DS9 studio models
Real World article
(written from a Production point of view)
Chronological list of studio models appearing in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
This list is of all new model designs that first appeared in Deep Space Nine. Information on models that represented a single design can be found in the articles linked below. Information on models that were recycled or refurbished to represent different vessels or props from different species in all series will be listed herein.
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1 DS9 Season 1
1.1 Miranda-type escape pod
1.2 Deep Space 9
1.3 Danube-class runabout
1.4 Bajoran vessel
1.5 Boslic cargo vessel
1.6 Embryonic lifeform
1.7 Wadi ship
1.7.1 External link
1.8 Miradorn raider
2.1 Bajoran raider
2.2 Bajoran interceptor
2.3 Hideki-class
2.4 Federation attack fighter
2.5 Jem'Hadar fighter
3.1 Defiant-class
3.2 Type 18 shuttlepod
3.3 Flaxian ship
4.1 Alien freighter
4.2 Karemma ship
4.2.1 Additional sources
4.3 Atmospheric probe
4.4 Groumall
5.1 Ty'Gokor orbital facility
5.2 Spacematic
5.3 Jem'Hadar battle cruiser
5.4 USS Yeager
5.5 Dopterian interceptor
6.1 USS Curry
6.2 USS Centaur
6.3 Romulan shuttle
6.4 Dominion battleship
6.5 Chaffee-type shuttlepod
6.6 Cardassian orbital weapon platform
7.1 Monac shipyards
7.2 K'Vort-type escape pod
7.3 Breen ship
7.4 Cardassian workbee
DS9 Season 1
Miranda-type escape pod
The studio model of the Miranda-type escape pod
See Miranda-type escape pod
Model variations
Deep Space 9 Empok Nor The original model of DS9
Designed by Herman Zimmerman, Rick Sternbach and other members of the art department. The original, six-foot in diameter model, was built by Tony Meininger. It was in the very last scene in the very last episode of the series replaced by a CGI model.
Deep Space 9 in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Empok Nor in DS9: "Empok Nor", "The Magnificent Ferengi", "Covenant"
Danube-class runabout
Standard design With sensor pod
The Danube-class, and later Yellowstone-class, runabout was designed by Joseph Hodges, Rick Sternbach, and Jim Martin. The miniature, which was approximately eighteen inches long, was built by Tony Meininger.
Interior cockpit set was designed by Joseph Hodges, and the aft compartment was designed by Richard James, all under the direction of Herman Zimmerman.
DS9: "Emissary", et al.
TNG: "Timescape"
VOY: "Non Sequitur"
Bajoran vessel
The Bajoran vessel
See: Bajoran vessel
Boslic cargo vessel
"Babel"
See main article: Boslic cargo vessel
Embryonic lifeform
"Q-Less"
See main article: Embryonic lifeform
Wadi ship
Bajoran transport
Trill transport
Xepolite Free Trader
"The Maquis, Part II"
Original footage of the Wadi ship, which first appeared in DS9: "Move Along Home", was also reused to represent Bajoran transports in "In the Hands of the Prophets" and "Crossfire", as well as a Trill transport in "Rejoined".
The ship model was later flipped over and reused as the Xepolite Free Trader for the episode "The Maquis, Part II".
New footage of the model, re-flipped, was used in DS9: "Indiscretion" to represent Razka Karn's starship.
The studio model (measuring 24" × 15") was listed in the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction with an estimated sale price of US$3,000 to $5,000; it sold for US$3,200 ($3,840 with premium). [1]
Redresses of the Wadi Ship at Ex Astris Scientia
Miradorn raider
Delgado's concept art.
