star trek defiant cutaway

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Designing the Defiant

The script of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ’s Season 3 episode “The Search” called for a new class of warship, one it described as “a little clunky.” This starship “was built primarily for battle,” it said, “not exploration or science.”

The reason for introducing the ship was that Executive Producer Ira Steven Behr and his writers felt that mere runabouts couldn’t defend Deep Space Nine against the Dominion, who had shown themselves capable of destroying a Galaxy -class starship in the Season 2 finale, “The Jem’Hadar”.

“We had all these plans for this Dominion,” said Behr in an interview for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ’s Season 3 DVD, “and what were we going to go after them with? Shuttlecrafts?” He added, “You know, it just seemed ridiculous. So we needed a ship.”

Beefed-up runabout

Yet it was the runabout concept artist Jim Martin initially “beefed up.”

“I started with the cockpit windows,” he recalled in an interview with Star Trek: The Magazine , “and worked my way out, adding things on top of the runabout, making it look like they were adding systems and weapons to an existing ship.”

The producers didn’t like it. “After the idea for the runabout was shot down, it was replaced with the writers’ idea that it was going to be a full-fledged fighting starship called the USS Valiant .” But Herman Zimmerman, Star Trek ’s veteran production designer, cautioned Martin it should still look like something that hadn’t been seen on the show before.

The writers requested a small starship, which was designed by the Federation to battle the Borg. I drew some familiar looking Starfleet designs, but also included a drawing of a small, compact ship that I had done for an entirely different episode of DS9. This is the direction that they chose, I think it was because it was so unique.

The design was inspired by a Maquis fighter Martin had previously designed for Deep Space Nine and it bears resemblance to a small Cardassian vessel, later known as the Hideki class, that Rick Sternbach designed for the Season 2 episode “Profit and Loss.”

Unique design

Zimmerman’s request for something unique was certainly met: Defiant was the first Starfleet ship without external warp nacelles.

Martin didn’t quite recognize the impact it would have:

When you’re in the Art Department and you’re doing the job from episode to episode, you don’t really think, “Boy, this is really going to revolutionize Federation design.” You’re getting a design out of the way. It’s only after the fact that you think, “Wow, that was a different idea.” I’m glad we took the chance to take a little bit of a departure.

The name Valiant was dropped in favor of Defiant out of fear that it might conflict with Star Trek: Voyager and its titular starship.

The design was refined further when Tony Meininger was tasked with building the model. He didn’t think Martin’s drawings made the ship look quite fast enough, so Meininger, a car enthusiast, drew from Ferrari posters to “streamline” it, making the USS Defiant look sleeker and more compact.

The ship was “digitalized” for Star Trek: First Contact by Vision Art and rendered by Industrial Light and Magic. For Deep Space Nine , a digital model was created by Digital Muse.

Adrift, but salvageable

The ship was nearly destroyed in First Contact . Indeed, early drafts of the script suggested it was meant to be lost.

In a DVD commentary for the film, Producer Ronald D. Moore explained that Behr had seen the script and objected to the needless destruction of the ship in a story that didn’t even involve Deep Space Nine . The Defiant was allowed to survive the battle — “adrift, but salvageable” — and hardly a mention of its participation in the battle with the Borg Cube was made in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

The Defiant was ultimately destroyed in the Season 7 episode “The Changing Face of Evil”, but a replacement showed up just five episodes later.

A brilliantly designed ship.

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Star Trek: USS Defiant, Explained

A t the heart of Star Trek is the will of Starfleet officers to defy the odds when they’re stacked against them, and nothing symbolizes this fighting spirit quite like the USS Defiant. Ships are pivotal to the lofty goals of the Federation. The first crew couldn’t have set out to boldly explore the galaxy without one. Starfleet would never have made First Contact if they lacked the means to even leave Earth in the first place. From scientific missions to duking it out in space for the very soul of galactic democracy, there is no feat that cannot be accomplished with a good engine and an even better warp factor.

But the USS Defiant holds a special place in the heart of many. William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) once called it a “tough little ship,” which is both accurate and the understatement of the century. The USS Defiant was indeed tough despite its small size, or maybe even because of it. However, it was also pivotal in various battles fought by the Deep Space 9 crew. It may have been built to withstand all manner of attack, but it was also built to last, and it’s done so long enough to create quite the legacy.

RELATED: Most Powerful Women in Star Trek

The USS Defiant Versus the Borg

These days, the USS Defiant is known among Star Trek fans as having been vital during the Dominion War of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Season 7, episode 8, “The Siege of AR-558,” was only one example of the small ship being taken out on relief missions by officers like Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig), Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell), and Ensign Nog (Aron Eisenberg).

Despite its successful career, though, the USS Defiant had a rather rocky beginning. It was supposed to enable the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation to defend itself in battle after First Contact with the Borg proved fatal. Instead, features provided to make it dangerous to enemies of the Federation only made it a threat to those unfortunate enough to be inside of it when the engines were first tested. This must have been before Chief Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney) got his capable hands on them.

Features of the USS Defiant

The USS Defiant is designed with a circular body and an elongated front, similar to a Klingon warbird. While it’s smaller than a Starfleet runabout, it can hold a crew of around 200 officers. The battleship is introduced in the season 3 premiere of Deep Space Nine as needing of a lot of internal work. It initially only possesses the basic features, such as deflector shields, photon torpedoes, and a warp drive.

What makes the USS Defiant such a uniquely combat-capable ship , though, is that it's later updated with Ablative armor coating and a cloaking device. The armor coating acts like a shield, but is more able to withstand direct attacks. The cloaking device is a little more controversial, as it was loaned to Starfleet by the Romulan government and its use was limited to the Gamma Quadrant. To be the best, the USS Defiant needed some pretty wicked features, and it got them exactly when the crew needed them most.

