Blackbird
the stealth fighter of Galactica
The Blackbird was a prototype Colonial stealth fighter built aboard Galactica by Chief Galen Tyrol and his deck crews, using a carbon composite hull that made it nearly invisible to DRADIS.
The Blackbird was a prototype Colonial stealth fighter constructed aboard Galactica by Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol, his deck crews, and other members of the ship's company. Intended to supplement the Viper as the remaining craft grew harder to maintain, it ended up a far more valuable asset than another Viper would have been, largely because its carbon composite hull rendered it nearly invisible to DRADIS scanning.
Origins#
The Blackbird grew out of a practical problem aboard Galactica. With the remaining Vipers increasingly difficult to maintain, Chief Tyrol set out to build a replacement craft. He had originally intended to construct a standard Viper, but the project evolved into something of greater value to the ship.
Construction and stealth#
The Blackbird was designed to use the existing Viper launch tubes and therefore shared the same general shape. It was built more for speed than for maneuverability. Because metal was reserved for Viper repairs, the craft did not use metal for its exterior. Instead, on the suggestion of Karl Agathon, it was built from a carbon composite material, which made it largely invisible to DRADIS scanning. It was FTL-capable but carried no Colonial transponder, whether for the sake of stealth or because of supply shortages. The fighter was initially unarmed, carrying no guns, and was later fitted with a single missile hardpoint.
Propulsion#
Along with the usual reaction control systems for directional control, the Blackbird was powered by four obsolete DDG-62 engines. These had come from the flight deck of a Colonial fleet ship named Baah Pakal, which had carried a pair of the unused engines through the exodus. Their age meant that, like a Viper's engines, they would likely have been vulnerable to heat-seeking missiles, and firing them in powered flight would have compromised the craft's stealth.
Frequently asked questions
- What was the Blackbird?
- The Blackbird was a prototype Colonial stealth fighter constructed aboard Galactica by Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol, his deck crews, and other members of the ship's company. Its carbon composite hull rendered it nearly invisible to DRADIS scanning.
- Why was the Blackbird built?
- The Blackbird was intended to supplement the Viper as the remaining craft grew harder to maintain. Chief Tyrol had originally intended to build a standard Viper, but the project evolved into something of greater value to the ship.
- How was the Blackbird made invisible to DRADIS?
- Because metal was reserved for Viper repairs, the Blackbird's exterior was built from a carbon composite material instead, on the suggestion of Karl Agathon. This material made the craft largely invisible to DRADIS scanning.
- What weapons did the Blackbird carry?
- The Blackbird was initially unarmed, carrying no guns. It was later fitted with a single missile hardpoint.
- What engines powered the Blackbird?
- The Blackbird was powered by four obsolete DDG-62 engines that came from the flight deck of a Colonial fleet ship named Baah Pakal, which had carried a pair of unused engines through the exodus. Their age meant that, like a Viper's engines, they would likely have been vulnerable to heat-seeking missiles.
Sources
- WikiBlackbird — Battlestar Wiki entry
- WikiBaah Pakal — Battlestar Wiki entry
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Related entries
Colonial Viper
The Viper was the primary space superiority fighter of the Colonial Fleet, developed on Caprica before the Cylon War and fielded through seven major marks. The Mark II and Mark VII bookended its service from the first war to the Fall of the Twelve Colonies.
Baah Pakal: civilian ship of the refugee Fleet
Baah Pakal was a civilian ship that escaped the Fall of the Twelve Colonies in the refugee fleet. Its passengers took part in the Colonial presidential election, and a pair of unused DDG-62 engines aboard it were later given over to the stealth fighter Blackbird.
Galactica
Galactica was a Jupiter-class battlestar that served the Colonial Fleet from the Cylon War until the discovery of Earth. Never networked, it survived the Fall of the Twelve Colonies and shepherded the last fifty thousand humans across uncharted space before being scuttled into the sun.
Galen Tyrol
Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol kept Galactica's flight deck running through the long flight from the Colonies, a respected and fiercely protective deck chief who learned that he was in fact one of the Final Five Cylons, descended from the Thirteenth Tribe.
Karl Agathon
Karl "Helo" Agathon was a Colonial Fleet officer who, stranded on Caprica after the Fall of the Twelve Colonies, fell in love with a Number Eight Cylon he later married. He became the only successful father of a human-Cylon hybrid child, Hera.
Galactica: the last battlestar of the Colonial Service
In the Original Series continuity, the Galactica was a Colonial battlestar that served over five hundred yahrens in the Thousand-Yahren War. After the destruction of the Twelve Colonies of Man at Cimtar, it survived to lead a rag-tag fugitive fleet on the search for Earth.
Mentioned in3 entries
Baah Pakal: civilian ship of the refugee Fleet
Baah Pakal was a civilian ship that escaped the Fall of the Twelve Colonies in the refugee fleet. Its passengers took part in the Colonial presidential election, and a pair of unused DDG-62 engines aboard it were later given over to the stealth fighter Blackbird.
Karl Agathon
Karl "Helo" Agathon was a Colonial Fleet officer who, stranded on Caprica after the Fall of the Twelve Colonies, fell in love with a Number Eight Cylon he later married. He became the only successful father of a human-Cylon hybrid child, Hera.
Pegasus
Pegasus was a Mercury-class battlestar and one of the most advanced warships in the Colonial Fleet. With Galactica it was one of only two capital ships to survive the Fall of the Twelve Colonies, serving under Rear Admiral Helena Cain before its destruction during the exodus from New Caprica.
Get new articles in your inbox
No spam. New lore drops, canon conflicts, and deep dives only when they’re worth reading.
Some links on Lore Fortress are affiliate links. If you buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.