I present to the humble reader part
three of the Lurker series of blog posts. Each of these blog posts
will discuss one topic presented here. This particular post will talk
about...
"Which
would win in a dogfight: a Viper Mk.VII from Battlestar Galactica, or
an SA-23E Starfury from Babylon 5."
This
topic required a bit of research on my part. While I have watched
both shows, I do not keep up with the name of things in most
fictional settings.
[*|=======================================================|*]
|| Statistic | Viper
Mk VII | SA-23E Starfury ||
[*|=================+==============+===================== |*]
|| Height | 9.7
feet | 14.5 feet ||
|| | 3.0 meters | 4.4 meters ||
|+-----------------+--------------+----------------------+|
|| Length | 32.3
feet | 35.1 feet ||
|| | 9.8 meters | 10.7 meters ||
|+-----------------+--------------+----------------------+|
|| Width | 18.4
feet | 61 feet ||
|| | 5.6 meters | 18.6 meters ||
|+-----------------+--------------+----------------------+|
|| Tonnage | WtFK*| 48
metric tons ||
|+-----------------+--------------+----------------------+|
|| Crew | 1
Pilot | 1 Pilot ||
|+-----------------+--------------+----------------------+|
|| Acceleration | 9G | 10G ||
|+-----------------+--------------+----------------------+|
|| Rotation
Speed | WtFK* | 180 < 1sec||
|+-----------------+--------------+----------------------+|
|| Escape
Velocity | 3 minutes | Crash ||
|+-----------------+--------------+----------------------+|
|| Duration: | WtFK* | 2
hours standard ||
|| | | 20 minutes full burn ||
[*|=======================================================|*]
*Who
the Frak Knows? (WtFK)
I
could not find dependable tonnage for the Mk VII. Tonnage for the
SA-23E is anywhere between 15 and 48 metric tons. There was more than
one source that stated 48mt.
The
previous SA-23s topped out at 8Gs. The SA-23E/H/Psi top out at 10Gs.
All variants of the SA-23 restrict speed to 2G outside of combat to
save fuel. The Viper MKVII tops out at 9Gs, but the computer
restricts this to 7Gs to prevent pilot blackout. The Viper MkVII
operates at 1G when not in combat to preserve fuel. Rotation of the
Viper MkII is 180 degrees in 0.35 seconds. It can be assumed the
MkVII has close to the same rotation speed. Sources seem to conflict
on whether this would be slightly more or slightly less than the
MkII. The SA-23E has three aft thrusters while the Viper MkVII only
has three. Aside from the number of engines the Viper MkVII seems to
be built with more redundant systems than the SA-23E Starfury. The
Viper MkVII uses a cold engine system for changing orientation. It is
unclear if this is a gas or something else entirely, but it does mean
only the aft engines burn the primary fuel source as they are the
only hot engines.
Armament
The
Viper MkVII has three forward facing kinetic energy weapons. They
make use of 30mm rounds and can carry 1000 shots each. These are
probably belt fed. It also has two hard points, one on the underside
of each wing, that can hold one missile, pod, or extra ammunition
each. The design is such that attached weapons would fire in the same
direction the bow is facing. The maximum effective range of it's main
weapons is 1,200 meters in an atmosphere and 9,600 meters in
space.
The
SA-23E Starfury's armament is centered around four forward facing
40mm cannons with an additional two forward facing 30mm cannons. For
defense it comes equipped with a cutting laser and aft grappling claw
which may be used in combat, but its primary function is to tow other
vehicles. The SA-23E also includes eight hard points for additional
weapon systems or ammo capacity. The maximum effective range of the
40mm cannons is 160,000 km in space.
From unreliable sources it appears the
SA-23E Starfury has the thicker hull and the engines can take more
direct damage. The SA-23E Starfury has 4.2 centimeters of re-enforced
armour. I am unable to find specifications on the armour of the Viper
MkVII
Extras
The Viper MkVII has a sophisticated
electrical system even with the modifactions to protect them from
wireless transmissions. It's radar can pick up targets at a range of
644 km in an atmosphere and 64,400 km in space. The system can
identify and track up to 72 targets simultaneously. The electronics
can detect active radar sweeps that include the ship. The radar can
map terrain as well. The MkVII also uses a laser system to get
further details of terrain when flying at low altitude.
The MkVII has two hydraulic systems. The
secondary serves as a backup to the primary, but the fighter can lose
both and still operate with little noticeable difference.
I did not locate exact specs on the
radar system for the SA-23E Starfury. I would guess it would be at
least 160,000 km in space. If not then the maximum effective range of
its guns are inconsequential.
Conclusion
Now
that we have a little information we can make an informed decision.
Okay, not exactly an informed decision, but we are not exactly
picking a winner out of a hat. I would narrate a scenario, but this
blog post is long enough as it is and I do not want to stretch it out
into two parts. I think we all know who the winner here is.
Finish
them Shrike-B Class under the command of the Royal Manticoran Navy!
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