The USS Defiant Versus the Maquis

Deep Space Nine wasn’t afraid of hijinks, but it was even less afraid of dealing with complex issues and involving the USS Defiant in the process. The Maquis were a rebellious force determined to emancipate itself from the Cardassian government. It doesn’t get darker than a group of former Starfleet officers and ex-Federation colonists resorting to terrorist-like activity to establish their own independent state. Even darker, somehow, were the increasingly disturbing lengths taken to defeat them.

That’s where the USS Defiant comes in. Season 5, episode 13, “For the Uniform,” marks one of the first times in Star Trek history that a captain is willing to sacrifice living beings to defeat an enemy. Captain Sisko threatens to launch biochemical weapons at a Maquis settlement from the helm of the USS Defiant. Ex-Security Officer / Maquis leader Michael Eddington (Ken Marshall) calls his bluff. But the captain isn’t lying, and he proceeds to follow through, sacrificing the lives of many in the process. The plan works exactly as Captain Sisko planned, and the leader turns himself in. But one has to wonder if the results of saving Cardassian lives were worth the deadly method.

The USS Defiant Saves the Day

Questionable use aside, the USS Defiant really showed what it could do in the heat of the moment. In season 6 of Deep Space Nine , the chips are down and the Dominion War is continuing to rack up an already-high body count in one of the bloodiest battles in Star Trek . In season 6, episode 6, “Sacrifice of Angels,” Captain Sisko takes the USS Defiant into the Celestial Temple in a desperate attempt to convince the Prophets to protect Bajor from a Dominion attack. He pleads:

“You want to be Gods? Then be Gods! I need a miracle – Bajor needs a miracle. Stop those ships!”

The Prophets eventually agree but vaguely allude (as they do) to a price he’ll have to pay later on. Before Sisko can find out what that is, he’s transported back to the USS Defiant and then later greeted by grateful Bajorans back on Deep Space 9. This miracle turns the tide of the war in favor of the Federation and its allies, though a full surrender from Dominion forces is a long way coming.

The USS Defiant has played an iconic role in Star Trek history. Its first appearance officially marked the Federation’s willingness to prioritize the needs of a battle over its scientific goals. It has saved lives, and taken them. It has been beaten and defeated almost as much as it’s emerged victorious from bloody battles. The USS Defiant was introduced in Star Trek: First Contact , but earned its pips for its service throughout Deep Space Nine . Star Trek: Prodigy brings the USS Defiant back into action, while Picard sees it finally docked at the Starfleet Fleet Museum run by Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton).

The Defiant will probably continue to make appearances for as long as it may be needed, whether it's active among the stars or laid to rest for new generations to learn of its importance in the survival of the Federation. After all these years, it seems like Star Trek just can’t let the USS Defiant go.

MORE: Star Trek: The Cardassian Occupation of Bajor, Explained

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Defiant -- Docking port on the front?

Discussion in ' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ' started by Nathan , Sep 10, 2018 .

Nathan Commander Red Shirt

I always liked how the Defiant left DS9 -- how it slowly was in reverse, turned on its running lights, and left. But I always wondered where the docking port was on the front of the ship. I'd think it would make for sense for the docking port to be in the side of the ship (like on Archer's Enterprise we see it dock with another ship on its side. You would think it would also dock on the side. I suppose then if Defiant docked on the port or starboard side of the ship, the "taking off" scene from DS9 would be as "cool looking" Your thoughts?  

cultcross Postponed for the snooker Moderator

I assumed the Defiant was in part designed to fit into one of the side docking ports and that's partly why it has the nose that it does. I'm guessing they didn't want it always docked at one of the pilons in wide shots. In universe though, no it doesn't make much sense. There have never been reliable plans for the ship, even the ds9 technical manual gives plans that don't match up with size numbers given in the same book . The master situation diagram from the show doesn't show an airlock in the nose but that doesn't prevent there being one.  

Bad Thoughts Vice Admiral Admiral

I think walking through the nacelles to board the ship would suck.  

C.E. Evans Admiral Admiral

cultcross said: ↑ . In universe though, no it doesn't make much sense. There have never been reliable plans for the ship, even the ds9 technical manual gives plans that don't match up with size numbers given in the same book . The master situation diagram from the show doesn't show an airlock i Click to expand...

David cgc Admiral Premium Member

Additionally, Christopher Cushman, who created several cutaway posters of Star Trek ships, posted an unfinished cutaway drawing of the Defiant, which gives you a better look at how the nose airlock seen in the MSD would pop out.  

Timo Fleet Admiral Admiral

...What the cutaway may not quite make clear (by virtue of having bits cut away!) is that there appear to be two such pop-out airlock tubes side by side, port (shown) and starboard (cut away). Which is consistent with a maximum number of things: 1) The side view from the MSD is not contradicted by the doubling. 2) The beige outer hull panels preclude a centerline hatch at the bow, but nicely support side-by-side tubes; imagine those panels as flip-up car headlights... 3) Starfleet knows the Borg are best defeated by boarding. A ramming nose with two boarding planks for greater effect makes sense! 4) The Defiant was an unsatisfactory and unfinished prototype, though. One boarding tube may well have been left ashore... Timo Saloniemi  

Philip Guyott Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

According to this video it's magic: However as said above, the theory of a pop-up airlock makes sense: There is an airlock on the deck above the main deflector. The theory is that the gold bits on the front (where the airlock is located), hinge upwards. Hence the doors are not normally visible as they retract back inside the hull before the ship departs.  

