HOME | DD

Description

Ported to OBJ from the excellent recreation by the prolific Captain Mojo. Custom textures originally created by Dave "First Fleet" Metlesits for use with his own various Trek CG modeling efforts. Based on the original design created by Forest Brown and Dana Knutson for FASA Corporation's various Franchise licensed Trek gaming products back in the day. Preview picture posed in XNALara XPS. You can download this as part of Captain Mojo's FASA Federation Non-Combatants Pack Part 1 (along with other goodies) but be warned! STL model files are made for printing with a 3D printer and do not usually include textures because of that, with the end user hand painting the 3D printed model. If you want this model in textured form like you see above, then you're going to have to do the job yourself as did I. That said, here's a link to the model pack:

cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/f…

Ah! FASA's Enterprise with 'nads! (big laugh) Actually, whenever I see this particular TMP era creation of FASA's, I'm always reminded of THIS ship:

fantastic-plastic.com/nell-int…

Remember ... "what has been seen cannot be unseen." XD

All kidding aside, this was one of the more acceptable FASA offerings for the TMP era Federation Starfleet back in the day, even if it wasn't very original in design and its looks suggest ... well ... you know (another laugh). Be that as it may, FASA's semi-canon Liberty was effectively replaced in canon by the Sydney class (TNG "Relics," et al) so there you go. If you're a strict Trek canon nazi then FASA's Liberty no longer has any place in your thread of the Trek multiverse. That said, most FASA Trek fans and not more than a few in general Trek fandom aren't willing to give up on Liberty so lightly. For example, there was a low-poly CG model of it made by Apoc Entertainment years ago for Activision's Klingon Academy video game (you'll find it in the Klingon Academy 2 uber-mod for Armada II), and it's taken all these years for another and higher quality fan-made FASA Liberty to be made for all of us to enjoy. Captain Mojo's effort will do nicely for all of you who don't want to bin FASA's Liberty in your own Trek multiverse threads. We fans have also come up with ways to keep Liberty as part of the TMP era Feddie Starfleet and also co-exist with Sidney as well, although you have to junk FASA's original backstory in the process. Let me give you my take on this possibility from my own Federation Fleet Review (FFR, pp. 245-246), and maybe that will help you in coming up with your own.

The TMP era Liberty class, named for one of the older TOS/TAS era Independence family sub-classes (see separate entry), was designed from the keel up as a fleet fast support ship. It was built to bring as many supplies, spare parts, replacement personnel, and so on to Class I starships in the field no matter where they might be. Because of this Liberty had to be built as a Class I starship itself in order to have the necessary durability, operating range, and time on station performing its job. It was fitted with dual side-by-side custom secondary hulls, the better part of which were dedicated cargo and storage holds for various and sundry types of supplies, replacement parts and equipment needed for Class I starships in the field, "minimal" deuterium slush tanks and replacement dilithium crystal storage, and so on. Part of them also includes accommodation space for personnel transfers (up to 100 beings total), fully stocked starship class medical facilities, and so on. Given the presence of both secondary hulls, the lone normal shuttlecraft hangar bay had to be relocated to the front of the combined primary hull dorsal and central backbone truss used to attach both secondary hulls to the rest of the ship. Dual oversized cargo hatches were then added to both sides of the stern of the central truss and connected with a second large aft internal hangar to the stern ends of both secondary hulls for loading and off-loading purposes. Because of this arrangement both custom secondary hulls were also jettisonable in an emergency, with Liberty capable of full operations in all ways without them if need be.

Liberty operated just like any other fleet auxiliary or support ship type. For Starfleet, a lone Liberty would normally operate in conjunction with a Derf or Grayson fleet tender/repair ship and often a Ptolemy or other transport/tug type (see separate entries) with one or two containers fitted for the carrying of large complete or broken-down Class I starship components (Jackill's, et al). This small support fleet would then "set up shop" at a convenient planet, base, or other significant location where all Starfleet vessels in a given area could come to them to fill their various needs, or one or more of these (usually but not always the Liberty) could go out to them as needed or required. It was also not uncommon to see a Pearl class mobile repair dock (see separate entry) and other smaller Feddie auxiliary types (Cle Dan, Swift/Todega, et al) as part of this little auxiliary fleet and for obvious reasons. In unusual situations (such as special mission assignments) or extreme emergencies, Liberty could and often did take part in squadron and fleet level operations as a welcome auxiliary and for obvious reasons.

