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Description

Ported to OBJ from the low poly gaming mode kitbashed by knox1709 from the Galaxy class model by Rick "pneunomic81" (p81) Knox made for the Starfleet Command (SFC) series of video games. Preview picture posed in XNALara XPS. While I'm not making my port of this particular old gaming model available for download, you'll be happy to know that the Challenger class was recreated as part of his TNG/DS9/VOY era CG recreation efforts by Dave "First Fleet" Metlesitis. His 3D model is filming quality and absolutely free. Here's the link:

NOTICE - My apologies for confusing Challenger with the somewhat older Freedom class earlier (see separate entry). My Freedom entry has been updated accordingly, and you'll see a new preview piccy there if you saw the old one before. As I've said many times before, I'm more of a TOS/TAS/TMP era expert than on this era, with a lot of you better versed than I. Thanks for your support all the same. XD

Challenger was the "panhandle" of the Federation Starfleet's Galaxy generation of starships during the better part of the TNG/DS9/VOY era; that is, if you pan has two handles with one each top and bottom. More on that in a bit. XD It was a reworking of the never-built Freedom (II) design study aimed at creating a classic panhandle destroyer class for the Galaxy generation as a production successor to the late post-TMP era Freedom class (see separate entry). It was a classic underslung single nacelle design for most of its development process (1), although the ventral warp engine support pylon was mounted on a extended "stub" secondary hull instead of the primary hull itself and the underslung warp engine was eventually pulled in closer than on previous classes in an effort to increase maneuverability. Late in the design process and in most mainstream threads of the Trek multiverse (*) it was altered into the now-familiar, over-under dual nacelle arrangement evoking the old TMP era Akula and Araxes classes (KA/SFC). Why the change? For the extra warp power, obviously, and you can decide for yourselves why the Starfleet Admiralty insisted on this change. We don't know per on-screen canon (it's never discussed, just accepted "as is"), although semi-canon and fanon ideas about.

To be frank we honestly don't know what purpose Challenger serves for Starfleet in this era given that it's never described or discussed on screen and what few canon references we have are only fleeting ones. We can make good guesses, though, based on its obvious semi-canon predecessors Akula (the KA/SFC one, not Todd Guenther's) and Araxes (KA/SFC). The KA/SFC Akula was a heavy destroyer. The KA/SFC Araxes started out as a successor to Akula in the heavy destroyer slot but later got upgraded in classification to light cruiser in the post-TMP era in many non-canon sources. Thus it makes sense for most fans to treat Challenger as a light cruiser too, sort of as a scaled-back and cheaper cookie-cutter alternative to Nebula that could be built fairly quickly and in greater numbers than Nebula due to both factors., with any option pod possibilities mounted in different places due to the placement of its second warp engine. A cheap cookie-cutter but good design is exactly what you want in a wartime situation. Did I hear someone say "Borg Incursion?" Or how about "Dominion War?" (grin) Other fans treat it differently, with the most common alternate treatments being as a heavy scout or heavy survey/research cruiser type "as is" (chuckle). Unfortunately there's no definitive semi-canon source yet, although I strongly suspect that if Challenger is ever added toStar Trek Online (STO) as a class and not as the name of an Ambassador class starship (wink) then many folks will go with how they write it up. We'lll see. Again, whatever works for you -- at least until the Franchise says otherwise.

The Challenger class made its ignominious debut on screen with the loss of class member USS Buran (NCC-57580) along with the rest of the 39-starship-strong Starfleet armada destroyed by the Borg at the Battle of Wolf 359 (TNG "The Best of Both Worlds" Part 2). It was only seen one more time after that, after the wreck of the Buran had been deposited at the Starfleet starship boneyard at Qualor II (TNG "Unification" Part 1), although two other Starfleet vessels mentioned in dialog only - the 24th century USS Kearsarge (TNG "Firstborn") and the USS Armstrong (DS9 "Apocalypse Rising") have both since been retconned in many semi-canon sources as members of the Challenger class.

This is canon, given its on-screen appearances in two different episodes of TNG.

Live long and prosper.

(1) Per the development history of the filming model as near as I can make it out. It's also pretty obvious to me that the second topside nacelle is a tack-on, given the way it is built and the offset way it is placed. Oh, and the name of the class comes from the lost NASA space shuttle Challenger. Look it up.

(2) In some fanon Trek multiverse threads Challenger was initially built as a single nacelle design (just delete the top warp engine nacelle and support pylon) and then upgraded to the over-under dual nacelle arrangement during the first major refits for class members, which began shortly after the first encounter with the Borg (TNG "Q Who?") and were still underway when the Borg Incursion took place. Some claim that the impending arrival of the Borg may have encouraged these Challenger upgrades in those Trek multiverse threads. This is how the canon (and on-screen) Buran can exist in them. She was one of the first Challengers upgraded and then rushed into service in time for the action at Wolf 359. As always, go with what works for you. Remember, Trek is a multiverse. Talk amongst yourselves.

TRIVIA - The upper warp engine nacelle support pylon for the original Buran filming model was an altered conning tower borrowed from a Soviet Typhoon class submarine plastic model kit. It also has TWO Galaxy class saucer tops glued together top-and-bottom, giving it a primary hull underside configuration quite different from most other Galaxy generation starships. Many fans ignore this and do their Challenger class drawings and models with a standard Galaxy type primary hull underside. Whatever .... XD

ASIDE - Some fans in their treatment of Challenger allow for the possibility of either the top (dorsal) or bottom (ventral) warp engine nacelle and support pylon to be swapped out for "something else" -- like a proper secondary hull in the ventral position, or for Nebula style option or tactical pods in the dorsal position, and so on. Not bad ideas, if that's what you want or need, and either way you get that REAL Galaxy generation single nacelle "panhandle." I say "whatever works" until the Franchise deems otherwise, although bear in mind you need to keep at least one of those warp engines. It's up to you to pick which one.

Description

Ported to OBJ from the low poly gaming mode kitbashed by knox1709 from the Galaxy class model by Rick "pneunomic81" (p81) Knox made for the Starfleet Command (SFC) series of video games. Preview picture posed in XNALara XPS. While I'm not making my port of this particular old gaming model available for download, you'll be happy to know that the Challenger class was recreated as part of his TNG/DS9/VOY era CG recreation efforts by Dave "First Fleet" Metlesitis. His 3D model is filming quality and absolutely free. Here's the link:

NOTICE - My apologies for confusing Challenger with the somewhat older Freedom class earlier (see separate entry). My Freedom entry has been updated accordingly, and you'll see a new preview piccy there if you saw the old one before. As I've said many times before, I'm more of a TOS/TAS/TMP era expert than on this era, with a lot of you better versed than I. Thanks for your support all the same. XD

Challenger was the "panhandle" of the Federation Starfleet's Galaxy generation of starships during the better part of the TNG/DS9/VOY era; that is, if you pan has two handles with one each top and bottom. More on that in a bit. XD It was a reworking of the never-built Freedom (II) design study aimed at creating a classic panhandle destroyer class for the Galaxy generation as a production successor to the late post-TMP era Freedom class (see separate entry). It was a classic underslung single nacelle design for most of its development process (1), although the ventral warp engine support pylon was mounted on a extended "stub" secondary hull instead of the primary hull itself and the underslung warp engine was eventually pulled in closer than on previous classes in an effort to increase maneuverability. Late in the design process and in most mainstream threads of the Trek multiverse (*) it was altered into the now-familiar, over-under dual nacelle arrangement evoking the old TMP era Akula and Araxes classes (KA/SFC). Why the change? For the extra warp power, obviously, and you can decide for yourselves why the Starfleet Admiralty insisted on this change. We don't know per on-screen canon (it's never discussed, just accepted "as is"), although semi-canon and fanon ideas about.