I still odd how it pops out like that. Looking at the above diagram, everyone must pass the Forward Targeting array. I guess there must be other docking ports for when supplies or "non-replicate-able" items have to be brought onto the ship. Also looks like you walk into the ship at an angle or on a grade and it isn't a level with the ship/facility the Defiant is docked with. I think side (port and starboard) docking ports makes more sense, but sense, but as I said in the original post, I do like sequence of Defiant leaving DS9  

Nathan said: ↑ I still odd how it pops out like that. Looking at the above diagram, everyone must pass the Forward Targeting array. I guess there must be other docking ports for when supplies or "non-replicate-able" items have to be brought onto the ship. Also looks like you walk into the ship at an angle or on a grade and it isn't a level with the ship/facility the Defiant is docked with. I think side (port and starboard) docking ports makes more sense, but sense, but as I said in the original post, I do like sequence of Defiant leaving DS9 Click to expand...

Sisko_is_my_captain Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

It kind of makes sense that you cannot see the airlock from the exterior because it would be hidden behind armor panels.  

Also, it's perfectly possible that some ships dock with DS9 without ever achieving gangway access to the station. Floating next to your destination is fine, but sometimes you want to get a bit more intimate. Say, USS Trial in "Way of the Warrior" could be docking in order to nudge the station back to position after all that fighting, not in order to have an extremely well-hidden bow docking port mate with the station counterpart... It's just that the Defiant definitely enjoys gangway access. But not without some special arrangements (the inclined ramp, the security gate). But bow docking is virtually unheard of in Starfleet* in general, while it seems de rigeur for Cardassians and their clients. Something has to give... Timo Saloniemi * Except, of course, nuStarfleet in the Kelvinverse.  

WraithDukat Captain Captain

On the DVD animated menus the ship dicks at an upper pylon. Which makes more sense for the reasons you've given.  

WraithDukat said: ↑ On the DVD animated menus the ship dicks at an upper pylon. Click to expand...

Timo said: ↑ Say, USS Trial in "Way of the Warrior" could be docking in order to nudge the station back to position after all that fighting, not in order to have an extremely well-hidden bow docking port mate with the station counterpart... Click to expand...

Tosk Admiral Admiral

I did? That was nice of me! I have no problem believing that ships have an extendable umbilical anyway. Or DS9 does. Or both.  

I love how the Federation sent 2 Excelsiors, 1 Miranda and a Galaxy to help defend against a massive Klingon fleet.  

USS Firefly Commodore Commodore

WraithDukat said: ↑ I love how the Federation sent 2 Excelsiors, 1 Miranda and a Galaxy to help defend against a massive Klingon fleet. Click to expand...

Even that's a tiny number compared to what the Klingons had, especially when 3 of them are potentially 100 years old. I know they had DS9 and the Defiant on their side but still.  

DonIago Vice Admiral Admiral

Does anyone else think having the Defiant remain docked with the station as opposed to fighting the Klingons as well was a tactical error? Granted the ship had to dock to offload the Cardassians, and perhaps it's so vulnerable while undocking that the Klingons would have just blown it up if it had tried to join the fight?  

kkt Commodore Commodore

DonIago said: ↑ Does anyone else think having the Defiant remain docked with the station as opposed to fighting the Klingons as well was a tactical error? Granted the ship had to dock to offload the Cardassians, and perhaps it's so vulnerable while undocking that the Klingons would have just blown it up if it had tried to join the fight? Click to expand...

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Published Dec 29, 2014

Celebrating the Ships of the Line: USS Defiant NX-74205

Launched in 2370, the U.S.S. Defiant NX-74205 was a 24th-century Federation Defiant-class starship. Operated by Starfleet, it served as the class prototype and was the second Federation ship called Defiant. She was created as a warship, specifically to take on the Borg, but unsuccessful trial runs convinced Starfleet to mothball not just the ship, but the entire project. However, later in 2370, Commander Benjamin Sisko – who’d helped design her -- asked that he be allowed to use the Defiant during his dealings with another growing threat, the Dominion. The ship was still far from perfect, with Miles O’Brien working on overhauls even as the Defiant was utilized to transport Jadzia Dax to the Trill homeworld, to rescue a kidnapped Kira Nerys, to bring the Detapa Council to Deep Space 9, and to thwart a plot by Admiral Leyton that would have overthrown the Federation government and established martial law.

The Defiant also was transported to the 23rd century, where it met up with the original USS Enterprise during its visit to Deep Space K-7 in 2268. Later, in the Battle of Sector 001 in mid-2373, the Defiant was utilized for her initial purpose… battling the Borg. She, under the command of Worf, attacked an invading Borg cube from the Typhon sector to Earth, suffering major damage in the process. Worf was on the verge of ramming the cube when the USS Enterprise-E rescued the vessel's survivors. Then, the Defiant and Enterprise crews tracked a Borg sphere to 2063 shortly after the cube's destruction to prevent the Borg from sabotaging Zefram Cochrane's first warp flight.

The Defiant, which was heavily armed and equipped with an ablative armor coating, later became a major player during the Dominion War, mining the entrance to the Bajoran wormhole and fighting as part of the Second Fleet. However, in 2375, the Dominion and Breen retook the Chin'toka system during the Second Battle of Chin'toka, and the Defiant was among the 311 ships destroyed in the fray.

StarTrek.com 's look at the USS Defiant NX-74205 concludes our year-long celebration of the Ships of the Line. The latest in the bestselling Ships of the Line calendar series is available now; visit www.Amazon.com to purchase the 2015 Ships of the Line calendar.

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Thursday 30 May 2013

Slicing up the enterprise - cutaway models and diagrams.

4 comments:

Very nice overview! I enjoyed this article.

IIRC, Coca Cola produced a small poster size cut away of the TMP version of the Enterprise as fast food give away when the first film came out ...

Don't forget this awesome poster. I still have it, a bit ratty with age. Had it hanging on my wall growing up. http://media.moddb.com/images/groups/1/1/981/Star_Trek_Enterprise_A_cutaway_poster.jpg

Glad you like it guys :) I've tried to keep the focus on the original Enterprise, but yes there are certainly some brilliant cutaways of many of the other ships too. I hope we'll get another Haynes Manual some day with more ships. Or something focused on the nuEnterprise.

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Christopher Cushman

Christopher Cushman is the illustrator behind some of Sci-Fi’s most iconic and notable cutaway illustrations.

He reached out to share some of his obsessively accurate and detailed artwork, and the story of how a chance encounter with the legendary David Kimble turned from a freelance gig, to a prolific career in Detroit’s auto industry—to illustrating vehicles from the 24th century, and some from a long, long time ago, too!

Illustrator Christopher Cushman

Star Wars Battle of Hoth cutaway poster by Christopher Cushman, colors by Bob Kayganich

What drew you to cutaways and technical illustration?

Sometimes I think all roads lead from Star Trek … I became interested in technical drawings when I got my first blueprint set of the Enterprise by Franz Joseph. They literally explained the entire ship deck-by-deck with hundreds of details. This was around 1975—I was 15. It was amazing to me that drawings could convey an understanding all on their own!

The Star Trek blueprint set illustrated by Franz Joseph

In high school I had a teacher named Mr. Moll who encouraged me to become a technical illustrator. He suggested that I enter a state wide competition, the Michigan Industrial Education Awards. This was my senior year and it was a go big or go home moment, so over summer break I wrote Boeing in Washington state to get blue prints and anything related to their 747. I received a package a week before school started and over the course of that year I drew my first cut away of a 747. It received the regional honor award, and the highest award for my school that year.

I was hooked!

Boeing 747 Cutaway by Christopher Cushman

How did you learn the skills of technical illustration?

The following year I went to Ferris State in Big Rapids Michigan. Ferris was unique, in as much as their Technical Illustration program was the most comprehensive in the mid West, and there approach was to build skills and then teach through simulated real world experiences.

The instructors were John James and Doug Farnham, both veterans of the illustration world. Both had different teaching styles. Mr. James was inspirational and really open to a lot of ideas, while Mr. Farnham featured himself a professor and was always very critical. Between the two we were able to experience two different management styles that would be useful in the real world. While much of the training was on technical illustration, we also had classes on graphic design, drafting, engineering principals, material science etc.

In hind sight, that education really paid off for me because so much of my work deeply depended on me to be able to hold engineering conversations with many kinds of specialists, and then translate that into art that would best work for them.

How did you get your illustration career started after school?

So, post-school I bounced around a bit. I got a gig at Mid America Design in Fort Wayne, Indiana designing manuals for the military, including an upgrade ejection seat installation document used by the Indiana Air National Guard. From there, I worked my way back up into Michigan working for Zennith/Heath Kit in St. Joesph. Again, we made manuals for many Heath Kits, which were electronic kits you could buy and assemble—from the super simple all the way up to a 25-inch Zenith TV. One of the projects I was most proud of was a kit to build a personal robot called Hero.

I moved back home and began commuting to Oldsmobile engineering in Lansing, Michigan. The work was great, but the hour plus commute each way was a nightmare, so I made the big leap back to Detroit. I started working for what in the industry were called “job shops,” basically outsourced talent pools that allowed the big three to avoid having to hire themselves.

I settled at a firm called Modern Engineering, where I drew large format drawings that hung in assembly plants called “production aids.” I worked exceedingly hard, and quickly became an expert often called into meetings to explain certain production processes (thanks to that Ferris training).

In one or two meetings I had made process change suggestions that got noticed at GM, and I was seconded to work at the GM Teck Center for the BOC (Buick, Olds, Cadillac Group). My job now was to help funnel projects to the job shops and work with engineers on various challenges. For almost a year I worked directly out of the Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant, and was responsible for the entire production lines worth of production aids. Hundreds of drawings that would help them build the all new models of Riviera, Toronado, Eldorado and Seville’s. Towards the end of that assignment we also added the Cadillac Alante to the mix. Needless to say, when I returned back to the technical center the economy was turning and I faced going back to Modern Engineering.

But my years of networking started to pay off and I was able to extend my journey with the GM Military Vehicles group. This was a major leg up in many ways, as the kind of work exceeded just technical illustration and included product development and design, branding, graphic design, video and display design! I quickly garnered the title of Art Director. The one thing was to leverage the opportunity into greater learning opportunities. I got the chance to see one of my concept drawings grow into scale models and then into full size working prototypes with the FMTV Tactical Vehicle Project and the HETS Heavy Equipment Transporter System.

FMTV illustration by Christopher Cushman

FMTV scale model

While working at GM, you ran into David Kimble. You became friends, then began working with him. What was that relationship like?

As I previously mentioned the work I did with the BOC had me attending many meetings, one of which was at the offices at the Cadillac Fleetwood Plant on Detroit’s west side. I was waiting in the lobby when two men came in, and one of them rather loudly announced him self as being David Kimble, as if the young lady at the desk should know or care who he was.

What was lost on her was not lost on me, and I must admit I sprung up in true fan boy fashion to introduce myself, got to share what an inspiration he was, blah blah, explained that I too was an illustrator who worked at the Technical Center. He asked if I ever did freelance, and offered that he would love to see my portfolio on his visit to the tech centre the next day as he had a meeting there.

Wow, I didn’t sleep much that night. True to his word he passed by my area, which garnered a lot of attention from the fellas in my group who also held him in esteem. I showed him my work and gave him my card, and within a couple of weeks we were off to the races.

He was very direct and clear with his expectations, and I could tell immediately that he suffered no fools when it came to his work. Many, if not most of the assignments were ink tracings of his drawings. My first assignment included the drawings for the brochures for the first Acura products, the Integra and Legend.

Two assignments I got to both draw and ink, a Chevy Celebrity cutaway for the Shell Car Care book and an Impact Wrench for Ingersoll Rand, which to this date is still the most I ever made for a single drawing project. The project was received on one day and had to be shipped FedEx at the end of the next. So two day turn around and I made a cool $3000 which was a lot of money in the late 80’s.

Chevrolet Celebrity cutaway lineart by Christopher Cushman

Chevrolet Celebrity cutaway illustration by Christopher Cushman and David Kimble

Impact wrench illustration by Christopher Cushman and David Kimble

Working for Dave was never easy. The opportunity it presented was never lost on you, and you always wanted to bring your best possible work. Deadlines were often pretty tight, so there was some stress involved. To balance that, he always paid quickly and well which was a plus, and conversations with him were alway entertaining.

The work slowed down just as my reputation in Detroit was at an all time high. I began to get calls from so many places locally to do work, and many of the conversations started with “We are looking for a Kimble-like cutaway, but we don’t have a Kimble budget…” While Dave was amazing, so were his prices, and again there was a tone of flux in the local economy which simply couldn’t afford his work. I would quickly explain that I don’t paint, and that all I could do was the drawing and line work.

At first I would do some of the simple stuff, but eventually I knew I might be competing with him for the same work. Had his work not dropped off I would have passed on it but I needed to eat and continue to build my reputation in town, so the big hits started to cross my board. Detroit Art Staff got me the Mercedes 600 SL and the new C-Class cars, Combs and Dudeck the Cadillac Seville with Northstar, Iconix the Dodge Ram with 10 cylinder Viper engine, Macnamarra and Associates the Eagle Talon and the latest Volvo.

Mercedes 600SL cutaway by Christopher Cushman, colors by Detroit Art Staff

Dodge Ram cutaway by Christopher Cushman, colors by Detroit Art Staff

Eagle Talon cutaway by Christopher Cushman, colors by Detroit Art Staff

Volvo 460 cutaway illustration by Christopher Cushman, colors by Gary Richardson

Eventually the use of cutaways kinda fell of the map in vehicle marketing trading technical details for amenities and comforts.

Your work with Kimble led you to Paramount and your Star Trek work. Talk about your experience working with them.

David did the cutaway for the Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which was a massive 48-inch format poster sold in the theatres. I got my first copy at the opening of the film my first year at Ferris. In the back of my head I knew I was on the right career path! I knew one day I wanted to be involved in Star Trek ! One of the first things David did for me was send me an autographed copy which still hangs to this day in my home.

David Kimble’s cutaway poster for Star Trek: The Motion Picture

I had shown him an early concept cutaway of the Star Trek: The Next Generation Enterprise when he went through my portfolio and I asked him if he wanted to team up to complete my idea. He said that he was not interested, citing that he had a horrible experience the first time around financially, and was not interested in getting caught up with it again. He did connect me with the Paramount folks and wished me luck.

Paramount was really just wrapping its mind around merchandising when I first approached them, and sent me a list of approved poster vendors, who either didn’t see the value or wanted my drawing for a song. I ended up contacting a distributor in Michigan who contacted Paramount and set up the final deal, and in early 1993 my 52-inch poster rolled off the press in Chicago.

The process with Paramount was grueling, in as much as my drawing was submitted to the ST art department and was dissected with a red pen. I made dozens of changes, large and small, which got approved! On completion, a full sized duratrans was sent to the Smithsonian and hangs in their permanent collection.

The drawing for the Enterprise D poster in progress on Chris’ desk

Star Trek Enterprise D cutaway poster by Christopher Cushman, colors by Gary Richardson

Fortunately/unfortunately the poster was such a hit that it sold hundreds of thousands of copies, and the distributor began to ghost me on my royalty payments. I had proposed a follow-on Millenium Falcon poster concept and that seemed to get ignored as well. I ended up suing them in court which gave me damages, and the added step of pain and suffering, somewhere close to $70,000. The next day I received a register mail announcing their bankruptcy, and there would be no money coming my way. This was my single worse day as an illustrator.

A couple years later while at my favorite art supply and framing store I saw a completed version of my Millenium Falcon poster concept waiting to be picked up from the framer. They explained that I was set up to become a poster but the deal fell through. Not only had they reneged on my Star Trek money, but they took my next concept to fruition and the bankruptcy stopped the printing! The story was just getting worse by the moment.

Fortunately, I along with my brother connected with SciPubTech and the Star Wars concepts we created took new life and were completed to coincide with the original trilogy re-release! So in the end, I did prevail.

We ended up creating six new Star Trek posters and three Star Wars posters. One of which, DS9 made it into space! On May 19th, 2000 aboard the shuttle Atlantis/STS 101 an ISS construction flight! The DS9 poster returned 10 days later and hangs in the ISS program office! This amazing experience has shown me that there is no limit how far and high you can go!

Cushman’s DS9 cutaway poster flew to space aboard space shuttle Atlantis on STS-101

Star Trek Voyager cutaway poster by Christopher Cushman, colors by Bob Kayganich

You’ve also worked on projects in the Star Wars universe. How did that come about, and what was that like?

When we connected with SciPubTech, I showed them my Millennium Falcon cutaway and talked about the upcoming re-release of the original trilogy in the theatre. So we had a new motivation to do the work.

Our Star Wars posters are unbelievably accurate. Many don’t know this, but the Falcon was slightly different in each film. So my task was to forensically go in and pull them all together into one drawing! Lucas Film was great with providing archived materials for many of the ships. The one thing I am most proud of though, was that we were the first to market with official cutaways. There have been many books since with slightly different takes, but we were the first!

Millennium Falcon cutaway poster by Christopher Cushman, colors by Bob Kayganich

Your brother, Matthew Cushman, is also a technical illustrator. What’s it like collaborating with him?

He is indeed… same degree and under the same instructors for the most part, but 11 years different. His foray into Star Trek began with his final project, where he drew a cutaway of the original series Enterprise. As his big brother, I lent him all my technical information from my collection. A version of that drawing became our first product at SciPubTech. It was a big hit!

All of the work we did up and through the SciPubTech days was done manually, pencil on paper, ink on mylar, paint on board. In that respect we worked very similarly. Where we diverge is in technique. Matt is fastidious in his pencils, crisp and very clean, if not a bit light. I am more heavy handed, darker, less clean. The ultimate test of detail came when we participated in the redesign of the Enterprise E, which we collaborated on. There were many elements to the project, and while I did the liaison with the art department, collecting the materials and Paramount licensing getting all the approvals, Matt took on the Phoenix drawing for a mini-poster. But we both did half of the Enterprise poster. I, the front saucer, and Matt the rear and engines. When we completed the final pencils, I put the two pieces together and were off by less than a millimeter! It was a most satisfying collaboration.

Today Matt is more attuned with Adobe Illustrator because of his client work. I largely stepped away from Illustration after 1998 and my move to Toronto. My final poster was of Voyager and the Delta Flyer. I got a second degree in Design and am back playing catch up in Adobe illustrator.

Enterprise E poster by Christopher and Matthew Cushman

What would be your dream technical illustration project?

Well, I may have already got that when I worked on the Enterprise E. Our work ran concurrent to the film production, and we were drawing things that had never been seen! My dream of working on Star Trek has kind of been fulfilled.

What are you currently working on?

There are a couple new things brewing. A series in book form for Battle Star Galactica (new version) and the ships from 2001: A Space Odessey (I have put a lot of work into the EVA Pod drawing).

Progress on the EVA Pod cutaway illustration by Christopher Cushman

I am working on a revised Enterprise D poster. I completed the first one around 1992, or 3rd season, and I want to update it to 7th season and Star Trek Generations.

Enterprise D cutaway drawing by Christopher Cushman

What advice do you have for students or illustrators starting out?

Build it and they will come. It’s a great time to be an illustrator, but you should set aside time to draw some vanity projects. Things you might not get to do in the real world and draw them for yourself. I did with the Enterprise D and it turned into one of the greatest chapters of my life! Opened many doors and opportunities of work and meeting my heroes….

Dont wait! Just jump in!

Where can people see or buy more of your work?

You can see me on my blog and get a more detailed view of my Star Trek/Star Wars journey. SciPubTech.net still sells a few posters, but you can find others on eBay. I am currently rebuilding my Illustrator web site, coming soon.

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Classic Enterprise

The USS Enterprise as featured in the original Star Trek television series.   The most common kits are the original 18 inch AMT Enterprise (recently reissued by Round 2), the 22 inch AMT Cutaway Enterprise, and the 11.5 inch Polar Lights 1:10oo scale kit.

• Building the Enterprise by David Merriman – a full scratchbuilding article
• What Color Is The Classic Enterprise? by Paul M. Newitt
• Mike Warshaw’s Enterprise Studio Model Photos 2000
• A History of the AMT Enterprise Model by Jay Chladek
• Jay Chladek’s Guide to the AMT 18″ Enterprise videos
• Production Enterprise Diagrams by Agatha Chamberlain
• Second Pilot Enterprise Diagrams by Agatha Chamberlain
• CultTVman’s  Enterprise Smithsonian photos 1992
• J.R. Aiello’s Smithsonian photos 2001
• Lou Dalmaso’s Enterprise Adventure
• Ross Waddell’s Enterprise Studio Model photos 2015

The Enterprise Bridge

• Building a better Bridge part 1 by Steve Iverson
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• Manoj Mantri’s Enterprise Bridge
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• Scott Pallack’s Enterprise Sets
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The Polar Lights 1:1000 scale kit

• Robert Anderson’s Classic Enterprise
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• Jonathan Strickland’s Scout Conversion
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The AMT 18″ kit:

• Russell Anderson’s Classic Enterprise
• Benjamin Bailey’s USS Constitution
• Jay Barnes’ USS Enterprise
• Clark Bradshaw’s Classic Enterprise
• Daniel Bram’s Classic Enterprise
• Agatha Chamberlain’s Enterprise
• AMT 18″ Enterprise Reissue – Review by Jay Chladek
• Jay Chladek’s Constellation Project part 1
• Jay Chladek’s Constellation Project part 2
• Jay Chladek’s Constellation Project part 3
• Jay Chladek’s Constellation Project part 4
• Kyle Clark’s USS Defiant
• SM Clark’s Classic Enterprise
• Tom Dickhut’s Pilot Enterprise
• Tom Dickhut’s Classic AMT Enterprise
• Sean Ferrin’s Classic AMT Enterprise
• Phillip Gore’s Classic AMT Enterprise
• William Hackney’s Constellation
• Kevin Jones’ Classic Enterprise
• Lee Jorgensen’s Enterprise
• Lee Jorgensen’s Glow Enterprise
• Another Lee Jorgensen Enterprise
• Steve Jurgens’ AMT Enterprise
• Steve Jurgen’s AMT Enterprise updated
• Michael Mott’s Classic AMT Enterprise
• Alan Nadel’s Classic Enterprise
• Kevin O’Brien’s Enterprise and Galileo
• Gary Salerno’s Classic Enterprise
• Thorsten Scholz’ Classic Enterprise
• Mike Scott’s Classic Enterprise
• Kevin Stooksbury’s AMT Enterprise
• Cesare Tatarelli’s Classic Enterprise
• Joel Tavera’s Battle Damaged Constellation
• Joel Tavera’s 2nd Pilot Enterprise
• Joel Tavera’s 2nd Pilot Enterprise #2
• Joerg Tillmann’s Enterprise
• Steven Vasko’s AMT 18″ Enterprise
• Ross Waddell’s Enterprise
• Mike Warshaw’s Lighted Enterprise

The AMT 22″ Cutaway kit:

