The Colonial Viper is the primary fighter spacecraft type used by the human protagonists in the Battlestar Galactica fictional universe. Appearing in both the 1978 original series and the 2003 reimagined series, as well as various derivative works, the single-pilot spacecraft are embarked aboard Battlestar Galactica and are the human's main tools of defence against the fictional universe's antagonists - the cybernetic Cylon race. A Colonial Viper from Battlestar Galactica, an example of a starfighter. ... This article is about all the media that use the name Battlestar Galactica. ... This article is about the original television series; for other versions, see the main Battlestar Galactica page or Battlestar Galactica (disambiguation). ... This article is about the reimagined universe of Battlestar Galactica in 2003; for more about the 2003 miniseries, see Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries); for more about the subsequent television series, see Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series); for other versions, see the main Battlestar Galactica page or Battlestar Galactica (disambiguation). ... The Battlestar Galactica is a fictional spaceship and the primary setting in the original Battlestar Galactica television series and film, and its subsequent ongoing re-imagining in 2003. ... Old Cylon Centurion shown in a museum display in the 2003 Battlestar Galactica miniseries The Cylons are a cybernetic civilization at war with the Twelve Colonies of humanity in the Battlestar Galactica science fiction franchise, in the original 1978/1980 series and movie, as well as the 2003 reimagining. ...

The popularity of the original Battlestar Galactica series resulted in United States Air Force pilots nicknaming F-16 Fighting Falcons "Vipers".^[1] When the reimagined series was created, the Viper was one of the elements the designers wanted to carry through with minimal alteration. USAF redirects here. ... The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. ...

Original series (1978, 1980)

This section does not cite any references or sources. (February 2008) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Viper (1978, 1980)
Vipers in flight.
First appearance	Saga of a Star World
Affiliation	Colonial Fleet
General Characteristics
Armaments	Lasers

In the original run of Battlestar Galactica, the single-seated Colonial Viper is the only known fighter flown by Colonial Pilots, referred to as "Warriors". There is only one known model of Viper seen in the series. Some spin-off materials incorrectly list the Viper as a "Starhound Viper" or "Starhound Class" fighter, an error beginning in the novelisation of "Saga of a Star World", where the fighters carried by Galactica are referred to as "Starhounds" in the front matter, but are called "Vipers" in the novel itself.^[2] A pressure suit is worn under the pilot's uniform to protect them from gravitational forces as seen in "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I". The flight helmet worn by the Warrior pilots resembles an ancient Egyptian headdress, but has no faceplate. Viper pilots from each Battlestar have differing forehead ornamentation on their helmets: Pegasus pilot helmets feature a flying horse, while Galactica pilot helmets have a bird design. Image File history File links Colonial_viper_original-series. ... Episode chronology Saga of a Star World is the pilot for the American science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica which was produced in 1978 by Glen Larson. ... // Original Series There is no canonical list of rank insignia for the Colonial Forces in the original series. ... Episode chronology Saga of a Star World is the pilot for the American science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica which was produced in 1978 by Glen Larson. ... Book design is the art of incorporating the content, style, format, design, and sequence of the various components of a book into a coherent whole. ... The Battlestar Pegasus is a fictional spacecraft that appears in the original Battlestar Galactica television series, and its subsequent ongoing re-imagining, in which it first appears in the second season episode, Pegasus. Spoiler warning: // An original series Battlestar The Battlestar Pegasus appears in the original series two-part episode... For other uses, see Pegasus (disambiguation). ...

The Vipers are launched from a long tube in one of a Battlestar's landing bays, assisted by a powered catapult mechanism. It appears that a Battlestar can launch three Vipers from each bay at once. Vipers are loaded into the launch tubes atop rails which engage recesses in the bottom of the fuselage between the lower wings. The rail system ensures that the Viper remains on the centerline of the launch tube. u suk usuk u suk u suk u suk u suk u suk u suk u suk u suk usuk suk suk suk suk suk suk suk suk suk suk suk suk suk suk suk suk{| class=wikitable |- ! header 1 ! header 2 ! header 3 |- | row 1, cell 1 | row 1...

Vipers typically use all three of their engines for powered flight, and can use a "Turbo" boost for greater speed, analogous to a modern fighter plane's afterburner. A pilot can turn on or off each engine by a push button, as seen in the startup sequence anytime a Viper is preparing to take off. Vipers can also reverse thrust for rapid deceleration, a useful tactic when being pursued by enemy ships that would then tend to overshoot the Viper, placing them in a vulnerable position. Vipers are capable of atmospheric as well as space flight, and can land and take off from a planetary surface. Viper engines are designed to collect commonly occurring gases in planetary atmospheres and in space to power the ship's fusion reactor. Vipers are also capable of supporting the pilot for up to two weeks in a form of "suspended animation" for extremely long missions. SR-71 in flight with J58 on full afterburner An afterburner is an additional component added to some jet engines, primarily those on military aircraft. ...

