Viper Mark III

The Viper Mark III was the third generation of the Viper series of space-superiority fighters used by the Colonial Fleet. Introduced towards the end of the First Cylon War, as the successor to the venerable Mark II, the third-generation Viper was a single-pilot, multi-role strike ship. Its design inspired subsequential iterations of the multi-role Vipers in the years following the Armistice, culminating in the highly advanced Mark VII. 
== History ==
Slated to replace the Mark II, the Mark III was marred by both the fighter being much more expensive than its predecessor and high budgetary and resource shortages during the war. As a result, the Mark III saw limited use in small numbers and had not fully phased out the Mark II by the Armistice. Battlestars, such as Galactica, had returned to using Mark IIs by Operation: Raptor Talon,Battlestar Galactica (2004), movie: "Razor" though Mark IIIs had still participated in critical operations such as the Ghost Fleet offensive. The Mark III was retired at some point after the War, and it is unlikely any were in service during the Fall of the Twelve Colonies.
== Design ==
A slightly larger craft than the Mark II, the Mark III featured several functional and cosmetic alterations. The Angular forward fuselage contrasted with the rounded profile of the Mark II, while segmented hull plating allowed for ease of access to the ship's systems for maintenance. Control surfaces were fitted to stabilizer fins for improved atmospheric handling. In addition, the dimensions of the atmospheric intake ports were marginally increased, with a more squared-off shape. Conversely, the single-pilot cockpit canopy was slightly curved in comparison to the previous models' hard-edge contours. 
Mark III's three sublight engines differ from the Mark II in that thrusters cowlings tapered inwards. The new ship also featured cantilevered landing gear for improved stability on planetary touchdowns. The three landing skids retracted flush to the ventral fuselage, eliminating the need for gear bay doors. The fighters were equipped with internally mounted missile launchers, hardpoints on the underside of the fuselage allowed for additional munition pods to be fitted. The ships' primary dogfighting and strafing armaments were twin KEW installed on fore-mounted ports and starboard fin struts. The Mark III was painted gunmetal grey, with stripes bored by while trim running along the upper fuselage and stabilizer fins. Inside the cockpit, a central screen displayed DRADIS scans, system status read-outs, and targeting information. Advanced RCS thrusters gave the Mark III improved maneuverability, while Tylium fuel-powered Mark III's sublight engines.Battlestar Galactica Viper Mark III Ship (Blood and Chrome)
==Gallery==
ViperMarkIIISpecs.png
ViperMarkIII2BloodAndChrome.jpg
ViperMarkIII3BloodAndChrome.jpg
ViperMarkIIIBloodAndChrome.jpg
==Sources==
Category:Viper-series
Category:Colonial Fleet