Phoenix

The Phoenix aircraft cruises over Caprican Bay.

The Phoenix is a vehicle utilized by civilians and military personnel in the Twelve Worlds, including Caprica and Gemenon in the years before the Cylon War. A progenitor to the Colonial Fleet's Raptor, the Phoenix is a mainstay in Caprica City where it can frequently be seen flying above the skyline. The Phoenix is driven by maneuvering thrusters and features DRADIS capabilities (CAP: "Know Thy Enemy", "End of Line", "Things We Lock Away", "Blowback").

Following its escape from Graystone Industries' labs in Caprica City, a Caprican Marine Corps Phoenix is dispatched to pursue a rogue U-87 Cyber Combat Unit robot. Ordered not to engage the prototypical Cylon, the Phoenix chases the Graystone Industries van carrying the robot out of Caprica City and into the outlying mountain region. Unlike its civilian counterpart, this Marine Phoenix is armed and intended for use as a troop transport (CAP: "End of Line").

A Graystone Industries Phoenix on the company's landing pad.

Graystone Industries itself possesses Phoenix aircraft for use as private transports by the company's CEO, painted white and blue and bearing the Graystone "G" logo, the Phoenix can land atop the Graystone tower in downtown Caprica City (CAP: "Things We Lock Away").

When Doctors Amanda and Daniel Graystone are falsely accused of being members of the Soldiers of the One terror organization by corrupt Global Defense Department director Gara Singh, the husband and wife duo escape their home in Graystone's Phoenix jet. Taking off from a landing pad at the front of the Graystone Estate, the Phoenix is piloted through Caprica City by Sean, landing in a clearing in Orpheus Park (CAP: "Apotheosis").

Notes

• The Phoenix jet first appears in the opening credits of Caprica. According to materials created by Doug Drexler and provided to the 2010 Emmy Awards voters:

Sleek and smart, the elegantly streamlined Graystone Aerospace business jet seen in Caprica is terrestrially rooted in the Bell Osprey V-22, and shares bloodlines with Galactica's own Raptor scout ship. The Phoenix model is an impressive construct of carefully designed compound curves including a completely realized instrumented cockpit. The model is fully functional with all flight surfaces articulated. It is a carefully considered 285877 Polygons.

• According to the same materials, the Phoenix possesses a length of 67 feet and a wingspan of 44 feet.

• VFX modeler Pierre Drolet stated on his personal website that the Phoenix jet was the first model he created for the production at a time when the producers were unsure as to the extent it would appear in the series. Drolet describes the Marine Phoenix as "an upgrade of the Pheonix private jet, which turned into a military troop carrier" with the addition of guns and a new paint job.