Viper Mark II
- This article discusses the older, generally obsolete Viper-class fighters seen in the Re-imagined Series. For information on the advanced Viper Mark VII from the same series, see Viper Mark VII. For the Viper used in the Original Series and in Galactica 1980, see Viper (TOS).
| Viper Mk. II | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Race: | Colonial | ||
| Type: | Military | ||
| FTL: | No | ||
| Propulsion: | |||
| Crew: | 1 pilot | ||
| Capacity: | |||
| CO: | {{{co}}} | ||
| XO: | {{{xo}}} | ||
| Role: | Space superiority fighter | ||
| Weapons: | 2 Kinetic Energy Weapons, missiles | ||
| Armaments: | {{{arm}}} | ||
| Defenses: | {{{def}}} | ||
| Aircraft: | {{{aircraft}}} | ||
| Aviation facilities: | {{{facilities}}} | ||
| Fate: | Obsolete / In current Colonial service | ||
| Emblem: | [[Image:{{{patch}}}|175px|Ship's patch]] | ||
| Other Images: | Gallery | ||
| Length: | 8.4082 meters | ||
| Width: | {{{width}}} | ||
| Height: | 2.7247 metersTemplate:Ref | ||
| Weight: | {{{weight}}} | ||
| Wingspan: | 4.7168 meters | ||
| 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 Viper Mark II was the Colonial Fleet's primary space superiority fighter / attack craft during the Cylon War, approximately 50 years prior to a second and decisive Cylon attack that effectively destroys the civilization of the Twelve Colonies (Miniseries).
Capable of atmospheric flight, the Mark II is a single-seat craft mounting two kinetic energy weapons (KEWs), as well as having hardpoints beneath the wings for mounting missiles, munitions pods and other ordnance (The Hand of God).
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 battlestars that is best remembered.
The Mark II served with distinction throughout the Cylon War, proving a capable fighting vehicle that won renown across the Twelve Colonies and is regarded as one of the reasons the Colonials did not suffer defeat at the hands of the Cylons.
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 Viper 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.
Technical Specifications[edit]
Propulsion[edit]
- 1x Voram VM2-D15 upper turbothrust engine, 2x Voram VM3-D22 turbothrust engines; 2x reverse thrust motors; RCS points
Armaments[edit]
- 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)Template:Ref
- Weapon hardpoints for mounting missiles / munitions pods, etc. under the wings
Avionics[edit]
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.
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Layout[edit]
The Viper Mark II 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). 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).
Sources[edit]
- Template:NoteDimensions provided by 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: Starshipbuilder.com forums
- Template:NoteTemplate:Note labelArmaments listings and ejector seat details from David Bassom's Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion.
- Template:NoteIn flight, without landing gear. Landing gear adds approximately 0.5m.