The Miradorn raider, also identified as a Theta-class starship, was designed by Ricardo Delgado. (Star Trek Encyclopedia) Delgado's concept art, labeled with the dates December 1992 and January 1993, described the "alien ship concept" with the name "raptor". (The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, p. 58)
The Miradorn ship model (measuring 20" × 21") was listed in the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction with an estimated sale price of US$3,000 to $5,000; it sold for US$3,800 ($4,560 with premium). [2] A foam camera test model of this design, measuring approximately 12½" × 11" × 2" was sold in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction. The model was inscribed with various notes, including: "1/4 length of Enterprise", "Eat at Joes", "No step", and "For a good time call...". [3]
DS9: "Vortex"
Baran's mercenary vessel
TNG: "Gambit, Part I", "Gambit, Part II"
Taresian starship
VOY: "Favorite Son"
Add an image to this gallery
Bajoran raider
Design sketch of raider by Martin
Bajoran raider studio model
Martin sketch of interior
The Bajoran raider or Bajoran fighter as it is sometimes referred to, was the first spaceship design by Jim Martin after his promotion to senior illustrator on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. As he recalls, "I did a Bajoran fighter that Kira and Dax crash. There were a few ships in that episode; there was a Bajoran transport and a small Bajoran fighter. I remember something really ridiculous about that ship. We intended to re-use these old windows that we had found for the set of the interior, so the windows I designed for the exterior needed to match. I kept trying to come up with a way to incorporate the window frames into the ship design. Then we ended up not using them, but they are still on the miniature!" (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 13, p. 22) Martin, however, was partly in error in his recollections; a custom built cockpit set, that both matched his cockpit design and the cockpit windows on the model, was constructed for, and featured in the Deep Space Nine episode "The Siege", but he was right for the model's subsequent appearance. [4](X)
The design was converted into a physical studio model at Tony Meininger's model shop Brazil-Fabrication & Design, making its debut in "The Siege". The model subsequently appeared as a Maquis ship in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Preemptive Strike" where its cockpit canopy was slightly modified during the production in order to have it match with the canopy of the slightly redressed Type 6 shuttlecraft interior cockpit set. [5](X)
As part of one of the last batches of existing studio models being translated into CGI models, a CGI version was built at Digital Muse for "Shadows and Symbols", where it appeared in the background. It was later used, unmodified, as an unknown alien ship in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Drive". The CGI model was reconfigured to appear as various ships belonging to several species (Xantoras and Human, respectively) in ENT: "The Breach", "Twilight", and "Storm Front, Part II". [6](X)
Constructed out of styrene and resin, the physical model, measuring 18 × 15&frac; inches and known as Lot 486, part of the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction and estimated at US$3,000-$5,000, was eventually sold on 6 October 2006 with a winning bid of US$4,800 ($5,760 including buyer's premium). The model came with a small bag of additional parts, including a removable front landing gear pad.
DS9: "The Siege"
Maquis fighter (top and center)
TNG: "Preemptive Strike"
Antarian Trans-stellar Rally ship
VOY: "Drive"
Xantoras patrol ship
ENT: "The Breach"
Part of the survivor fleet (upper left)
ENT: "Twilight"
Bajoran interceptor
"The Siege"
See main article: Bajoran interceptor
Hideki-class
Hideki-class Cardassian shuttle
"Profit and Loss"
See main article: Hideki class
Federation attack fighter
Studio model at auction
Maquis fighter
DS9: "The Maquis, Part II" Maquis fighter
TNG: "Preemptive Strike" Terran raider (mirror)
DS9: "Shattered Mirror"
DS9: "A Time to Stand" et al. Kraylor warship
VOY: "Nightingale" Annari warship, type 1
VOY: "The Void"
The Federation attack fighter was a Jim Martin design, (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (1st ed., p. 298)) and as a small fighter design betrayed his Star Wars influences, giving "excess stomach acid" according to Doug Drexler. [7](X) The model was eventually built as a physical studio model at Tony Meininger's Brazil-Fabrication & Design model shop. Introduced as a Federation ship used by the Maquis in DS9: "The Maquis, Part II" and TNG: "Preemptive Strike", it was not until "A Time to Stand" that the design was revealed to be specifically the Federation attack fighter design, implying that the ships used by the Maquis were commandeered vessels.
In preparation of the upcoming episode "Sacrifice of Angels" the model was converted into a CGI version. Bruce Branit of Digital Muse recalled, "There was also the Federation Fighter, which is a smaller one or two man ship that was mixed in with everything else. They've been established in a few other episodes. Toward the end of last season they started showing it in a couple of scenes. That one was built from scratch, as a first edition CG model, off of the real model." (Cinefantastique, Vol.30, No. 9/10, pp. 64-65) Premiering in that episode, the CGI model was later modified at Foundation Imaging to represent the Nightingale in VOY: "Nightingale" and as a Annari warship in VOY: "The Void".
