Viper MkIV
Light Fighter

Description

Faulcon deLacy's Viper MkIV takes the MkIII model and beefs it up to a heavy fighter role. While it lacks the speed of the older ship, it enjoys much better protection from its shields and armour. With the capacity for a more capable powerplant and frame shift drive, the MkIV is also better suited for long-range patrols and rapid deployment. The powerplant upgrade potential supports greater customization for weapons and modules, making this a versatile fighter that would be and excellent addition to any navy or private-security concern.

The Viper MkIV, built by Faulcon DeLacy, is a heavy fighter craft designed for ship-to-ship combat superiority. Its improved internal capabilities, such as its ability to fit a class-4 power plant, make it more capable as a multirole fighter compared to the Viper MkIII, of which it is the successor.

The Viper MkIV has a delta-shaped hull which is significantly wider than the MkIII. The cockpit is situated just behind the bow, slightly raised. Compared to the MkIII, the MkIV's cockpit is less exposed. The MkIV lands on two small rear struts and one large front strut which doubles as a boarding ramp to the cockpit.

The MkIV has worse shields than the MkIII by default due to its higher hull mass. Despite this, the MkIV is capable of fitting a class-4 Shield Generator, unlike the MkIII. This, combined with an improved hull, give the MkIV superior protection.

These improvements over the MkIII come with the drawbacks of slightly worse manoeuvrability and speed. The MkIV also features a larger hull, which makes it a bigger target. Like the MkIII, it has poor heat dissipation. Prolonged usage of high-output modules easily pushes the ship's temperature over its cooling capacity.