SuperViper
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| SuperViper | |||
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| [[File:|275px|SuperViper]] | |||
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| Race: | {{{race}}} | ||
| Type: | Experimental fighter prototype | ||
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| Crew: | 2 pilots, up to 12 total personnel | ||
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| Weapons: | Multiple laser cannon batteries | ||
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| Aircraft: | {{{aircraft}}} | ||
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| Emblem: | [[File:{{{patch}}}|175px|Ship's patch]] | ||
| Other Images: | Gallery | ||
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| FTL Cooldown: | {{{ftl cooldown}}} turns | ||
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| DRADIS Range: | {{{dradis range}}} m | ||
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| Additional Information | |||
The SuperViper is an experimental fighter prototype developed by the Research and Development division aboard Galactica during the fleet's journey to Earth.
Design and Specifications
Physical Characteristics
The SuperViper is more than twice the size of a standard Viper, featuring an unsymmetrical fuselage dotted with various technological appurtenances designed to make it a more efficient space vehicle. Unlike traditional Vipers, the fuselage tip is blunted rather than coming to the characteristic Viper point. The overall appearance is described as "not quite finished," typical of a research prototype where aesthetic considerations are secondary to functionality.[1]
The craft features uninterrupted silver surfaces that gleam impressively despite its utilitarian design. The vehicle's plainness reflects its experimental nature, with the Research and Development team prioritizing function over form.[1]
Cockpit and Interior
The SuperViper abandons the traditional domed cockpit design of standard Vipers in favor of a larger compartment capable of holding up to a dozen personnel. This expanded space can accommodate the two required pilots plus any supporting personnel needed for specific missions, including navigators, gunners, and advisory command staff.[2]
The interior features large, plushy seats in stark contrast to the rock-hard seats of regular Vipers. However, pilots Starbuck and Apollo feel uncomfortable with this luxury, believing that "fighter pilots were not supposed to be comfortable." The padding serves primarily to protect the sensitive equipment rather than enhance pilot comfort.[2]
The compartment interior is dominated by dark gray metal plates, lighter gray rivets, and thin black lines of stripping material. The incredibly complicated instrument panel features more dials, gauges, levers, and toggles than any single instrument panel previously seen on Colonial vessels. Four screens above the panel display views from various points of the ship, each representing the wide area that individual gun emplacements can cover.[3][4]
At the rear of the compartment, housed in plain gray boxes, are the SuperViper's escape pods—small one-man vehicles that can be jetted out of the ship in emergency situations.[4]
Dual-Pilot System
The SuperViper's most distinctive feature is its requirement for two physiologically linked pilots working in perfect tandem. The pilots wear three-tiered belts around their upper arms that are integral to the muscle-scanning setup. These belts read and transmit the muscular movements of each pilot to the other, creating a connection where "it's almost as if each pilot is contained in the body of the other."[2][3]
According to the Research and Development team, the craft requires too many simultaneous physical movements for a single pilot to perform effectively. However, the pilots cannot work independently either, as the controls are too sensitive to allow for human errors that can result from traditional copiloting. The two pilots must "meld themselves into one unit, performing almost like a single human being."[3]
Weapons Systems
The SuperViper features advanced weaponry systems with intricate and powerful armaments. Multiple laser cannon batteries are positioned throughout the ship, allowing pilots to fire at targets in front, to the side, and at the rear simultaneously. The weapons emerge from hatches that pop open on all sides of the ship when activated.[5][6]
Performance Characteristics
Power and Maneuverability
The SuperViper demonstrates unprecedented power and speed, accelerating at ranges that would be dangerous for conventional craft. During launch, it creates a "great whooshing sound that seemed to make the thick walls of Galactica shake" and emerges from launch tubes with "dazzling speed."[7]
The craft can perform loops so tight that "the ship itself seemed to bend with the curve," maneuvers that would be impossible for standard fighters. Its maneuverability allows for impossible swerves sideways, bobbing motions like a fishing lure, and sharp zigzag curves that completely confound enemy attackers.[7][6]
Control Sensitivity
The SuperViper's advanced technology creates both advantages and dangers. The ship responds so sensitively to pilot input that "we only have to think the maneuver, then just touch controls with our fingertips, and we've done it already before we know it." This responsiveness can make the craft feel like it has "a mind of its own," requiring pilots to remain extremely calm and synchronized to maintain control.[7][5]
The ship's sensitivity makes it "skittish" and difficult to control, requiring pilots to relax completely for optimal performance. Any tension or lack of coordination between pilots can result in dangerous loss of control.[5]
Operational History
Test Flight
The SuperViper undergoes its first and only test flight with Apollo and Starbuck as test pilots. Commander Adama oversees the test from the bridge despite his reservations about the experimental technology, expressing concerns about risking his best pilots for technological advancement.[8]
During the test flight, the SuperViper performs admirably initially, executing complex maneuvers with incredible precision. However, the craft becomes dangerously unstable, nearly crashing into Galactica when the pilots lose synchronization. Only by regaining perfect coordination do Apollo and Starbuck manage to regain control and safely land the craft.[9][10]
Following the dangerous test flight, Commander Adama orders the Research and Development team to suspend further testing, declaring that "our pilots, our people, are more important than all this fancy technology."[11]
Combat Deployment
Despite its earlier problems, the SuperViper is pressed into service during Spectre's massive assault on the fleet. When sabotage damage prevents the launch of conventional Viper squadrons, the SuperViper represents the only hope for defending Galactica against overwhelming Cylon forces.[12][13]
Apollo and Starbuck volunteer for the dangerous mission, understanding that conventional tactics cannot succeed against the superior Cylon forces. The SuperViper proves devastatingly effective in combat, with its advanced weapons systems allowing the destruction of multiple enemy ships in rapid succession. The craft's maneuverability enables it to outfight vastly superior numbers, with Cylon ships appearing "more like pesky insects than genuine threats."[6]
Final Mission
As the battle reaches its climax, the SuperViper begins experiencing dangerous vibrations and system instabilities. Rather than attempt a risky return to Galactica, Apollo makes the decision to use the craft for one final mission. After ordering all Colonial fighters to retreat from the right flank, Apollo and Starbuck escape in the ship's emergency pods.[14][15]
The unmanned SuperViper, guided by Apollo's final adjustments, heads directly into the regrouping Cylon forces. It collides with enemy ships before exploding in a massive blast that destroys at least a dozen Cylon vessels and damages several more with shrapnel. The explosion creates "a magnificent sight, tongues of fire reaching outward as massive shards of metal seemed launched from the flames."[15][16]
This sacrifice helps turn the tide of battle, allowing Colonial forces to achieve victory against Spectre's assault force.
Program Discontinuation
Following the battle, Commander Adama orders Research and Development to discontinue work on the SuperViper program. The decision reflects both the craft's proven instability and the fleet's limited resources for such experimental projects. While the SuperViper demonstrates the potential of advanced fighter technology, its demanding pilot requirements and technical complexities make it unsuitable for regular fleet operations.[17]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 39.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 42.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 43.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 44.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 198.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 199.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 45.
- ↑ Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 40.
- ↑ Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 48.
- ↑ Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 49.
- ↑ Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 50.
- ↑ Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 193.
- ↑ Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 194.
- ↑ Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 204.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 205.
- ↑ Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 206.
- ↑ Larson, Glen A. (1988). Surrender the Galactica!. Ace Books, p. 208.