Don’t worry, this 8.4 meter (27 foot) Australian Viper won’t bite, but it’s likely to do a number on any Cylon Raiders that wander too close to Canberra. As recently reported by Riotact, creator [Baz Am] has been painstakingly piecing together this 1:1 scale replica of a Colonial Viper Mark II from the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series in his shed for several years now, and at this point things are really starting to come together.
On his personal site, [Baz] has been maintaining a build log for the fictional spacecraft since 2017 that covers everything from the electronics that power the cockpit displays to the surprisingly intricate woodworking that went into the lathe-turned 30 mm cannons. He’s even documented interviews he conducted with members of the show’s special effects team in his quest to get his version of the Viper to be as screen-accurate as possible.
No matter how you look at this build, it’s impressive. But one thing we especially appreciated was the skill with which [Baz] manages to repurpose what would otherwise be junk. For example, the main cockpit display is actually an in-dash navigation system pulled from a car, and the engine’s turbine blades are cut out of aluminum road signs. He’s even managed to outfit the Viper with an array of real aircraft instruments by collecting broken or uncalibrated units from local pilots.
While the Viper might look like it’s ready to leap into action at a moment’s notice, there’s still quite a bit of work to be done. The craft’s fuselage, made of metal, wood, and foam, needs to be coated with fiberglass, sanded, and then painted to match its televised counterpart. [Baz] says that process will take at least another year, but also mentions off-hand that he’s thinking of adding a functional reaction-control system with cold gas thrusters — so we’re going to go out on a limb and say this is probably one of those projects that’s never quite finished. Not that we’re complaining, mind you. Especially when you consider the shaky track record the Battlestar Galactica franchise has when it comes to neatly wrapping things up in the finale.
Thanks to [Kez] for the tip.
It’s like he’s building the Blackbird. Chief Tyrol would be proud!
I was thinking the exact same thing when I started reading the article
So say we all!
So say we all!
What do you hear?
Nothing but the rain
At some point, someone is going to build something like that but equipped with large enough quad copter motors for it to fly albeit at low altitude.
Yes, I was expecting something more, like where’s the vehicle frame you’re gonna mount it to to drive around? Where’s the hydraulic rams for tilting, banking, climbing in your simulator, where’s the screen? Seems almost odd nowadays that someone made it just to look at.
It touches my heart that there are still people who don’t always have money on the mind and live their dreams and inspire others. Let’s think about it. He had a dream and he turned it into reality. He didn’t give up. That’s really remarkable. This was all done by one single person. Personally, I wouldn’t have had that power. I do truely respect that person. Kudos.
For sure
That is so cool im a 90s kid but loved the show, very impressed. Will you do the bikes after?
I wonder what the WAF of a project like this is like?
(Wife Approval Factor)
Probably doesn’t have a wife, that’s why he is able to do this……..😎
It looks Awesome! Almost a shame, he can’t orporste Ramjets into it. And a preddurizrd. Cockpit, (obviously with its own intrrnal oxygen supply, for actual piloted flight tests.
Not the first, there was a full size Viper in the 1980 Carnival of flowers parade in Toowoomba. https://www.pressreader.com/australia/the-chronicle-8992/20190911/282080573529616 it was listed though as an X-Wing.