for flight simulations in the [[virtual world]] {{CAP|The Imperfections of Memory}}. Earlier Vipers are also appear in the popular hacked environment, [[New Cap City]] {{CAP|There is Another Sky|The Imperfections of Memory|Ghosts in the Machine}}.
-The Viper was originally introduced into Colonial service shortly before the outbreak of the [[Cylon War]]. However, it was the Mark II variant, designed specifically for use with the new Colonial [[Galactica type battlestar|battlestars]] that is best remembered.
+{{clear}}
-The Mark II served with distinction throughout the Cylon War, proving a capable fighting vehicle that won renown across the [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] and is regarded as one of the reasons the Colonials did not suffer defeat at the hands of the Cylons.
+== Cylon War ==
+[[Image: Viper Mk II atmospheric flight.jpg|thumb|left|A Viper Mark II in atmospheric flight.]]
+After the outbreak of the Cylon War, and the unification of the Colonies, the [[Viper Mark II|Viper Mk. II]] became the colony-wide service plane of choice, serving with distinction throughout that conflict. By the end of the war, the Mk. II was being phased out in favor of the [[Viper Mark III|Mk. III]], however the Mk. II still continued to see action, even up until the [[Cimtar Peace Accord|Armistice]]. The Mk. II is later chosen for preservation in the Battlestar Galactica Cylon War Museum, following its decommissioning nearly 40 years since the end of hostilities {{TRS|Miniseries}}.
-The Mark II remained in service after the end of the war, but was subsequently superseded by newer models. At the time of the renewed Cylon attack on the Twelve Colonies, the Mark VII was the front-line variant of the Viper design, retaining the Mark II general layout but using fully networked systems providing superior battle management and fight information for the pilot.
+{{clear}}
-{{Ship Data
-| image= BSG-Mark-VII.jpg
-| title= Viper Mk. VII
-| race= Colonial
-| type= Military
-| ftl= No
-| crew= 1 pilot
-| role= Space superiority fighter
-| weapons= 3 [[KEW|Kinetic Energy Weapons]], missiles
-| status= In current Colonial service
-| length= 9.8643 meters
-| height= 2.9508 meters{{ref|inflight}}{{ref|companion}}
-| wingspan= 5.61 meters
-}}
-Ironically, it was the incorporation of the new integrated systems that prevented the majority of Mark VIIs from being effective during the Cylon attack: as with the majority of Colonial Fleet, the Mark VII suffer fatal computer system failures on contact with Cylon forces. Thanks to a [[Number Six|Cylon agent's]] relationship with Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]], scientist and programmer of the navigation software project, the [[CNP|navigational software]] in use onboard the majority of Colonial Fleet vessels contained backdoors that allow the Cylons to infiltrate a vessel's network by [[wireless]] signals and disable its power systems. While the problem could be overcome by removing the navigational upgrade compromised by the Cylons, this information is not discovered in time to be of major benefit to the surprised and hard-pressed Colonial forces.
-== Atmospheric Operations ==
+== Post-Cylon War ==
-The Viper is designed for atmospheric as well as space-based operations. However, Vipers consume more fuel during atmospheric operations than in the vacuum of space: once in an atmosphere, the engines must run continuously to retain airflow over the wing lifting surfaces. Depending on the composition of the atmosphere itself, this can place severe strain on the Viper's engines ([[You Can't Go Home Again]]).
+[[Image:Mk VII with Mk II, patrol.jpg|thumb|right|A Viper Mk. II and a Mk. VII on patrol {{TRS|33}}.]]
+By the time of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]], the [[Viper Mark VII]] has taken up the mantle of the Mark II. However, due to its advanced construction and [[Computers in the Re-imagined Series|computer system]], the standard Mark VII is vulnerable to the [[Cylon (RDM)|Cylon]] [[Cylon computer virus|computer virus]]. Most of these are destroyed by the Cylons, who break in, and shut the Viper's computers off. A few remain with the fleeing Colonials, only after having their computer systems purged of the offending software {{TRS|Miniseries}}.
-Due to their wing configuration, Vipers may also suffer from poor handling at low speeds within an atmosphere.
