Viper Mk III
The Viper Mk. III made its first appearance in the game in Standard Beta 1. It is the main vessel used by station security forces and law enforcement, and is currently the fastest ship available to purchase. It is a highly effective combatant, with a turning rate comparable to that of the Sidewinder and the same weapon capacity as the Cobra Mk. III. This has resulted in a "run away from whatever you can't beat" ship which has been known (with sufficient skill) to defeat any other ship class released thus far in single combat.
Its main drawbacks are that its heat dissipation, power generation and hyperspace capacity do not equal that of the Cobra, which limits the value of having the same hardpoint capacity; mounting the ship's full weapon weight makes it very short-ranged, and an energy-heavy armament causes it to either overheat or use all available power very quickly. Fuel is also an issue as the ship comes with a tank with a capacity of only 4, and it can be extremely difficult to find a fuel efficient setup that does not compromise combat ability.
In addition to its official police/security role, the Viper's speed, range and combat capability make it ideal for bounty hunters, small-load couriers, mercenaries or smugglers, while its small cargo capacity makes it a very poor choice for merchants, and a survivable but inadequately profitable platform for pirates.
Specifications
| Insurance: | 6,140 |
|---|---|
| Type: | Heavy Fighter |
| Crew: | 1 |
| Cargo Capacity: | 4 (Max 22) |
| Dimensions: | -- |
Purchase Locations (Outdated)
| System | Station |
|---|---|
| Aulin | Aulin Enterprise |
| Asellus Primus | Beagle 2 Landing |
| LHS 3262 | Louis de Lacaille Prospect |
| LTT 1598 | Qushji Gateway (Gamma 2.02) |
| H Draconis | Brislington |
| Nang Ta-Khian | Hay Point |
| Ovid | Bradfield Orbital |
| Rakapila | Stone Enterprise |
| Styx | Wingrove Platform |
| Zhu Rong | Stuart Ring |
| LP 102-320 |
Shepard Hub |
| Tote |
Whitelaw Enterprise (Gamma 1.03) |
| Calor
Eravate LHS 3505 |
Julian Hub (Release 1.03)
Russell Ring, and Cleve Hub Olivas City (Release 1.03) |
| Sorbago | Hencke Orbital |
| Turir | Brooks Terminal (dec 27, 2014) |
Outfitting
All ships are highly customizable through outfitting. Each outfit slot has a maximum class that can be put into that slot. Apart from classes, outfits also have a quality rating A-I, and other characteristics such as energy drain, armor piercing, etc.
| Category | Default System | Default Rating | Default Class | Max Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Hardpoint | Not Equipped
Not Equipped |
--
-- |
--
-- |
1
1 |
| Medium Hardpoint | Pulse Laser (L)
Pulse Laser (L) |
F
F |
1
1 |
2
2 |
| Utility Mount | Not Equipped
Not Equipped |
--
-- |
--
-- |
0
0 |
| Bulkheads | Lightweight Alloys | I | 1 | 8 |
| Reactor Bay | Power Plant | ? | 3 | 3 |
| Thrusters Mounting | Thrusters | ? | 3 | 3 |
| Frame Shift Drive Housing | Frame Shift Drive | ? | 3 | 3 |
| Environment Control | Life Support | ? | 2 | 2 |
| Power Coupling | Power Distributor | ? | 3 | 3 |
| Sensor Suite | Sensors | ? | 3 | 3 |
| Fuel Store | Fuel Tank [x4] | ? | 2 | 2 |
| Internal Compartments | Shield Generator
Cargo Rack [x4] - |
?
E -- E |
3
2 -- 1 |
3
3 2 1 |
- (L) = Loaned
- [x#] = Capacity
- BDS = Basic Discovery Scanner
