Viper (TOS)
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- This article discusses the Viper fighter seen in the Original Series. For information on the Vipers used in the Re-imagined Series, see Viper (RDM). Note: for the single appearence of the Original Series Viper in the Re-imagined Series, see the bottom of this article.
| Viper | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Race: | Colonial | ||
| Type: | Military | ||
| FTL: | No | ||
| Propulsion: | 3 x ion engines mounted aft | ||
| Crew: | 1 pilot | ||
| Capacity: | |||
| CO: | {{{co}}} | ||
| XO: | {{{xo}}} | ||
| Role: | Space superiority fighter | ||
| Weapons: | 2 forward-firing laser-torpedo guns, 4 two-hundred kiloton Solonite missiles and 2 thirty megaton Solonite bombs | ||
| Armaments: | {{{arm}}} | ||
| Defenses: | {{{def}}} | ||
| Aircraft: | {{{aircraft}}} | ||
| Aviation facilities: | {{{facilities}}} | ||
| Fate: | {{{status}}} | ||
| Emblem: | [[Image:{{{patch}}}|175px|Ship's patch]] | ||
| Other Images: | Gallery | ||
| Length: | (approx) 8.7m | ||
| Width: | (approx) 3.8m | ||
| Height: | {{{height}}} | ||
| Weight: | {{{weight}}} | ||
| Wingspan: | {{{wingspan}}} | ||
| Other: | {{{otherdi}}} | ||
| Cost: | {{{construction}}} | ||
| Construction Time: | {{{construction}}} | ||
| Hull Size: | {{{hull size}}} | ||
| Hull: | {{{hull}}} | ||
| FTL Cooldown: | {{{ftl cooldown}}} turns | ||
| Speed: | {{{speed}}} m/s | ||
| Turn Rate: | {{{turn rate}}}°/turn | ||
| Armor Total: | {{{armor total}}} | ||
| Armor Left: | {{{armor left}}} | ||
| Armor Right: | {{{armor right}}} | ||
| Armor Front: | {{{armor front}}} | ||
| Armor Rear: | {{{armor rear}}} | ||
| Armor Top: | {{{armor top}}} | ||
| Armor Bottom: | {{{armor bottom}}} | ||
| DRADIS Range: | {{{dradis range}}} m | ||
| Processing Power: | {{{processing power}}} | ||
| Munition Slots: | {{{munitions}}} | ||
| Munition Cooldown Period: | {{{munition cooldown}}} turns | ||
| Squadron Slots: | {{{squadrons}}} | ||
| Squadron Size: | {{{squadron size}}} | ||
| Special Abilities: | {{{special abilities}}} | ||
| Additional Information | |||
The Colonial Starhound-class Viper was the primary space superiority fighter / attack craft deployed by the Colonials. Capable of atmospheric flight, it was a single-seat craft mounting two laser-torpedo guns as standard, as well as having hardpoints for mounting missiles.
The Viper was originally introduced into Colonial service during the 1,000 yahren war with the Cylons, and was a far superior craft to the Cylon Raider.
Propulsion was said to be provided by a hybrid tylium / fusion reactor powering three ion engines with a "turbo-boost" facility for very rapid acceleration. For atmospheric flight, the engines are additionally supplied with atmospheric gases as combustibles to conserve on-board fuel supplies. The viper cockpit is fully pressurised, and in the event of catastrophic system damage, the entire module can detach and eject away from the damaged Viper.
Layout
The Viper is a long, sleek vehicle that can be spilt into two parts, fore and aft.
- Fore section: comprises the nose back to the cockpit. This contains the targeting dish and sensor array, the forward landing gear; the main avionics and sensor packages, plus the cockpit module
- Stern section: comprises the main engines, reactor systems, turbo-boost injection systems, fuel tanks, wings and vertical stabiliser. The wings themselves contain the laser-torpedo guns and their power packs. Harpoints beneath the wings allow missiles, munitions pods and other items to be rack-mounted.
Variants and Modifications
- A "Recon Viper" variant has been developed, possessing greater speed and manueverability capabilities than a typical Viper, but lacking any armament. It also possesses an advanced voice interface. Starbuck is the only warrior known to have flown this variant (The Long Patrol).
- On missions where Vipers must endure extreme heat or other environments that could endanger the pilot, specially designed shielding can be applied to the cockpit canopy. This extra layer of protection was used in the Madagon star cluster and prevented pilots from being hurt by the incredible heat and light in the region (Saga of a Star World).
Re-imagined Series
An original series Viper is briefly seen in the Galactica exhibition in the Miniseries, indicating that Vipers of this type may have once been used on Galactica herself.
Notes
- In Galactica 1980, some Vipers were outfitted with stealth technologies that rendered the Viper craft invisible to the eye (Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I).
- Also in 1980, a two-seater version of the Viper was seen throughout the series. However, despite its appearances in 1980, this variant may have been hinted at as early on as "Saga of a Star World", when Adama and Apollo made a landing on Caprica after the destruction of the Colonies. However, this variant was never explictly seen during the classic series' run.