Picture courtesy of Dylan Smith
Hull Mass: 12t
Mass (Fully Laden): 35t
Internal Capacity (No Drive): 27t
Retro Thruster Acceleration: 10 Earth G
Main Thruster Acceleration: 20.1 Earth G
Crew: 1
Gun Mountings: 1
Fuel Scoop: YES
Missile Pylons: 4
Hyperspace Ranges: Class 1: 4.61 Class 2: 18.46 Class 3: 41.53
Standard Drive: Class 2
Internal Capacity (with class 2 drive): 25t
Typical Cost: 87,000
Designer: Faulcon Manspace
Manufacturer: Faulcon De Lacy
Inservice Date: 2762
Allegiance: Independent, Federation, Empire
Now this takes me back! As the galaxy became a lot less safe due to the increase in pirate activity, the police forces realised that unless they got a ship capable of combating the pirate threat then anarchy would reign. They held a competition to develop a police fighter and invited the major shipyards to submit designs. The surprise winner was the Viper, designed by the relatively unknown Faulcon Manspace (now Faulcon De Lacey). The first Viper flew in 2762, and over the years made Faulcon Manspace a huge amount of money.
Although the Viper 2 is now entering service in many systems, the Viper Defence Craft is the police ship you are more likely to encounter. Both Vipers have been available to the public since 3142 when the authorities lifted their ban on sales of Vipers to people other than police forces. Consequently, Faulcon De Lacey has been promoting the Viper vigorously in the civil market over the past few years, and many pilots now own one.
The Viper is a good ship to own if combat's your game, as it is quite fast and handles well. The hyperspace range is pretty good, and the fuel scoop option is worth taking. A military drive will also come in handy. If you have a quite a bit of money, you may rather have a Viper 2, but this ship should be adequate for your needs.
Rating: ***
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