Viper exploding in launch tube?

[Joe Atari]

Hi all; great site!

One thing I've always wondered about from the classic show... Every now and then stock footage of an explosion is used (usually after a Cylon crashes into the Galactica) where, if you advance frame-by-frame, you can see it's actually the tail end of a Viper in the launch tube (front view). I vaguely remember from back in the day reading about a scene where a Viper launches but there's a malfunction and it explodes in the launch tube, maybe from the novelization or comic of "Lost Planet of the Gods" (where the cured pilots launch at the end).

My question is, what evidence -- if any -- exists of this scene (stills, script, etc.)? I've also wondered if there was effects footage of the aftermath of the explosion; maybe the exterior explosion that follows the Cylon entering the Atlantia's landing bay from "Saga of a Star World" was meant to follow this shot? One of these days I'll pull my DVDs and do screen caps, but my books and comics are long gone.

[GoldCylon]

That is a good question, that I haven't taken notice to in the past, but like many of so many I see it, but it doesn't click on what really happened. I have gone over a few DVD's frame by frame, and how found a lot of odd things like that in the past.

[Joe Atari]

Here are some screencaps:







These are from "The Living Legend Part 1" towards the end of the episode after the Cylon crashes into the landing bay. Since it's only one or two recognizable frames it goes by really quickly, but it looks like the editors needed a stock big explosion and just spliced this one in. I think it is used in several other places during the series as well, but never in the context it was probably intended (i.e. a failed Viper launch). Makes me wonder if any live action cockpit / rear projection footage was shot to go along with this.

[GoldCylon]

I have seen that before, back when I was doing full show screen caps I recall seeing that. Great find.

[SiR-ROUND]

I know that as a kid I already noticed stock stuff returning in shows.

Galactica, Knight Rider, A-team. Oh, but the worst is chopper behind the hills crash, LAME!

[Starbuck]

I'll bet your referring to the Jet Ranger crash in "Just my Bill",
I'm pretty sure this was used (recycled) in a later episode as well. If you ask me, the entire thought behind this scene was "INSANE", not to memchin the fact that once Michael hit the auto roof and the scene changes to show him climbing out of K.I.T.T.'s roof WHERE DID THE DRIVERS SIDE T-TOP Go?
This scene obviously was to show Michael's bravery and quick thinking, but climbing onboard a Bell Jet Ranger and knocking out the pilot and having time to throw him out and still save the chopper IMPOSSIBLE.