+{{clear}}
-== Life Support ==
+== Flight Regimes ==
-Viper cockpits are pressurised and heated, but they are flown with the pilot wearing a [[flight suit]] that is capable of providing full life support should ejection be required ([[You Can't Go Home Again]]). The life support systems are built-in to the back of the pilot's seat itself, together with the flight harness. Following an ejection, the back of the seat separates automatically, effectively becoming a backpack for the pilot ([[Act of Contrition]]).
+The Viper is designed to operate in both space and atmospheric conditions.
-Should ejection take place within an atmosphere, the life support backpack / seat back also incorporates a parachute.
+In space flight, the Viper is highly maneuverable, dangerously so in inexperienced hands. [[Navigation in the Re-imagined Series|Reaction control system]] (RCS) thrusters for rapid and flexible attitude control, a cluster of 3 main thrusters for high acceleration, and retractable reverse thrusters housed in both port and starboard cowlings for some degree of deceleration can subject the pilot to punishing [[w:g-force|g-forces]]. Its retractable landing struts can be magnetized to secure the Viper on metal decks and surfaces in zero gravity.
-== Technical Specifications ==
+In atmospheric flight, Vipers consume more [[Tylium]] fuel than in the vacuum of space. Once in an atmosphere, the engines must run continuously to maintain sufficient airflow over the wing lifting surfaces. Depending on the composition of the atmosphere itself, this can place severe strain on the Viper's engines {{TRS|You Can't Go Home Again}}. In addition to greater fuel consumption, the high wing load (i.e. small wing area relative to weight) may compromise the Viper's overall maneuverability. Because the smaller wing surfaces generate less lift, higher speeds are needed to stay aloft. The fighter's RCS thrusters might partially compensate for this.
-=== Propulsion ===
+=== Life Support ===
-*'''Mark II:''' 1x Voram VM2-D15 upper turbothrust engine, 2x Voram VM3-D22 turbothrust engines; 2x reverse thrust motors; [[RCS]] points
+Viper cockpits are pressurized and heated, and pilots wear [[flight suit]]s which, along with a breathing pack housed within the back, provide full life support should ejection be required ([[TRS]]: "[[You Can't Go Home Again]])". In atmospheric ejections, the seat jettisons automatically once clear of the Viper, exposing a parachute which is deployed at a safe altitude ([[TRS]]: "[[Act of Contrition]]", "[[Razor#William Adama|Razor]]").
-*'''Mark VII:''' 3x turbothrust engines mounted aft; [[RCS]] points; angular exhaust nozzle design suggest possible thrust-vectoring.
-=== Armaments ===
+Viper cockpits are also hardened against radiation, including a canopy made of a radiation-resistant glass and is capable of protecting a pilot against radiation levels that would kill a healthy human in 30 seconds {{TRS|Blood and Chrome}}
-*'''Mark II:''' 2x MEC-A6 30mm Thraxon forward-firing kinetic energy weapons ([[KEW]]) mounted in the wing roots with 800 round magazine; dorsal storage bay for 8x HD-70 Lightning Javelin missiles (optional 50 megaton nuclear warhead){{ref|armaments}}
-*'''Mark VII:''' 3x forward-firing kinetic energy weapons (KEW); 2 mounted towards the outboard sections of the wings; 1 mounted in the vertical stabiliser
-*'''Both:''' Weapon hardpoints for mounting missiles / munitions pods, etc. under the wings; compatible gun ammunition, although Mk VII seems to have a higher rate of fire
-=== [[Computers#Avionics|Avionics]] ===
+Because of the stamina required to operate Vipers, battlestars have a specialized [[weight room]] where the pilots maintain their physical condition.
-Both Viper models include a [[Computers#Colonial Avionics|cockpit avionics]] package.
-[[Image:Vipermk2interior2 104 1080i.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Mark II joyrstick and analog gauges]]<br>
-Viper Mark II fighter cockpits, as part of their use in the [[Cylon War]], were initially designed to resist Cylon attempts at disabling or damaging the fighter's flight controls. As such, the avionics of a Mark II are not complicated, relying more on the pilot's [[Mark One Eyeball]], the fighter's analog controls and a primitive computer to manage flight systems.
-It is likely that Mark II fighters, given the number of analog gauges and controls, were designed to be flown entirely without its computer in the event of its compromization by Cylon cracking. Some analog gauges, such as the altimeter, are used only in atmospheric flight.
