Vipers: Which design is your favorite?

[JDS]

Pretty simple, which Viper design do you like best? Mk I (Original Series), Mk II (RDM old), or Mk VII (RDM new)?

Mk I:
http://www.shipschematics.net/bsg/images/colonial/fighter_viper_mk1.gif


Mk II:
http://www.shipschematics.net/bsg/images/colonial/fighter_viper_mk2.jpg

Mk VII:
http://www.shipschematics.net/bsg/images/colonial/fighter_viper_mk7.jpg

And here's the side-by-side:
http://www.colonialfleets.com/darrell/viper_comparison.jpg

[Sgt_Smiles]

MK II FTW!!!!
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m266/sgtsmiles8806/bluesquadron-1.jpg

[Mercifull]

Yeah Mk II's are my favourites too :D

[alpha5099]

Definitely Mark II. I think the Mark I's are kind of big and bulky and kind of goofy looking, but the Mark II retains a lot of the nice original design elements, while making it look more functional. The Mark VIIs, to me, lose a lot of the sole. The Mark IIs are hunks of junk, relics of the past, but like the Millennium Falcon, they have this amazing charm to them. Mark VIIs are just too new.

[JDS]

It's definitely close between the Mk II and the Mk VII, but I think I like the Mk VII better because of the rear section...the wings look much better to me, and they remind me very much of the F-15. Plus I like the semi-shrouded thruster nacelles.

On the other hand, the nose of the Mk II is better, plus it has that old-school charm.

[Sgt_Smiles]

mk VII is more realistic, but the mk II is the only one in my book.

[Kregano]

Mk II, because you could actually have custom paint jobs that look good, while the other two wouldn't look as good. The Mk VII only looks good when the whole thing is one color and the Mk I... I wouldn't touch it.

Also, the Mk II has a sort of style that the other two don't have for some reason.

[JDS]

I don't know, I think the Mk VII could look good with a custom paint job, but you'd have to design it much more carefully, whereas the Mk II design is like an old Charger or something, just throw any old colors on there and it looks awesome.

[Harrington]

I prefer the old design... it just look more functional.

Not that I dislike the new design or anything :)

[JDS]

Which old design, the Mk I or the Mk II?

[Mercifull]

While not technically a Viper, I was pretty impressed by the Laura (http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Blackbird).
http://media.battlestarwiki.org/images/thumb/c/cc/Blackbird_FotP.JPG/200px-Blackbird_FotP.JPG

I also wished we got a better look at the Stealthstar (http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Stealthstar) too
http://media.battlestarwiki.org/images/thumb/b/b9/3x8-Stealth-Star-7746VA.jpg/200px-3x8-Stealth-Star-7746VA.jpg

[Sgt_Smiles]

what happened to the Lara?

[Harrington]

Which old design, the Mk I or the Mk II?


Oh, I meant the Mk II :D

[Mercifull]

what happened to the Lara?
Apollo dinged it.
http://media.battlestarwiki.org/images/thumb/6/6a/Blackbird_destroyed.jpg/180px-Blackbird_destroyed.jpg (http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Image:Blackbird_destroyed.jpg)

[Joe Beaudoin Jr.]

Apollo dinged it.
http://media.battlestarwiki.org/images/thumb/6/6a/Blackbird_destroyed.jpg/180px-Blackbird_destroyed.jpg (http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Image:Blackbird_destroyed.jpg)

That's Apollo for ya!

[Serenity]

I like both. Depends on the situation.

While the Mk II has its charm and looks great, I couldn't imagine episodes like "Scar" with it.

[JDS]

I miss the Blackbird...seeing as it was such a success (allowed them to destroy the Resurrection Ship and all) I don't see why they never salvaged it or built another one.

[Sgt_Smiles]

never let a man with a hidden accent take out your car...

[JDS]

:D

I'll remember that in case my Romanian friend ever wants to borrow the GLI...

[pagad]

I'm with JDS. Mk. VII does it for me.

http://www.battlestarasgard.org/images/ships/fighter_viper_mk7.gif

It's one sexy flying machine.

I love the Mk.II, but its tailplane looks kinda goofy.

