Maritime Science Fiction Modelers

U.S.S. Ahwahnee • NCC-71620 • Cheyenne Class Starship

Kit Bash

AMT/Ertl kits 6618 (Enterprise 3-piece set), 6619 (USS Enterprise-D), sheet styrene, highlighter markers, various kit pieces

Model Specifications:
Scale = 1/1400
Length = 27.1 cm
Width = 18.7 cm
Height = 6.7 cm


		The USS Ahwahnee is one of 39 ships involved in the battle with the Borg at Wolf 359. The starship was not heavily damaged and was salvaged and repaired. The Ahwahnee later was one of 23 ships to take place in the Tachyon Detection Network to catch Romulan ships supplying Klingon factions. This model was built with many of the parts used to make the filming model of the Ahwahnee. There are two saucer bottoms from the 1/2500 Galaxy Class. There are two saucer impulse engines and the bridge module from the 1/1400 Galaxy Class. The pylon structure is sheet styrene, with kit missile halve detailing. The warp nacelles are highlighter markers from Schwan Stabilo. My markers are an updated mold from the ones used on Star Trek. The original markers had a coil-shaped grip where the copper color is. The newer markers are smooth. The escape pod hatches are sheet styrene and are painted Sand.

		The four-nacelled Cheyenne Class is an update to the Constellation Class design of the previous century. The base color is French Light Blue Gray with a randomly airbrushed pattern of Pale Green on the hull. The phaser strips are Navy Aggressor Gray. The sensor strip is Dark Ghost Gray. This sensor in the saucer's middle is 4mm thick to separate the saucer enough that the impulse engines would fit properly in the back. The impulse engines are fluorescent Fire Red and their shrouds are Dark Ghost Gray. The nacelles have Copper details. The warp grilles are Flat Light Blue with a Horizon Blue coat. The Bussard collectors are Gloss Red.

		The Ahwahnee registry on the filming miniature is NCC-73620. It was realized a short time later that such a number was too high a registry for a ship that was around during the Wolf 359 conflict (the Runabouts were newly commissioned as of the start of DS9 and they began with NCC-72XXX and that was years after Wolf 359 occurred). The registry was given a more suitable number, NCC-71620 for "Redemption". The correct number also appears in the Star Trek Encyclopedia. There is a warp core ejection hatch decal forward of the underside Starfleet emblem. This is the most logical place for the warp core in the Cheyenne Class. The auxiliary navigational deflector was painted Russian Marker Red.

		The entire underside detail of the Ahwahnee is speculation. Only two photos are available as far as I know, both from the top. I included a Captain's Yacht and provided more escape pods. As with many of my more recent models, I made all the markings with Adobe Illustrator.

Photos by Stephen L.