The main flight control of a Viper is a three buttoned joystick, similar to a jet fighter. The three buttons are labeled FIRE, TURBO and IM, with the fire button being red. The IM button is the reverse thruster. Notably in "Saga of a Star World" some Vipers have STORES on the joystick instead of FIRE.

Armament consist of two directed energy weapons (referred to as "lasers" in the series), linked together to fire simultaneously. They can also carry fire suppression equipment, as shown in the "Fire In Space" episode where they are used to battle a fire on the Galactica after the Cylons crash explosives-laden fighters into the launch bays.

Variants

A "Recon Version" was piloted by Starbuck in "The Long Patrol". It possessed "nearly double the speed of a regular fighter", along with improved maneuverability, but lacked any armament due to the removal of the laser pumps. It also possessed C.O.R.A. (Computer, Oral Response Activated), a sultry female voice activated computer which doubled as an autopilot.

In the Galactica 1980 series, some Vipers are shown to be capable of invisibility when on the ground, seen particularly in the episode "Galactica Discovers Earth". Other 1980 episodes indicate that a Colonial Warrior's uniform is meant to protect against the crushing effects of gravity, similar to an inertial dampener. A 2-seat version of the Viper is also seen in the Galactica 1980 series, and hinted at in the first episode of the TV series. This article is about the 1980 television series; for related topics, see the main Battlestar Galactica page or Battlestar Galactica (disambiguation). ... A Klingon Bird of Prey from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country fires while using a cloaking device In several science fiction universes, a cloaking device is an advanced stealth system which causes a spaceship or individual to be invisible and extremely difficult to detect with normal sensors. ... This article is about the original television series; for other versions, see the main Battlestar Galactica page or Battlestar Galactica (disambiguation). ...

Reimagined series (2003)

Colonial Viper
A Mark II Viper in space.
First appearance	Mini Series, Part 1
Affiliation	Colonial Fleet
General Characteristics
Armaments	Kinetic energy weapons Conventional missiles

In the 2003 remake of Battlestar Galactica, the Viper series of starfighters are the Colonial Defense Force's primary space superiority fighter/attack craft. Capable of atmospheric flight, the Viper is a single-seat craft mounting two kinetic energy weapons, as well as having hardpoints beneath the wings for mounting missiles, munitions pods and other ordnance. There are at least seven versions of the Viper design at the point in history depicted by the reimagined miniseries. Image File history File links Battlestar_Galactica_-_Viper_Mark_II.jpg‎ File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... This article is specifically about the 2003 Battlestar Galactica miniseries only; for other uses, see the main Battlestar Galactica page or Battlestar Galactica (disambiguation). ... // Original Series There is no canonical list of rank insignia for the Colonial Forces in the original series. ... // Kinetic energy weaponry is often used in science fiction, an example would be a railgun. ... This article is about the reimagined universe of Battlestar Galactica in 2003; for more about the 2003 miniseries, see Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries); for more about the subsequent television series, see Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series); for other versions, see the main Battlestar Galactica page or Battlestar Galactica (disambiguation). ...

Richard Hudolin, the production designer for the miniseries, has stated that "The only things that we wanted to carry through (from the original film and series) were the Mark II ships." ^[3] Production designer is a term used in the movie and television industries to refer to the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. ... Episode chronology Saga of a Star World is the pilot for the American science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica which was produced in 1978 by Glen Larson. ... This article is about the original television series; for other versions, see the main Battlestar Galactica page or Battlestar Galactica (disambiguation). ...

The Colonial Viper has only sublight engines, which means it is incapable of FTL travel. FTL may refer to: Faster-than-light, a speculative concept in physics and science fiction FTL (Battlestar Galactica), faster-than-light travel as used specifically in Battlestar Galactica Flash Translation Layer, a software layer used in computing to support normal file systems with flash memory Full Truckload, a standard logistics...

