Originally Posted by Damocles

Based on filmed evidence from what I saw in the OBG episodes(Birthday Present), those Raiders were launched within light seconds of their targets(light second =300,000 kilometers approximately) from their base stars to be over the cities so quickly. So when Omega reports waves there have to be base stars near the target planets(not shown) as homes for those waves of Raiders.

We don't know how far/long it took for Apollo to fly the Viper that carried Adama to Caprica. Evidence of the freshness of the attack(smoke from the ruins indicated a day or two.) Add to this the approach of the refugees on foot from the city,(average human rate of march-one meter per second or less than four kilometers per hour) and I estimated no less than eight hours from the initial bombing and no more than three days, based on the relatively "clean' appearance" of the refugees who showed up.

Now let me address Haveke's questions





Having just finished an analysis on the old Alligator on another board I came to the following conclusions.

1. The Alligator has thirty two launch tubes for Vipers. This is based on a launch tube count for each hanger "pod"(Sixteen by count port> assumption of symmetry)

2. If the OBG modelers followed the Navy format for squadrons; then, a typical squadron would have sections of two, flights of four and squadrons of twelve to sixteen aircraft.

3. By 2, the Galactica had a minimum of twenty-four Vipers by squadron deployment if the lower number of twelve per squadron were used. By launch tube count, she had a minimum of thirty two Vipers embarked, which indicates to me a squadron count of sixteen Vipers per squadron.

4. It seems logical that "squadrons" would be based "port" and "starboard" pod, each squadron together in a single hanger pod. Blue squadron seemed to be "port".

5. That gives an absolute minimum of 32 Vipers for the Viper Coop by 3. and 4.

6. The volume of each hanger pod and the relative geometry precludes more than four Vipers being lined up like bullets in a magazine in each launch tube.

7. That gives an effective upper limit of 128 Vipers to the Galactica, based on hanger pod volume.

8. My best guess is that the Alligator carried 64 Vipers and perhaps thirty other assorted shuttles and other craft(Not shown on film.)

9. Having a factory ship for space manufacturer makes eminent sense. It should have a Von Neumann templater that should churn out Vipers like sausages. The problem is getting some of the exotic metals and minerals that a modern aircraft requires from the usual asteroidal junk you find. "Terrestrial" planets will have a richer distribution of the elements just because they were better gravity traps for the materials during planetary body formation near a coalescing star.

And finally Haveke, GOOD LUCK!!