[Jason525]

Definitly the Mark ll. They look more military like.

http://img6.uploadhouse.com/fileuploads/1933/1933436bd9cbb5e5ae374c9e16285272bfcc149.jpg

[Sparrow]

MK.II all the way.. the original Mk.I was cool.. but it was a copy of the X-Wing to begin with and looked wrong to me in some bits.. (like the segmented cockpit wich then opened all in 1 piece..wich makes no sense at all) but like the overal form.

but the mk.II eas the perfect face-lift.. it gained a lot more originality and persinality, polished the bits.. make it more beliable..
its simply awesome..


The comparison between the mk2 and the mk7 for me is like comparing the F-5 and the F-16

http://www.udisco.com/hobbies/pics/080253.jpg


http://www.fotos.org/galeria/data/636/IND-F16A-aviones-de-combate.jpg

The F-5 was somehow the predecesor of the F-16.. it didnt served as such in the US but did in many countries.. the F-16 is faster, agiler , carries more ordinance, easier to fly. digital controls.. but the F-5 still is in service and still is used as training and in capable hands it can put in danger more advanced jets like the F/A-18 or the F-16 itself (and in fact it beats them in the training exercices)

[Xenon242]

Mk II definitely; I liked the Mk I as a kid, but it's only now after eleven years of career as a graphic designer that I realise how boring the design is overall in its execution. Largely because it's back-heavy and far too angular. Also, the tail and wings being squared off and flush with the engines doesn't do much for me, either.

The Mk II takes the basic Mk I idea, balances out the plane and sexes up the lines, for a really brilliant result. In some way, it reminds me of the feel of the Valkyrie fighters from Macross, though I'm not quite sure how I made the association. Just a feel thing.

As far as the Mk VII goes, I can't admit liking it. For one thing, I have this weird aversion to the idea of a hardpoint on a tail, I just can't wrap my head around that one. The bubble canopy turns me off, too, it's a bit too faux-1950s sci-fi retro for me.

Totally off on another tagent, though, and I'm sorry for going way OT, but my Valkyrie reference reminded me: does anyone else get the feeling that RDM would make a brilliant live-action adaptation of the Macross saga, or is it just me?

[Sparrow]

As far as the Mk VII goes, I can't admit liking it. For one thing, I have this weird aversion to the idea of a hardpoint on a tail, I just can't wrap my head around that one. The bubble canopy turns me off, too, it's a bit too faux-1950s sci-fi retro for me.

Well.. im thinking in starting in technologica a thread about if the mk.VII really has 3 guns.. because in the series NEVER has been seen firing the third gun..
all situations where people claims it fires 3 guns the Viper is angled so it just the other wing fire behind the tail and it gives the impression that the tail "gun" is firing..

And the bubble canopy is not 50s , is in fact derivated directly from the F-16 and the F-22.. as i said the older fighters had more segmented canopys, like the F-4 and F-14 ones

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/796073/2/istockphoto_796073_f4_canopy.jpg

while modern canopies tend to go to buble ones like the F-16 and the F-22

http://www.jetmodel.ch/Images/F16-canopy-4-icon.jpg http://www.f-22raptor.com/pix/photos/cockpit/gal_230_b.jpg

alltought some more modern designs like the Typhoon and the F-35 use arch canopys due to they being stronger and lighter

[stavrosg]

Although Starbuck flies a Mk.II, I'd take the Mk.VII any day

[pagad]

I think the Mark VII is, in an extremely roundabout way, a reference to the original Viper.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is unofficially nicknamed the Viper because of the Original Series Vipers and was a candidate for the fighter's name.

The Mk VII looks uncannily like an F-16 modified for spaceflight.

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/fighter/f16/f16_06.jpg

http://www.ucip.org/prometheus/images/viper.jpg


The reference has come full-circle :)

[Tomsk]

MKII all the way, even though i had TOS BSG toys as a kid. My rose tinted spectacles were lost long ago regarding TOS, and the MKVII just has too much swoosh for my tastes.


Well.. im thinking in starting in technologica a thread about if the mk.VII really has 3 guns.. because in the series NEVER has been seen firing the third gun..
all situations where people claims it fires 3 guns the Viper is angled so it just the other wing fire behind the tail and it gives the impression that the tail "gun" is firing..


I reckon the tail point on the MKVII is ECM/EW, rather than weapons. Of course it could be there purely because the designes thought the tail looked daft without it.

[BSGfan-atic]

The Mk VII absolutely! The Mk II has the better paint job, but the Mk VII is way more graceful looking.