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U.S.S. Santiago NCC-81043

History:

The Al Tsahir Class frigates were designed as a follow-on class to the aging Miranda Class starships. Like their predecessors, these new ships are highly versatile and can be equipped to fulfill many different mission parameters. Standard configuration allows these frigates to perform short to medium range exploration, fleet escort, and some survey tasks.

To simplify construction and reduce costs, the Al Tsahir Class frigates employ much of the same proven technology used in Intrepid and Defiant class starships.

Originally scheduled to enter service in the late 2370s, the program timeline was accelerated upon the outbreak of the Dominion War, and the class entered production before the prototype vessel, USS Al Tsahir, NX-81000, had even completed her first warp flight. Several ships of the class saw combat before they were named and commissioned.

One such example was Pre-Commissioned Hull #81043. She was in the final stages on completion at Copernicus Shipyards when the Breen attacked the Sol system, and was launched, with impulse capabilities only, to defend Earth. After the war ended, she was officially commissioned USS Santiago, NCC-81043.

Pictured here, she is equipped with a dorsal extended range deuterium tank, dorsal radiator fins, and auxiliary weapon pods on each side of the saucer rim. Hull #81043 also has a large ventral quantum torpedo launcher flanked by twin deflector dishes.

Naming:

U.S.S. Santiago is named after previous Starfleet and Federation member ships. The class name, "Al Tsahir" comes from the gem of vision in the Michael Ende novel The Neverending Story.

Image Gallery:

Top view of Hull #81043.

An Al Tsahir-class frigate with dorsal pod.

Ventral view showing twin deflectors.

Model notes:

The Al Tsahir Class frigate model was heavily kitbashed out of many components. The primary hull was made from a 1:2500 scale Enterprise-D saucer cut into quarters and reassembled long axis oriented fore-aft. Large sections were removed from the saucer to create the final shape. The secondary hull and warp nacelles were made from aircraft model parts.

This model was built by Markus C. Nee. It was started in 1995 and completed in June 1999. It is in 1:1400 scale, and is approximately 9" long. It was painted with Tamiya and Gunze Sangyo acrylic paints and lettered with Chartpak and Prestype dry transfers.

Starship Modeler's Dominion War Scale Modeling Contest First Prize winner, Original Scratchbuild category. July 1999.

All original materials on this web page, unless otherwise noted, are Copyright 1999 Markus C. Nee. All rights reserved. Ask for my permission before using any of my work. Thanks.