The physical model, constructed out of glass fiber and resin and measuring 24 × 27 inches, and known as Lot 491 in the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction, in which it was estimated at US$3,000-$5,000, was eventually sold on 6 October 2006 with a winning bid of US$9,000 (US$10,800 including buyer's premium).
Jem'Hadar fighter
"The Jem'Hadar", et al.
See main article: Jem'Hadar fighter
Defiant-class
See main article: Defiant-class
Type 18 shuttlepod
"The Search, Part I", et al
See main article: Type 18 shuttlepod
Flaxian ship
DS9: "Improbable Cause" Kovin's ship
VOY: "Retrospect"
Alien freighter
"The Way of the Warrior", et al.
See main article: Alien freighter
Karemma ship
DS9: "Starship Down" Bajoran impulse ship
DS9: "Shadows and Symbols"
Antarian starship (forward)
VOY: "Drive" Antarian starship (aft)
Delta Quadrant starship at Ledosian space port
VOY: "Natural Law" Xantoras evacuation transport
The Karemma ship first appeared as a physical model in DS9 and, later, a CGI version of the design appeared in VOY and ENT. The physical model measured 34" × 14".
The studio model was eventually listed in Christies' 2006 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction. The catalog estimate for the lot was US$3,000 to $5,000; it ultimately sold for US$3,200 ($3,840 with premium). [8] The winners of the lot, a couple from Pennsylvania, were interviewed for The History Channel's Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier.
Physical model (DS9):
Karemma ship in "Starship Down"
Bajoran impulse ship in "Shadows and Symbols"
CGI model (VOY/ENT):
Antarian starship in "Drive"
Unnamed Delta Quadrant starship at Ledosian space port in "Natural Law"
Xantoras evacuation transports in "The Breach"
Redresses of the Karemma Ship at Ex Astris Scientia
The Karemma begat the Ledosian(X) at the DrexFiles(X)
Atmospheric probe
"Starship Down"
See main article: Atmospheric probe
Groumall
DS9: "Return to Grace" Nekrit freighter
VOY: "Fair Trade" Klingon cargo vessel
DS9: "Sons and Daughters"
After John Eaves joined the art department of DS9, one of his first jobs was designing the Cardassian freighter that was able to conceal a large gun, tasked to him in August 1995. [9]
His first take on the design was a tip of the hat to Rick Sternbach's Galor-class. "I took the front end of a Galor-class Cardassian ship and tried to fan off from that. Using the front end, kind of sculpting it a little bit differently, and putting all these cargo bays in a row.", as he remembers. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 2, p. 22) The producers found the design too militaristic looking and asked for a more industrial, "freighterish" looking design. Elaborating further, "It was just a series of boxes, all stacked on top of each other in series of sixes, with a big engine detail on the back and the familiar looking Cardassian fork on the front. They wanted it very "freighterish" so I put the bridge on the back like it is on an oiler tanker of today. (...) That's where this design had come from: it's a bunch of huge, huge engines on the back which take it wherever you want to go. They wanted this more than the other one because it is very industrial looking."
The model 3/4 aft view...
Eaves' design evolution ...in Klingon guise at auction
It took Eaves another three months of refining before coming up with a design the producers signed off on in November. Though it was becoming less and less customary to produce full orthographic blueprints for model shops by that time (three-quarter views were deemed sufficient), in this case Eaves did, and sent them off to Tony Meininger's Brazil-Fabrication & Design in December, where the studio model was constructed, making its debut in "Return to Grace".
The model was used twice more as a Cardassian freighter, but was also redressed twice to represent freighters belonging to other species: the first time, repainted but otherwise unmodified as a Nekrit freighter in VOY: "Fair Trade" (it was in this color scheme that the model later made its last appearance as a Cardassian freighter). The second time the model was again repainted, but this time modified with the addition of warp engines and Klingon markings to represent Klingon cargo vessels in "Sons and Daughters", though Effects Supervisor for the episode David Stipes would have loved to have had a more Klingon design. He later rationalized the use of the Cardassian design, "We actually wound up using Cardassian freighters that were modified by Tony Meininger, which didn't seem all that implausible, considering all the fighting that had been going on between the Klingons and the Cardassians. We painted them Klingon colors, as if they were prizes of war". (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (p. 500)) This was the last appearance of the studio model. No CGI model was ever constructed of this design.
