Raptor: the Fleet's workhorse
the multipurpose Colonial craft
A sublight shuttle at the start of the First Cylon War, rebuilt over the interwar years into an FTL craft flying transport, recon and rescue.
The Raptor was a multipurpose craft flown by the Colonial Fleet since the First Cylon War. The war-era Raptor was a sublight-only craft with a rear-mounted cannon, and by the last years of the war a modern version with a small FTL drive was in service, able to fly missions ranging from simple transport to fire support and search and rescue. By the time of the Fall of the Twelve Colonies it was a mainstay aboard Galactica and the rest of the Fleet, complementing the Viper in every supporting role. (Battlestar Galactica (miniseries); Battlestar Galactica: Razor Flashbacks; Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome)
The First Cylon War#
In the tenth year of the First Cylon War, the Colonial Fleet flew an older Raptor with a longer cabin and an aft-facing gun position. It carried a rear automatic cannon nicknamed the "Toaster Slayer" and could be fitted with ship-to-ship missiles, but it had no FTL drive and depended on larger ships for jumps. Crews thought of it as slow and an easy target. The young William Adama flew one, Raptor 909, on his first assignment aboard Galactica. (Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome)
By the last years of the war, the modern Raptor design was also in service. It had no rear cannon but carried a small FTL drive that let it make short jumps on its own. (Battlestar Galactica: Razor Flashbacks; Battlestar Galactica (miniseries))
The interwar period and the Fall#
The modern Raptor stayed in service through the decades after the war. By the Fall it had become a mainstay of the Colonial Fleet, serving as an early warning and electronic countermeasures platform, a scout, a transport, a search and rescue craft and a Marine assault craft. Civilian rescue Raptors in a red and white paint scheme also flew on the Colonies, airlifting the injured after the Cylon attack. (Battlestar Galactica (miniseries); Battlestar Galactica, "Bastille Day"; Battlestar Galactica: The Plan)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Raptor in Battlestar Galactica?
- The Raptor was a multipurpose Colonial craft that first flew during the Cylon War. The war-era version was a sublight-only craft with a rear cannon, while the modern version carried a small FTL drive. By the Fall of the Twelve Colonies it was a mainstay aboard Galactica and the rest of the Fleet.
- What versions of the Raptor were used in the First Cylon War?
- In the tenth year of the war the Fleet flew an older Raptor with a longer cabin, ship-to-ship missiles and a rear cannon nicknamed the "Toaster Slayer". By the last years of the war the modern Raptor design was also in service.
- When did the Raptor gain its FTL jump capability?
- The war-era Raptor seen in Blood & Chrome had no FTL drive. The modern Raptor, already flying by the last years of the war, carried a small FTL drive for short jumps.
- How did the Raptor differ from the Viper?
- The Viper was the fleet's fighter, while the Raptor covered the support roles: early warning, electronic countermeasures, scouting, search and rescue, transport and Marine assault. Civilian rescue Raptors were also flown on the Colonies.
Sources
- EpisodeBattlestar Galactica (miniseries), Miniseries (2003)
- EpisodeBattlestar Galactica, "Bastille Day", Season 1, Episode 3 (2005)
- SerialBattlestar Galactica: Razor Flashbacks, Webisode series, Sci Fi Channel (2007)
- FilmBattlestar Galactica: The Plan, TV film, Universal Cable Productions (2009)
- FilmBattlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, Web series and TV film, Universal Cable Productions (2012)
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Followed from this entry
Colonial Viper
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