To be frank we honestly don't know what purpose Challenger serves for Starfleet in this era given that it's never described or discussed on screen and what few canon references we have are only fleeting ones. We can make good guesses, though, based on its obvious semi-canon predecessors Akula (the KA/SFC one, not Todd Guenther's) and Araxes (KA/SFC). The KA/SFC Akula was a heavy destroyer. The KA/SFC Araxes started out as a successor to Akula in the heavy destroyer slot but later got upgraded in classification to light cruiser in the post-TMP era in many non-canon sources. Thus it makes sense for most fans to treat Challenger as a light cruiser too, sort of as a scaled-back and cheaper cookie-cutter alternative to Nebula that could be built fairly quickly and in greater numbers than Nebula due to both factors., with any option pod possibilities mounted in different places due to the placement of its second warp engine. A cheap cookie-cutter but good design is exactly what you want in a wartime situation. Did I hear someone say "Borg Incursion?" Or how about "Dominion War?" (grin) Other fans treat it differently, with the most common alternate treatments being as a heavy scout or heavy survey/research cruiser type "as is" (chuckle). Unfortunately there's no definitive semi-canon source yet, although I strongly suspect that if Challenger is ever added toStar Trek Online (STO) as a class and not as the name of an Ambassador class starship (wink) then many folks will go with how they write it up. We'lll see. Again, whatever works for you -- at least until the Franchise says otherwise.

The Challenger class made its ignominious debut on screen with the loss of class member USS Buran (NCC-57580) along with the rest of the 39-starship-strong Starfleet armada destroyed by the Borg at the Battle of Wolf 359 (TNG "The Best of Both Worlds" Part 2). It was only seen one more time after that, after the wreck of the Buran had been deposited at the Starfleet starship boneyard at Qualor II (TNG "Unification" Part 1), although two other Starfleet vessels mentioned in dialog only - the 24th century USS Kearsarge (TNG "Firstborn") and the USS Armstrong (DS9 "Apocalypse Rising") have both since been retconned in many semi-canon sources as members of the Challenger class.

This is canon, given its on-screen appearances in two different episodes of TNG.

Live long and prosper.

(1) Per the development history of the filming model as near as I can make it out. It's also pretty obvious to me that the second topside nacelle is a tack-on, given the way it is built and the offset way it is placed. Oh, and the name of the class comes from the lost NASA space shuttle Challenger. Look it up.

(2) In some fanon Trek multiverse threads Challenger was initially built as a single nacelle design (just delete the top warp engine nacelle and support pylon) and then upgraded to the over-under dual nacelle arrangement during the first major refits for class members, which began shortly after the first encounter with the Borg (TNG "Q Who?") and were still underway when the Borg Incursion took place. Some claim that the impending arrival of the Borg may have encouraged these Challenger upgrades in those Trek multiverse threads. This is how the canon (and on-screen) Buran can exist in them. She was one of the first Challengers upgraded and then rushed into service in time for the action at Wolf 359. As always, go with what works for you. Remember, Trek is a multiverse. Talk amongst yourselves.

TRIVIA - The upper warp engine nacelle support pylon for the original Buran filming model was an altered conning tower borrowed from a Soviet Typhoon class submarine plastic model kit. It also has TWO Galaxy class saucer tops glued together top-and-bottom, giving it a primary hull underside configuration quite different from most other Galaxy generation starships. Many fans ignore this and do their Challenger class drawings and models with a standard Galaxy type primary hull underside. Whatever .... XD

ASIDE - Some fans in their treatment of Challenger allow for the possibility of either the top (dorsal) or bottom (ventral) warp engine nacelle and support pylon to be swapped out for "something else" -- like a proper secondary hull in the ventral position, or for Nebula style option or tactical pods in the dorsal position, and so on. Not bad ideas, if that's what you want or need, and either way you get that REAL Galaxy generation single nacelle "panhandle." I say "whatever works" until the Franchise deems otherwise, although bear in mind you need to keep at least one of those warp engines. It's up to you to pick which one.