The model, known as lot 483 was listed in the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction and estimated at US$2,000-$3,000. It was sold on 6 October 2006 with a winning bid of US$5,000 ($6,000 including buyer's premium) in the modification in which it was last used, namely as a Klingon cargo vessel, to American collector Anthony Sforza. [10] A foam core camera test model sold in May 2008 as lot 7508 for US$384.00 in a It's A Wrap! sale and auction. One of Eaves' design sketches was sold in the Profiles in History Hollywood Auction 44, estimated at US$300-$500, on 15 May 2011 as Lot 1511 for US$475.
Redresses of the Groumall at Ex Astris Scientia
Ty'Gokor orbital facility
"Apocalypse Rising"
See main article: Ty'Gokor orbital facility
"Trials and Tribble-ations"
See main article: Spacematic
Jem'Hadar battle cruiser
"In Purgatory's Shadow", et al.
See main article: Jem'Hadar battle cruiser model
USS Yeager
Yeager-type
"Doctor Bashir, I Presume", et al
See main article: Yeager-type model
Dopterian interceptor
"Business as Usual"
See main article Dopterian interceptor
USS Curry
Curry-type
"A Time to Stand"
See main article: Curry-type models
USS Centaur
Centaur-type
"A Time to Stand", et al
See main article: Centaur-type models
Romulan shuttle
"In the Pale Moonlight"
See main article: Romulan shuttle
Dominion battleship
"Valiant", et al.
See main article: Dominion battleship
Chaffee-type shuttlepod
"The Sound of Her Voice"
See main article: Chaffee-type shuttlepod
Cardassian orbital weapon platform
Orbital weapon platform
"Tears of the Prophets"
See main article: Cardassian orbital weapon platform
Monac shipyards
Monac shipyard
DS9: "Shadows and Symbols" Kelvas facility
DS9: "Tacking Into the Wind",
"What You Leave Behind" Tellarite station
ENT: "Bounty"
The original mesh of the CGI model would be reworked for a later appearance in Star Trek: Enterprise.
K'Vort-type escape pod
K'Vort type escape pod
"Penumbra"
See: K'Vort type escape pod
Breen ship
DS9: "Penumbra", et al Quarren coyote ships
VOY: "Workforce", "Workforce, Part II"
The Breen ship was designed by John Eaves and rendered as a CGI model.
Eaves commented: "Designing the Breen ship has an interesting origin. The Breen are a race that have no established architecture, therefore it opened the door to me to be extremely creative. My initial pass had the ship loosely around the letter 'T'. The story behind the 'T' is that it is the first letter of my fiance's name, Tara. I submitted the drawings and the producers liked the shape and requested more detailed drawings. When these were presented, the producers requested the drawings go a different direction than the original 'T' shape. Therefore, I started designing 'T' ships with a more stylish letter formation – lower case 't's', 't's' hidden among other shapes, etc. Each design sparked enthusiasm with the producers, yet they still wanted to see more fantastic ideas. So, after several more passes, they chose a drawing I didn't think they would choose. It broke all the traditional rules that Star Trek ships are required to meet. The 'T' ship, as I call it, is an open-faced, multiple plane swept wing conglomeration of weapons and engines and a big fat 'T' right in the centre. If you know where to look, all of the letters of Tara's name can be found in the detailed panelling of the ship's exterior. This has been my favorite of all designs for DS9 because of the inspiration which went into its design". ("Far Beyond the Drawing Board", Star Trek Monthly issue 54)
An example of John Eaves' concept art for the ship
A second example of John Eaves' concept art for the ship
Eaves wrote: "Doug Drexler made a massive skills jump from graphics to CG model maker with this ship, and what fun it was to watch him learn something new. And now he's a master of CG modeling and animation with unlimited talent!" [11]
The mesh for the model would later be modified to represent the Quarren coyote ships in Star Trek: Voyager seventh season episodes, "Workforce" and "Workforce, Part II".
Cardassian workbee
DS9: "Tacking Into the Wind" Imhotep ship
A Cardassian version of a workbee appeared in "Tacking Into the Wind". Its existence and actual appearance was only firmly confirmed on Doug Drexler's blog(X), being "little more than "atmosphere" around the yard, and never meant to be seen up close". This last new Digital Muse CGI build for the series was later modified at Foundation Imaging, (Star Trek: Voyager Companion (p. 467)) and seen in better detail as an Imhotep ship in "Drive".
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