-<div style="clear: both;"></div>
-{|
-|-
-|[[Image:Viper Attitude Indicator 1.jpg|200px]] ||[[Image:Vipermk2interior5 104 1080i.jpg|150px]] || [[Image:Torque Percent Indicator.JPG|100px]]
-|}
-<br>
-[[Image:Vipermk7interior 101 1080i.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Mark VII joystick, with few analog controls]]<br>
-The Mark VII Viper cockpit is, in contrast, almost totally digital. There are far fewer analog gauges and more reliance on a more powerful flight computer. This gives the Mark VII pilot far greater control of the fighter as well as, presumably, greater targeting control in a dogfight.
-However, the latest and last software upgrade, the [[CNP]] upgrade, introduced a fatal flaw (inserted by a [[Cylon agent]]) in the Mark VII that led to the virtual annihilation of most of these fighters in the opening wave of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon attack]].
-<div style="clear: both;"></div>
-=== Crew ===
-*Pilot in Terrell ES 24C ejection seat. {{ref_label|companion|2|a}}
-=== Performance ===
-*'''Mark II:'''  Can rotate 180 degrees vertically in .35 seconds {{ref|manuvering}}
-== Notes ==
-Since ''Galactica'' only had 40 Viper Mark IIs aboard, they needed as many fighters as possible, thus the remaining Mark VIIs were refitted and stripped of their advanced computer systems. However, since this is not how the Mark VII was designed, it makes the craft increasingly difficult to handle and can only be flown by the most experienced pilots such as [[Lee Adama|Apollo]] and [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]]. ''Galactica'' has roughly 6-8 Mark VIIs on board after the Cylon attack ("[[Scattered]]", "Flight of the Phoenix"). (source: [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/ships/ships/|official Scifi.com series website])
-== Layout ==
-[[Image:Viper Mk II orthos.jpg|thumb|Viper Mk II]]
-The Viper is a long, sleek vehicle that can be split into two parts, fore and aft.
-*Fore section: comprises the nose back to the cockpit. This contains the forward RCS systems for maneuvering the craft; the forward landing gear; the main [[avionics]] and sensor packages, plus the single-seat cockpit itself
-*Stern section: comprises the main engines, fuel tanks, wings and vertical stabiliser. The wings themselves contain the kinetic energy weapons ("guns") and their munitions storage and feeds. Hardpoints beneath the wings allow missiles, munitions pods and other items to be rack-mounted ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]). The wings roots contain the main landing gear. This section of a Viper also contains a number of RCS maneuvering packs.
-The stern section of a Viper is distinctive because of the offset "intakes" mounted just behind the cockpit. The port / starboard "intake" nacelles incorporate small but powerful reverse thrust engines that can quickly counter a Viper's forward momentum in an emergency ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]).
-== Sources ==
-#{{note|dimensions}}Dimensions provided by [http://www.leestringer.com/ Lee Stringer], one of the VFX Animators of the miniseries. These are for the CGI models, which are based on but not identical to the fullsize props. Source: [http://www.starshipbuilder.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000012.html Starshipbuilder.com forums]
-#{{note|companion}}{{note_label|companion|2|a}}Armaments listings and ejector seat details from David Bassom's ''[[The Official Companion|Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]''.
-#{{note|inflight}}In flight, without landing gear. Landing gear adds approximately 0.5m.
-#{{note|manuvering}} Lt. "Starbuck" Thrace: "This is a Viper Mark-II. It's as maneuverable as a jackrabbit and can flip end for end in .35 seconds" ([[Act of Contrition]])
 [[Category:A to Z]]
+[[Category:Colonial]]
+[[Category:Colonial Craft]]
+[[Category:Colonial Craft (RDM)]]
 [[Category:Colonial Military]]
-[[Category:Colonial Craft]]
+[[Category:Colonial Military (RDM)]]
+[[Category:Ships]]
+[[Category:Ships (RDM)]]
+[[Category:Technology]]
+[[Category:Technology (RDM)]]
 [[Category:RDM]]
+[[de:Viper (RDM)]]
+{{#related:Viper Mark II}}
+{{#related:Viper Mark VII}}
+{{#related:Viper (TOS)}}
+{{#related:Viper (1980)}}