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Description

A custom model by me created with parts from Captain Mojo's various Klingon CG starship parts toolkits and with both extra bits and selected custom textures from the efforts of Dave "First Fleet" Metlesits. Additional background information comes from me and both my old Klingon supplement to my Federation Spaceflight Chronology (FSC) and my later Guide to the Klingon Fleet (GKF). Based on the original D-5 "war cruiser" design as created by Stephen V. Cole and his associates at the Amarillo Design Bureau (ADB) back in the day for the Star Fleet Battles (SFB) tabletop sci-fi war game. Preview picture posed in XNALara XPS. NO MODEL DOWNLOAD.

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As noted before, the TOS/TAS era Klingon D-5 Hak'hyl "new" light cruiser (NCL) quickly became one of the darlings of both the Imperial and various House fleets in all SFB-influenced threads of the Trek multiverse. It could be built in less time than a regular battlecruiser, it carried practically the same armament, and the fact that it was made from similar components meant it could be customized and further modified in much the same way as those could. The only things it didn't have in common were operating range and ability to stay on station for extended periods (Hak'hyl's limits were far shorter), but the Klingons came up with their own way of dealing with those and I've described it elsewhere. Back to the subject. Given its popularity it should come as no surprise that Hak'hyl variants soon appeared among the various House fleets tailored to their specific needs or desires. It should also be noted that even the Imperial fleet got into the Hak'hyl variant act as well as the era rolled on, and again for the same reasons. I'm not going to deal with each and every TOS/TAS era Hak'hyl variant ever made (consult the original SFB materials or their many fanon spin-offs), but I am going to touch on three of what I consider to be the more important ones. I'll let you folks deal with your faves among the rest as you may.

This is actually two Hak'hyl variants in one, although it doesn't look that way. It's a stock Hak'hyl to which a single Imperial fleet standard large tractor towpad has been added in the center ventral position of its underside (see preview piccy upper image). Why? Two reasons. First, so it can function as a fully armed light transport/tug, with the ability to perform like the older Har'tu in that regard (see separate entry). This rather simple mod immediately invited all the customization possibilities available with the standard G-type Klingon large transport containers at the time, although doing so added appreciably to its overall mass and made it sluggish in both maneuverability and acceleration. That said it could still function like any other TOS/TAS era D-5 with no containers attached, so I'm sure you can see this mod's particular usefulness in certain situations. This particular mod was more popular among the House fleets than the Imperial fleet given their limited budgets in comparison, as the Houses always tried to get the most out of everything they could afford and in any way possible. Second, so it could be fitted with a single standard bochobo dub type carrier module (!!!) in order to turn any suitably fitted D-5 into a light shuttlecarrier (see separate entry on the TMP era Chaj'MaH for comparison). Use of the large standard tractor towpad for attaching the module instead of permanently fixing it to the hull, as with older carrier mods, meant that the entire module and all of its contents could be jettisoned in an emergency. This particular mod was more popular with the Imperial fleet than with House fleets, as the Imperial fleet preferred using lighter bochobo dub modules for carrier conversions (they could afford them) while most House fleets went the budget route and used the older and more ungainly G-type carrier pods instead. That's why this particular Hak'hyl mod is actually two mods in one. It can be fitted to serve either as a light transport/tug or as a light shuttlecarrier. There are also other possibilities with suitable custom Klingon large transport containers attached and more than a few of these were explored at the time (commando cruiser or assault ship, firepower support platform, et al), but I'll let you folks have fun dealing with those.

This is based on semi-canon concepts (the D-5 tug and D-5V conversions from SFB).

'IwlIj jachjaj!

ASIDE - FYI Hak'hyl's single tractor tow pad was later replaced with a more modern model late in the TOS/TAS era so it could handle the later N-series large transport containers as well (the ones from SFB, BTW).

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Description

A custom model by me created with parts from Captain Mojo's various Klingon CG starship parts toolkits and with both extra bits and selected custom textures from the efforts of Dave "First Fleet" Metlesits. Additional background information comes from me and both my old Klingon supplement to my Federation Spaceflight Chronology (FSC) and my later Guide to the Klingon Fleet (GKF). Based on the original D-5 "war cruiser" design as created by Stephen V. Cole and his associates at the Amarillo Design Bureau (ADB) back in the day for the Star Fleet Battles (SFB) tabletop sci-fi war game. Preview picture posed in XNALara XPS. NO MODEL DOWNLOAD.

LINK TO EARLIER ARTICLE IN THIS SERIES:

As noted before, the TOS/TAS era Klingon D-5 Hak'hyl "new" light cruiser (NCL) quickly became one of the darlings of both the Imperial and various House fleets in all SFB-influenced threads of the Trek multiverse. It could be built in less time than a regular battlecruiser, it carried practically the same armament, and the fact that it was made from similar components meant it could be customized and further modified in much the same way as those could. The only things it didn't have in common were operating range and ability to stay on station for extended periods (Hak'hyl's limits were far shorter), but the Klingons came up with their own way of dealing with those and I've described it elsewhere. Back to the subject. Given its popularity it should come as no surprise that Hak'hyl variants soon appeared among the various House fleets tailored to their specific needs or desires. It should also be noted that even the Imperial fleet got into the Hak'hyl variant act as well as the era rolled on, and again for the same reasons. I'm not going to deal with each and every TOS/TAS era Hak'hyl variant ever made (consult the original SFB materials or their many fanon spin-offs), but I am going to touch on three of what I consider to be the more important ones. I'll let you folks deal with your faves among the rest as you may.

This is actually two Hak'hyl variants in one, although it doesn't look that way. It's a stock Hak'hyl to which a single Imperial fleet standard large tractor towpad has been added in the center ventral position of its underside (see preview piccy upper image). Why? Two reasons. First, so it can function as a fully armed light transport/tug, with the ability to perform like the older Har'tu in that regard (see separate entry). This rather simple mod immediately invited all the customization possibilities available with the standard G-type Klingon large transport containers at the time, although doing so added appreciably to its overall mass and made it sluggish in both maneuverability and acceleration. That said it could still function like any other TOS/TAS era D-5 with no containers attached, so I'm sure you can see this mod's particular usefulness in certain situations. This particular mod was more popular among the House fleets than the Imperial fleet given their limited budgets in comparison, as the Houses always tried to get the most out of everything they could afford and in any way possible. Second, so it could be fitted with a single standard bochobo dub type carrier module (!!!) in order to turn any suitably fitted D-5 into a light shuttlecarrier (see separate entry on the TMP era Chaj'MaH for comparison). Use of the large standard tractor towpad for attaching the module instead of permanently fixing it to the hull, as with older carrier mods, meant that the entire module and all of its contents could be jettisoned in an emergency. This particular mod was more popular with the Imperial fleet than with House fleets, as the Imperial fleet preferred using lighter bochobo dub modules for carrier conversions (they could afford them) while most House fleets went the budget route and used the older and more ungainly G-type carrier pods instead. That's why this particular Hak'hyl mod is actually two mods in one. It can be fitted to serve either as a light transport/tug or as a light shuttlecarrier. There are also other possibilities with suitable custom Klingon large transport containers attached and more than a few of these were explored at the time (commando cruiser or assault ship, firepower support platform, et al), but I'll let you folks have fun dealing with those.

This is based on semi-canon concepts (the D-5 tug and D-5V conversions from SFB).

'IwlIj jachjaj!

ASIDE - FYI Hak'hyl's single tractor tow pad was later replaced with a more modern model late in the TOS/TAS era so it could handle the later N-series large transport containers as well (the ones from SFB, BTW).

NEXT ARTICLE IN THIS SERIES: