| abstract
| - The Mark I was championed by the 'gunfighter mafia' of the Caprican military, while the Raider was promoted by the 'Missileers' who wanted a starfighter that carried missiles as its primary weapon. A large fighter, the Mark I followed the same basic arrangement of previous Vipers: A large boxy design, the forward section comprising the nose back to the cockpit was long. It comprised an intake, forward reaction control system, forward landing gear, avionics, DRADIS equipment along with nose landing gear, armoured fuel tank and a cramped cockpit. The rear section was hefty and dominated by three thrust vectoring engines and reverse motors, fuel tanks, downward angled wings with a pair of cannons in the wingroot, near the rear landing gear. It was typically finished in a white scheme associated with the Colonial Fleet with red lines along the wings, over the engines and to its 'shark fin' vertical stabaliser. The cockpit was comfortable and featured two control sticks either side of the pilot. Futher the Viper could be controlled by a voice system; its advanced flight computer (CORA) was a competent pilot aid that streamlined operations, prioritised incoming data so as not to overwhelm the pilot, and assisted to complete complex flight manoeuvres. The result was a Viper that could be flown impressively in combat by only a single pilot (whereas the Raider required a crew of three). Infront of the pilot, televisual displays of DRADIS and all flight information were projected. Keyboard and command buttons either side of the large screen allowed the pilot to input data or reconfigure the display as necessary. Most sensor data, flight information and target tracking calculations were displayed onto the pilot's helmet visor utilising interface technology similar to the civilian holoband while Viper management options were exclusively kept on the 'look down' display. The Mark I also carried a sophisticated wireless unit, advanced sensor equipment and onboard database known as the 'warbook' which gave the Pilot an exhaustive, quick reference guide on whatever might be encountered. The Mark I had an impressive range which allowed it to carry out sweeps and loiter for long periods while on patrol. Originally the Viper was not chosen for adoption by its designer; the Caprican Military who favoured the Raider. But an order from Leonis, who wished a fighter capable of easily being deployed from its Battlestars, prompted production of the type. While simple in appearance the Mark I was troublesome to assemble, Cylon labour did not turn out examples of suitable quality and only the most modern factories were equipped to handle its production. With the beginning of the Cylon War and Centurions flying Raiders against the Colonies the Viper Mark I was immediately adopted by the unified Military and became its primary starfighter during the early period of the Cylon rebellion.
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)