Background

The Viper was introduced into Colonial service shortly before the outbreak of the Cylon War. However, it was the Mark II Viper series, designed specifically for use with the new Colonial Battlestars, that is best remembered. The Mark II was used during the Cylon War, proving a capable fighting vehicle. It is regarded as one of the reasons the Twelve Colonies did not suffer defeat at the hands of the Cylons. The Mark II remained in service after the end of the war, with William Adama commenting that he last saw 'his own' Mark II Viper (N7242C), likely one of the last of its type, roughly twenty years after the end of the war. Old Cylon Centurion shown in a museum display in the 2003 Battlestar Galactica miniseries The Cylons are a cybernetic civilization at war with the Twelve Colonies of humanity in the Battlestar Galactica science fiction franchise, in the original 1978/1980 series and movie, as well as the 2003 reimagining. ... A Battlestar from the original series A Battlestar (the Battlestar Galactica) from the re-imagined series, flight pods retracted for FTL travel For other uses, see Battlestar (disambiguation). ... The flag of the Twelve Colonies in the reimagined series The Twelve Colonies of Man or Twelve Colonies of Kobol constitute the main human civilization in the fictional universe of the original 1978 science fiction film and television series Battlestar Galactica, and in the subsequent miniseries (2003) and series reimagining... William Bill Adama is a fictional character portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series. ...

The Mark II was subsequently superseded by newer models, with the Mark VII serving in front-line duties forty years after the end of the Cylon War, as seen in Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries. By this time the Viper design had been progressively evolved, retaining the basic structural configuration (essential for use with Colonial battlestars), but with variations in length, equipment, and capability. No information is provided about the intervening designs, but by the time the Mark VII was introduced the Viper design incorporated software-based controls and fully networked systems; providing superior agility, battle management, and flight information for the pilot. This article is specifically about the 2003 Battlestar Galactica miniseries only; for other uses, see the main Battlestar Galactica page or Battlestar Galactica (disambiguation). ...

Mark VII Vipers in space

The Mark VII was later upgraded to include Dr. Gaius Baltar's navigational software. Along with the majority of the Colonial Fleet, this software allowed the Cylons to remotely disable the Vipers during the renewed attack on the Twelve Colonies, forty years after the original war ended. The few Mark VIIs that survived the disaster were later stripped of this software. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1016x570, 46 KB) Summary Screenshot of three Mark VII Colonial Vipers, taken from the 2003 Battlestar Galactica Mini-Series DVD by Saberwyn. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1016x570, 46 KB) Summary Screenshot of three Mark VII Colonial Vipers, taken from the 2003 Battlestar Galactica Mini-Series DVD by Saberwyn. ... Gaius Baltar is a fictional character in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. ... The Destruction of the Twelve Colonies was a fictitious interstellar holocaust first depicted in the 1978 motion picture Battlestar Galactica, which set the stage for the subsequent original television series. ...

The older Mark II fighters, not equipped with the "fly by wire" systems of newer Vipers, were unaffected by the Cylon modifications to Dr. Baltar's program. Two squadrons of Mark IIs were present in the Galactica's starboard flight pod in preparation for the Battlestar's new role as a museum ship, and after the Galactica's Mark VII squadron was destroyed by the Cylons, the display of Mark II's were refitted for combat by Galactica's deck crew. They made up the majority of Galactica's fighter wing during the Cylon sneak attack, the Battle of Ragnar Anchorage, and most of the Galactica's action prior to the arrival of Battlestar Pegasus in Season 2 episode "Pegasus", adding her ability to manufacture more Mark VIIs to the fleet. When the Pegasus was destroyed in Season 3 episode "Exodus: Part 2", her nearly intact squadrons, all of them composed of Mark VII's, were transferred to the Galactica. A flight control system consists of the flight control surfaces, the respective cockpit controls, connecting linkage, and necessary operating mechanisms to control aircraft in flight. ... USS Wisconsin, one of three Iowa class battleships opened to the public as a museum, and was one of two Iowas maintained in the US Mothball fleet. ... The Battlestar Pegasus is a fictional spacecraft that appears in the original Battlestar Galactica television series, and its subsequent ongoing re-imagining, in which it first appears in the second season episode, Pegasus. Spoiler warning: // An original series Battlestar The Battlestar Pegasus appears in the original series two-part episode... Pegasus is an episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. ... Exodus (parts one and two) are the third and fourth episodes of the third season from the science fiction television series, Battlestar Galactica. ...

Armaments

The Viper is armed with multiple kinetic energy weapons, both have weapon hard points for mounting missiles under the wings.

Mark II ^[4] 

2 x forward-firing Thorsen 30mm mass accelerator cannons mounted in the wing roots, each with an 800 round ammunition capacity and a 20 round-per-second fire rate

1 x forward-firing Lightning Javelin missile launcher in the belly, with an eight-round ammunition capacity

Mark VII 

3 x forward-firing "Kinetic energy weapons" (2 mounted on wingtips, 1 mounted on vertical stabilizer)

// Kinetic energy weaponry is often used in science fiction, an example would be a railgun. ...

Notes

Episode chronology Act of Contrition is an episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. ...

External links

• 1978 Viper (Battlestar Wiki)
• Reimagined Viper (MkII and MkVII) (Battlestar Wiki)