Blackbird

The Blackbird is a prototype Colonial fighter craft constructed by Galen Tyrol, his deck crews, and other members of Galactica. This craft was meant to supplement the Viper, given the issues with the remaining craft aboard the battlestar.

It is designed to use the Viper launch tubes, and therefore shares the same general shape. It is built more for speed than for maneuverability. If it is armed, it likely fires the same ammunition as typical Vipers, though this has not yet been demonstrated.

It is does not use metal for its skin, but a carbon composite, which makes it invisible from DRADIS scanning, an idea suggested by Karl Agathon.(Carbon composites are the same material used in the nose and leading edges of the wings of NASA's Space Shuttle). Its outline is angular and hard-edged instead of round and curvaceous--while this would make it much more visible on RADAR, perhaps this helps renders it invisible to DRADIS.

It is powered by obsolete DDG-62 engines that were in storage on another ship. One must speculate that since a typical Viper's engines are vulnerable to heat-seeking missiles (Mini-series), these must be as well. This would would compromise its stealth features during powered flight. (Although this is less of a disadvantage in space than in atmospheric flight; a spacecraft's intertia is not affected by gravity, friction, and other factors an atmospheric-bound craft would be, and thus can fly for definite periods of time without firing its engines.)

The first prototype was dubbed "Laura", in honor of President Laura Roslin. (Flight of the Phoenix)