Colonial Viper from "Battlestar Galactica"

(ABC-TV 1978-1979)

SCALE: 1/32

INITIAL RELEASE: 1979

MEDIUM: Polystyrene

Rarity  (Original): (4)

Rarity (Re-Release): (3)

ABOUT THE DESIGN

ABOUT THE KIT

The Colonial Viper was the Battlestars' primary tactical weapon, a single-seat fighter capable of operating both in planetary atmospheres and the hard vacuum of space.  Clearly inspired by "Star Wars'" X-Wing fighters, the Viper nonetheless had a crude charm all its own.

Schematics

The Colonial Viper was one of four "Battlestar Galactica" model kits released by Monogram during the first season of that special-effects heavy ABC-TV series.  The original version of the kit included a spring-loaded "missile" that could be fired from the craft's nose; this non-canon feature was dropped from the kit's 1990s re-release by Revell/Monogram.  (Probably for liability reasons!) 

All versions of the kit featured a solid plastic cockpit with black decals to simulate glass.  More daring modelers opted to carefully excise these panels and insert clear plastic.  Following the popular re-release of the entire "Galactica" model series in the mid-1990s, resin cockpit kits and landing gear assemblies became available via independent "aftermarket" manufacturers.

This model is from the 1990s re-release and features a customized clear cockpit.

Original Box Art

Re-Release Box Art by Randy Aspland