In the original 1978 show, the Battlestar Galactica was an advanced vessel that led the Colonial fleet. It had a crew of 500 and carried 75 vipers. The ship was designed by concept artist Ralph McQuarrie who started on the new TV show after working on Star Wars. The brief was to create an aircraft carrier and he gave the ship twin pods on outriggers that provided the vipers with a runway they could land on. The model is just over 10.5 inches (27 cm) long.

The original Viper is a maneuvrable, one-man fighter that was one of the signature models of the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. It was designed by legendary concept artist Ralph McQuarrie, who had recently finished work on STAR WARS. The shooting models were beautifully made and rapidly became iconic. The Eaglemoss model was one of the most popular things they ever made. It measures 10.6" (27 cm) long.

The modern Viper is a careful update of artist Ralph McQuarrie's original design that was created for the 2004 reboot of Battlestar Galactica. Writer and producer Ron D. Moore wanted to make the show about life on an spaceborne aircraft carrier and the Vipers and their pilots were central to his plans. No Viper pilot was more compelling than Starbuck, who had all the skills (and flaws) to make her a great pilot; this version of the model has her call sign on the hull. The model is 10.6 inches (27 cm) long.