FASA's Liberty in my fanon take is good for the TMP and post-TMP eras in most Trek multiverse threads. I'll let you fellow fans decided whether or not it is still around for the TNG/DS9/VOY era and beyond, as well as in what capacity.

That's my fanon take on FASA's Liberty in the TMP era. In brief, I threw out FASA's original backstory and redefined it as a Class I fast support ship, operating just like contemporary naval fast support ships in our time and going all the way back to the pioneer for the type, the World War II era German Dithmarschen class (look it up). That way you can still keep FASA's Liberty as a necessary part of your TMP era Starfleet while the canon Sydney replaces it in the TMP era large transport role. Likewise you can throw my take out and come up with your own or whatever. After all, and as I never tire of reminding you, Trek is a multiverse.

This is semi-canon, given that it was created for a Franchise licensed publication (FASA Federation Ship Recognition Manual). My new backstory for FASA's Liberty is fanon, of course.

Live long and prosper.

TRIVIA - In my fanon take, Liberty was one of the few Class I starship types that was classified as a fleet auxiliary and not as a front line starship. The semi-canon Ptolemy family of transport/tugs (SFTM, et al) is perhaps the best known example of this unique exception to the rule for the Class I fleet.

ASIDE - Here's a couple of Wikipedia links for those of you who want or need to know more about fast support ships:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cone…

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_com…

BTW there's also a civilian analog too, if you need one of these types for any of your Trek civilian shipping fleets:

swiftships.com/vessels/fast-su…

SUGGESTION - Most of the time when you see these being used they'll be taking part in a rendezvous with a regular Class I Feddie starship "in the field" along its normal patrol or mission route for resupply and/or personnel transfers and such. That's probably the easiest and best way to use them in your own fan stories, digital imagery, and other fan projects. You can also include one of these as your "resident auxiliary" for a Starfleet battle group or special mission task force, just as naval fast support ships are frequently used in our time. I'm sure others can suggest other ideas for use too.

Description

Ported to OBJ from the excellent recreation by the prolific Captain Mojo. Custom textures originally created by Dave "First Fleet" Metlesits for use with his own various Trek CG modeling efforts. Based on the original design created by Forest Brown and Dana Knutson for FASA Corporation's various Franchise licensed Trek gaming products back in the day. Preview picture posed in XNALara XPS. You can download this as part of Captain Mojo's FASA Federation Non-Combatants Pack Part 1 (along with other goodies) but be warned! STL model files are made for printing with a 3D printer and do not usually include textures because of that, with the end user hand painting the 3D printed model. If you want this model in textured form like you see above, then you're going to have to do the job yourself as did I. That said, here's a link to the model pack:

cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/f…

Ah! FASA's Enterprise with 'nads! (big laugh) Actually, whenever I see this particular TMP era creation of FASA's, I'm always reminded of THIS ship:

fantastic-plastic.com/nell-int…

Remember ... "what has been seen cannot be unseen." XD

All kidding aside, this was one of the more acceptable FASA offerings for the TMP era Federation Starfleet back in the day, even if it wasn't very original in design and its looks suggest ... well ... you know (another laugh). Be that as it may, FASA's semi-canon Liberty was effectively replaced in canon by the Sydney class (TNG "Relics," et al) so there you go. If you're a strict Trek canon nazi then FASA's Liberty no longer has any place in your thread of the Trek multiverse. That said, most FASA Trek fans and not more than a few in general Trek fandom aren't willing to give up on Liberty so lightly. For example, there was a low-poly CG model of it made by Apoc Entertainment years ago for Activision's Klingon Academy video game (you'll find it in the Klingon Academy 2 uber-mod for Armada II), and it's taken all these years for another and higher quality fan-made FASA Liberty to be made for all of us to enjoy. Captain Mojo's effort will do nicely for all of you who don't want to bin FASA's Liberty in your own Trek multiverse threads. We fans have also come up with ways to keep Liberty as part of the TMP era Feddie Starfleet and also co-exist with Sidney as well, although you have to junk FASA's original backstory in the process. Let me give you my take on this possibility from my own Federation Fleet Review (FFR, pp. 245-246), and maybe that will help you in coming up with your own.

The TMP era Liberty class, named for one of the older TOS/TAS era Independence family sub-classes (see separate entry), was designed from the keel up as a fleet fast support ship. It was built to bring as many supplies, spare parts, replacement personnel, and so on to Class I starships in the field no matter where they might be. Because of this Liberty had to be built as a Class I starship itself in order to have the necessary durability, operating range, and time on station performing its job. It was fitted with dual side-by-side custom secondary hulls, the better part of which were dedicated cargo and storage holds for various and sundry types of supplies, replacement parts and equipment needed for Class I starships in the field, "minimal" deuterium slush tanks and replacement dilithium crystal storage, and so on. Part of them also includes accommodation space for personnel transfers (up to 100 beings total), fully stocked starship class medical facilities, and so on. Given the presence of both secondary hulls, the lone normal shuttlecraft hangar bay had to be relocated to the front of the combined primary hull dorsal and central backbone truss used to attach both secondary hulls to the rest of the ship. Dual oversized cargo hatches were then added to both sides of the stern of the central truss and connected with a second large aft internal hangar to the stern ends of both secondary hulls for loading and off-loading purposes. Because of this arrangement both custom secondary hulls were also jettisonable in an emergency, with Liberty capable of full operations in all ways without them if need be.

Liberty operated just like any other fleet auxiliary or support ship type. For Starfleet, a lone Liberty would normally operate in conjunction with a Derf or Grayson fleet tender/repair ship and often a Ptolemy or other transport/tug type (see separate entries) with one or two containers fitted for the carrying of large complete or broken-down Class I starship components (Jackill's, et al). This small support fleet would then "set up shop" at a convenient planet, base, or other significant location where all Starfleet vessels in a given area could come to them to fill their various needs, or one or more of these (usually but not always the Liberty) could go out to them as needed or required. It was also not uncommon to see a Pearl class mobile repair dock (see separate entry) and other smaller Feddie auxiliary types (Cle Dan, Swift/Todega, et al) as part of this little auxiliary fleet and for obvious reasons. In unusual situations (such as special mission assignments) or extreme emergencies, Liberty could and often did take part in squadron and fleet level operations as a welcome auxiliary and for obvious reasons.

FASA's Liberty in my fanon take is good for the TMP and post-TMP eras in most Trek multiverse threads. I'll let you fellow fans decided whether or not it is still around for the TNG/DS9/VOY era and beyond, as well as in what capacity.

That's my fanon take on FASA's Liberty in the TMP era. In brief, I threw out FASA's original backstory and redefined it as a Class I fast support ship, operating just like contemporary naval fast support ships in our time and going all the way back to the pioneer for the type, the World War II era German Dithmarschen class (look it up). That way you can still keep FASA's Liberty as a necessary part of your TMP era Starfleet while the canon Sydney replaces it in the TMP era large transport role. Likewise you can throw my take out and come up with your own or whatever. After all, and as I never tire of reminding you, Trek is a multiverse.

This is semi-canon, given that it was created for a Franchise licensed publication (FASA Federation Ship Recognition Manual). My new backstory for FASA's Liberty is fanon, of course.

Live long and prosper.

TRIVIA - In my fanon take, Liberty was one of the few Class I starship types that was classified as a fleet auxiliary and not as a front line starship. The semi-canon Ptolemy family of transport/tugs (SFTM, et al) is perhaps the best known example of this unique exception to the rule for the Class I fleet.

ASIDE - Here's a couple of Wikipedia links for those of you who want or need to know more about fast support ships:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cone…

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_com…

BTW there's also a civilian analog too, if you need one of these types for any of your Trek civilian shipping fleets:

swiftships.com/vessels/fast-su…

SUGGESTION - Most of the time when you see these being used they'll be taking part in a rendezvous with a regular Class I Feddie starship "in the field" along its normal patrol or mission route for resupply and/or personnel transfers and such. That's probably the easiest and best way to use them in your own fan stories, digital imagery, and other fan projects. You can also include one of these as your "resident auxiliary" for a Starfleet battle group or special mission task force, just as naval fast support ships are frequently used in our time. I'm sure others can suggest other ideas for use too.