Viper (classic)

Viper Police Ship
Dimensions	55 x 20 x 50
Cargo capacity	None
Armaments	Ingram MegaBlast Pulse Laser; Seeker Missiles
Maximum speed	0.32 LM
In-service date	2762 AD, Faulcon Manspace
Maneuverability	CF 7.4
Crew	1-10
Drive motors	deLacy Super Thrust VC10
Hull stress factor	Varies
Hyperspace capable	No
Game versions	Classic

Overview

Small, highly maneuverable short range 'hunter-killer', the Viper was specifically designed for GalCop Space Policing purposes by Faulcon Manspace and are built under licence on all Medium Tech worlds. The Viper is a single pilot craft, but can carry up to ten humanoid passengers. It has no cargo space, but has a "tug" capability, and can tow a ship of up to 140,000 MTS mass (including the Cobra Mk III). This popular ship is also carried by large freighter convoys, for defensive purposes.

Elite Player's Guide: This is the standard ship used by the Galactic Police Force. Being fairly small, it carries only one missile, but is very fast. The police force are not directly associated with the space stations, but are an independent agency, financed by the rapidly collapsing Galactic Government. Their main aim is to prevent trading in items still declared illegal by this Galactic Government, but they are being ignored in these rebellious days, even by most space stations, since a great deal of profit can be made from trading in such goods. They will try to come to their comrades' assistance if they are attacked, and will reap their revenge on a ship that destroys one of their own.

Dry Dock

During coding of Classic Elite 'dry-dock' code was used to view some of the ships during development (referred to as *VIEW on Ian Bell's web site). A movie for the Viper generated using *VIEW run under the BBC emulator BeebEm3 is available here.

Fiction

Aftermath

Aftermath by Simon Challands contains a brief description of the inside of a viper:

 The airlock opened through a disconcerting ninety-degree change of gravity, between the carrier and the Viper. Both of them squeezed in to the narrow entrance. Kirrik pressed a button and the iris airlock door closed above them. The space they now stood in was bare save for the airlock and doors leading to the Viper's bridge and the living quarters...
 Through the bridge door there was a ladder descending to the pilot's chair. The bridge itself was tiny, and would more accurately be described as a cockpit. The bulk of the forward part was taken up with the main monitor. Around the sides were the controls and indicators for rest of the ship's systems, navigation, communications, life support and so on.
 Switching them on turned the bridge from claustrophobic dullness to brightness. The monitor flicked into life, just showing the hull of the carrier marked by flickering lights. 
...
 The Viper was designed to carry ten passengers, but this meant more that the life support was capable of handling them rather than there was enough space. GalCop didn't really mind cramming their prisoners into close proximity. Narrow bunks allowed six of them to sleep at any time, the rest had a small patch of floor to sit on. There was a separate room for the pilot, but this was not much better. An uncomfortable, narrow bed and very basic washing facilities, but at least it was private. Designed as a short-range "hunter-killer" it was rarely necessary to spend more than two or three days in it.

Links

• Classic Elite ships

Gallery

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  Viper as portrayed in the The Space Traders Flight Training Manual

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  ArcElite Data Card