Raptor Mark II
armed Colonial multipurpose craft
The Raptor Mark II was a multipurpose spacecraft fielded by the Colonial Fleet during the First Cylon War. It was the only Raptor variant to carry onboard weaponry, and it served in roles ranging from suppression of enemy air defenses to transport.
The Raptor Mark II was a multipurpose spacecraft used by the Colonial Fleet during the First Cylon War. It was relied upon for a wide range of missions, from reconnaissance to transport runs, and it was more heavily armed than the Raptors that came after it. The Mark II is most closely associated with the early career of a young William Adama, who flew the type on his first assignment aboard the Battlestar Galactica. (Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome)
Service history#
By the tenth year of the First Cylon War, this older Raptor type was in active service with the Colonial Fleet. On his first assignment aboard the Battlestar Galactica, then-Ensign William Adama was made pilot of Raptor 909, nicknamed "Wild Weasel", after its previous pilot was killed. With his ECO, Coker Fasjovik, he was ordered to carry the Graystone Industries scientist Dr Becca Kelly on what turned into a secret mission into Cylon-held space. During the Battle of Djerba, Raiders chased the Raptor down to the surface of the moon, and after Adama destroyed his pursuers the damaged craft crash-landed on a glacier and was abandoned. (Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome)
Design#
This war-era Raptor looked much like its later counterpart but had a longer cabin, ending in an aft-facing gun emplacement. It had no FTL drive, leaving it dependent on larger ships for faster-than-light travel. (Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome)
Armament#
Raptors of this era were more heavily armed than the later design. The Mark II carried a rear-mounted automatic cannon nicknamed the "Toaster Slayer", and it could be fitted with ship-to-ship missiles for particular missions. (Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome)
Defenses#
The Raptor was equipped with electronic countermeasures for defence. Even so, crews thought of it as slow and an easy target for the Cylons, though a skilled pilot could still take down enemy fighters in one, as Adama did over Djerba. (Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome)
Crew and propulsion#
The Raptor Mark II was crewed by two: a pilot and an electronic countermeasures officer. It was driven by two rotating sublight engine pods mounted aft, and unlike the later design it relied on those main engines for much of its manoeuvring, backed up by reaction control thrusters. (Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome)
Frequently asked questions
- What was the Raptor Mark II?
- The Raptor Mark II is the name used here for the Cylon War-era Raptor flown by the Colonial Fleet in the tenth year of the war. It was a sublight-only craft used for missions such as reconnaissance and transport.
- What made the Raptor Mark II unique among Raptors?
- It was more heavily armed than the later Raptor. It carried ship-to-ship missiles and a rear-facing cannon nicknamed the "Toaster Slayer", and it had electronic countermeasures for defence.
- How was William Adama connected to the Raptor Mark II?
- On his first assignment aboard Galactica, Ensign William Adama took over as pilot of Raptor 909, nicknamed "Wild Weasel", after its previous pilot was killed. He flew it on a secret mission escorting Dr Becca Kelly, which ended with a crash landing on the moon Djerba.
- How did the Raptor Mark II differ in design from later Raptors?
- It had a longer cabin ending in an aft-facing gun position, and it lacked an FTL drive, which left it dependent on larger ships for jumps.
- How was the Raptor Mark II crewed and powered?
- It was crewed by two, a pilot and an electronic countermeasures officer. Its two sublight engine pods could rotate, and it relied on them for much of its manoeuvring.
Sources
- 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.
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