• Jim Brooks’ Classic Enterprise
• Rich Cirivilleri’s Classic Enterprise
• Doug Cowles’ 22 inch Enterprise
• Steve Gardner’s Cutaway Enterprise
• Michael Gosda’s USS Princeton
• Andy Henshaw’s 2nd pilot Enterprise
• Ken Huegel’s Ultimate Nacelle
• Steve Iverson’s Ultimate Enterprise
• Jim James’ Cutaway Enterprise
• Scott Kohrherr’s USS Republic and USS Lexington
• Kyu-Woong Lee’s Lighted 22″ Enterprise
• John Nelson’s Classic Enterprise
• Steve Ozment’s 22-inch Enterprise
• David Shaw’s 22″ Enterprise
• Kenn Wingle’s Cutaway Enterprise

The Revell-Germany kit

• Revell-Germany’s USS Enterprise review by Jay Chladek
• John Eighmy’s Revell Enterprise
• Joey Nash’s Revell Germany USS Potemkin
• Gregg Stickney’s Classic Enterprise

The Polar Lights 1:350 Enterprise

• NEW Jerry Bourget’s USS Enterprise
• Dae Choi’s Classic Enterprise
• Oggie Gonzalez’ Classic Enterprise
• Paul Hicks’ Classic Enterprise
• Steven Vasko’s 1:350 Classic Enterprise and Botany Bay

Other Enterprise kits:

• Bob Canfield’s Classic Enterprise
• Billy Lehner’s Classic Enterprise
• Ethan Shalev’s Classic Enterprise
• Casey Tompkins’ 1/1400 Enterprise

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Star Trek The Final Frontier Premium Poster

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Screen Rant

James cromwell's 4 star trek roles explained.

Iconic character actor James Cromwell played three characters in Star Trek before taking on the role of Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact.

• James Cromwell's versatile acting career included four different characters in the Star Trek universe.
• Each of Cromwell's Star Trek appearances involved unique alien roles in different series.
• Cromwell's portrayal of Dr. Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact marked a significant role in Federation history.

Emmy award winner and Academy Award nominee James Cromwell has appeared as four different characters in the Star Trek universe. A prolific character actor, Cromwell began acting in 1974 with an appearance on The Rockford Files . From there, he went on to appear in numerous popular television shows throughout the 1970s, including All in the Family, M*A*S*H, Three's Company, and Diff'rent Strokes. He continued appearing on television in the 1980s, in episodes of Little House on the Prarie and Barney Miller , among many others, but also began taking on film roles. His first starring role came in the 1992 film Babe , for which Cromwell was nominated for an Academy Award.

Although James Cromwell is likely most recognizable to Star Trek fans as Zefram Cochrane from Star Trek: First Contact , the actor had played three other Trek characters before appearing in that film. Cromwell's Star Trek debut came in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 11, "The Hunted," in which he portrayed the bureaucratic Prime Minister of the Angosians. Cromwell later appeared in one of TNG's two-part episodes , season 6's "Birthright" as a Yridian dealer named Jaglom Shrek. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 4, episode 7, "Starship Down," Cromwell took on another alien role, a Karemma named Hanok who serves as a commerce minister.

Every Star Trek Movie Ranked (From Worst To Best)

Star trek: the next generation season 3, episode 11 - "the hunted", star trek: the next generation.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Hunted," Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D visit the planet of Angosia III to assess their petition to join the United Federation of Planets . As the Prime Minister, James Cromwell's Nayrok is the first person to approach Picard, and he requests help to apprehend a dangerous escaped convict. The Enterprise soon finds the prisoner, whose name is Roga Danar (Jeff McCarthy), but his story does not quite match up with that of Nayrok. According to Danar, he and many of his fellow prisoners were genetically enhanced soldiers who fought a war for the Angosians.

After the Angosian wars ended, the enhanced soldiers had difficulty reintegrating into civilian life, and they were banished to a penal colony. When Picard confronts Nayrok about Danar's claims, Nayrok refuses to answer, claiming it to be a matter of internal security. When Danar leads the inmates in a rebellion against the government building, Nayrok asks Captain Picard for help. Picard, however, states that the conflict seems like an internal matter that Nayrok must handle himself. Due to the human rights violations Nayrok and the Angosian government committed against their soldiers and veterans, Angosia III's application to join the Federation is denied.

The story of Damar and the Angosian government's treatment of veterans was meant as an allegory to US veterans of the Vietnam War. While the end result is arguably effective, it's not exactly subtle.

3 Jaglom Shrek

Star trek: the next generation season 6, episodes 16 & 17 - "birthright, parts 1 & 2".

In Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Birthright" two-parter, the Starship Enterprise visits space station Deep Space Nine, and James Cromwell's Jaglom Shrek kicks off the main plot involving Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn). A member of the Yridian species, Shrek is an information broker who tells Worf that his father Mogh may have survived the Khitomer Massacre. Shrek claims that Mogh is alive in a Romulan prison camp, but Worf doubts this information and makes the Yridian personally take him to the camp. Once there, Worf learns that his father did die at Khitomer as he believed and his family's honor remains intact.

The Romulan guards prevent Worf from leaving since he now knows the location of the camp. Worf inspires some of the young Klingons to be curious about their culture and heritage, and the Romulans eventually allow them to leave the prison camp. Jaglom Shrek only appears briefly in "Birthright, Part II" and has no lines, but his role was originally meant to be bigger. James Cromwell broke his leg in between filming the two parts of the episode, which resulted in his role being reduced. In the initial script, Worf learned more about Shrek's past, and he became a more sympathetic character.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 4, Episode 7 - "Starship Down"

Star trek: deep space nine.

"Starship Down" follows the senior staff from Deep Space Nine as they meet with James Cromwell's Hanok for secret trade agreements. Hanok represents the interests of the Karemma, who live on a planet in the Gamma Quadrant and are part of the Dominion. As Hanok meets with Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and DS9's crew, two Jem'Hadar ships emerge and fire on the Karemma ship. When the Defiant enters the fray, the ship is severely damaged.

