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Description

While this starfighter is easily recognizable as Buck Roger’s “Thunder Fighter,” from the “Buck Rogers in the 25th” Century TV series (1979,) this design actually began its life a couple of years earlier in the world of Battlestar Galactica.

The world-renowned and much-beloved concept artist, Ralph McQuarrie first designed this ship as a concept for the Colonial Viper. The distinctive twin points on the front of the ship were meant to be emblematic of the sharp pointed fangs of a Viper. (Get it?) How cool is that?!!

Anyway, as we all know, they decided to go with a different design for the Colonial Viper, and this design was cast aside. But when the Buck Rogers series needed a new starfighter, McQuarrie’s old design resurfaced, and found a new life, on a new show.

My image here shows what McQuarrie’s design might have looked like if it had actually appeared in the original Battlestar Galactica series. So here it appears in the gray and orange livery (paint job) of a Colonial ship.

Since the “re-imagined” Battlestar Galactica series (2004) featured a larger 2-man craft known as the “Colonial Raptor” flying alongside Colonial Vipers, I thought it might be fun to name this ship the “Colonial Raptor,” as sort of a “pre-imagined” tribute to the Raptors of the second series. (How’s that for twisted logic?)

With its canted tail fins, I like to imagine these “Colonial Raptors” launching out of specially modified Viper launch tubes, to go on to fight side-by-side with its sister-ship, the Colonial Viper. Like the Raptors from the second series, perhaps these craft possess FTL capability, and advanced long-range sensors. The 8 forward-mounted laser cannons certainly look like they would pack quite a punch! Watch out, Cylons!

Description

While this starfighter is easily recognizable as Buck Roger’s “Thunder Fighter,” from the “Buck Rogers in the 25th” Century TV series (1979,) this design actually began its life a couple of years earlier in the world of Battlestar Galactica.

The world-renowned and much-beloved concept artist, Ralph McQuarrie first designed this ship as a concept for the Colonial Viper. The distinctive twin points on the front of the ship were meant to be emblematic of the sharp pointed fangs of a Viper. (Get it?) How cool is that?!!

Anyway, as we all know, they decided to go with a different design for the Colonial Viper, and this design was cast aside. But when the Buck Rogers series needed a new starfighter, McQuarrie’s old design resurfaced, and found a new life, on a new show.

My image here shows what McQuarrie’s design might have looked like if it had actually appeared in the original Battlestar Galactica series. So here it appears in the gray and orange livery (paint job) of a Colonial ship.

Since the “re-imagined” Battlestar Galactica series (2004) featured a larger 2-man craft known as the “Colonial Raptor” flying alongside Colonial Vipers, I thought it might be fun to name this ship the “Colonial Raptor,” as sort of a “pre-imagined” tribute to the Raptors of the second series. (How’s that for twisted logic?)

With its canted tail fins, I like to imagine these “Colonial Raptors” launching out of specially modified Viper launch tubes, to go on to fight side-by-side with its sister-ship, the Colonial Viper. Like the Raptors from the second series, perhaps these craft possess FTL capability, and advanced long-range sensors. The 8 forward-mounted laser cannons certainly look like they would pack quite a punch! Watch out, Cylons!