Hanok ends up trapped in the Defiant's mess hall with Ferengi bartender Quark (Armin Shimerman) , who was acting as a mediator for the negotiations. As Quark has been imposing fake Federation tariffs, Hanok is reluctant to trust the Ferengi. When a torpedo impacts the mess hall without detonating, Quark and Hanok must work together to defuse it, which helps Hanok gain respect for Quark. After the Defiant makes it safely back to DS9, Quark shows Hanok how to play Dabo, and the Karemma wins a significant amount of money.

Best Star Trek: DS9 Episode From Each Of The Show’s 7 Seasons

1 zefram cochrane, star trek: first contact.

In his most substantial Star Trek role, James Cromwell portrays Dr. Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact . As the inventor of warp drive technology, Cochrane holds a special place in Federation history as his invention led to Earth's first contact with the Vulcans. The character of Zefram Cochrane (played by Glenn Corbett) was first mentioned in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 9, "Metamorphosis," when the Starship Enterprise found him marooned on an asteroid. A mysterious entity known as the Companion (Elinor Donahue) had restored Cochrane's youth and kept him alive for 150 years.

In First Contact , Captain Picard and the USS Enterprise-E follow a Borg cube back in time to 2063 Earth, where the Borg are trying to prevent human's first contact with aliens. The Enterprise destroys the Borg ship, and then several members of the crew beam down to ensure Cochrane's historic flight happens as it was meant to. Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) and Lt. Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz), in particular, are excited to meet one of their heroes and are somewhat disappointed to learn that Cochrane's true motivations were financial.

James Cromwell also provided the voice for a hologram of Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 1, "Grounded," which reveals that the site of first contact has become an amusement park.

After the damage caused by the Borg, Cochrane initially wants to abandon his plans, but Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and the Enterprise crew convince him to continue. In the end, Cochrane, Riker, and La Forge board the ship called the Phoenix and break the warp barrier. Not long after, a Vulcan survey ship called the T'Plana-Hath lands in Bozeman, Montana to greet humans for the first time, as the Enterprise crew watches from a distance. Picard and his friends then return to the 24th century, having ensured that the seeds of the Federation and Star Trek's future were planted.

Star Trek: The Next Generation & Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek: First Contact is streaming on Max.

USS Valiant (NCC-74210)

• View history

The USS Valiant (NCC-74210) was a 24th century Federation Defiant -class starship operated by Starfleet .

• 1.1 Valiant personnel
• 2.1 Background information
• 2.2 Apocrypha
• 2.3 External links

History [ ]

The Valiant was launched from the Antares Ship Yards in 2372 on Stardate 49456.5. It was assigned as a training ship for the elite cadet corps Red Squad under the command of Captain Ramirez .

In late- 2373 , the Valiant began a three month training cruise mission to circumnavigate the entire Federation before returning home. The plan was for the cadets to run the ship while the officers aboard observed and critiqued their performance.

The ship was transiting the Kepla sector when the Dominion War began, and subsequently trapped behind enemy lines after a Dominion fleet conquered that sector on the first day. In attempting to return to Federation territory , the Valiant encountered a Cardassian battle cruiser near El-Gatark . In the first fifteen minutes , all seven of the regular officers were killed or critically wounded, including the captain. The Valiant lost main power and was adrift ; fortunately, the Cardassian cruiser was no better off. Despite having a punctured lung and massive internal injuries, Captain Ramirez refused to go to sickbay and instead, stayed on the bridge to direct the entire damage control effort. The cadets got weapons and impulse engines back on-line within three hours , and were able to destroy the cruiser. The next day, just before Ramirez died , he appointed Cadet Tim Watters to take command of the Valiant .

Early in the war , Starfleet ordered the Valiant to track and collect technical data on a previously unidentified Jem'Hadar battleship that was believed to be operating in the area. However, because the Valiant was operating under complete radio silence and limited to a speed of warp 3.2 , Starfleet was unaware that the ship's officers were dead, and Watters decided to undertake the mission.

Around 2374 , on Stardate 51825, the Valiant rescued Jake Sisko and Ensign Nog from the runabout USS Shenandoah , which was fleeing from a Jem'Hadar attack on Starbase 257 . With his experience serving aboard the Defiant -class, Nog assisted the Valiant 's crew in repairing their warp drive , and the ship finally managed to catch up to the Dominion battleship and obtain detailed intelligence concerning the enemy's capabilities.

The Valiant destroyed

Captain Watters' overconfidence, however, proved to be the Valiant 's undoing. Rather than returning the valuable information to Starfleet, Watters decided to attempt to destroy the battleship by exploiting a perceived flaw in her construction.

Vastly outgunned, the Valiant was quickly devastated after an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the enemy's antimatter storage system primary support braces with a specially-modified quantum torpedo . With Captain Watters and most of the bridge crew killed, Nog gave the order to abandon ship . Two of the four escape pods launched were destroyed by the battleship, while a third was destroyed when it was unable to clear the exploding Valiant . The remaining pod was able to flee the battle area and was eventually recovered by the Valiant 's sister ship, the USS Defiant .

Out of a crew of 35 (plus Nog and Jake), only three survived the battle. ( DS9 : " Valiant ")

Valiant personnel [ ]

• See USS Valiant personnel

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

The motto on the Valiant 's dedication plaque was " We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained and new rights to be won ", a quote by John F. Kennedy .

" Valiant " was the name that Ronald D. Moore originally wanted to give to the Defiant . However, with the development of Star Trek: Voyager , the producers asked him to avoid a name that began with 'V'. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 158))

Apocrypha [ ]

In the reference book Star Trek: Celebrations , it was established that Starfleet Academy created a service award to cadets who show exceptional teamwork and named it the Valiant commendation to commemorate the Valiant and its crew.

External links [ ]

• USS Valiant (NCC-74210) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Valiant commendation at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Drakon Cluster of Courage at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 2 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)
• 3 Star Trek: The Next Generation