Background

The Endurance Class cruiser was developed in the late 2360s as a new multi-purpose starship incorporating technology from the Sovereign Class starship in a smaller hull package. These ships were designed to serve as medium to long range explorers during peacetime, and heavy gun cruisers during war.

Roughly between the Sovereign Class and Excelsior Class starships in size, the Endurance Class cruisers are well suited for extended patrol and fleet operations. Their Advanced TA/T/TS targeting sensors and extensive defensive phaser arrays were especially effective against Dominion and Cardassian fighters, and they were frequently paired with guided missile/torpedo cruisers and carriers, such as the Akira Class, in hunter/killer teams.

USS Southern Cross, NCC-75122, is one of the earlier Endurance Class cruisers. She is equipped with a dorsal sensor pod, just above the aft shuttlebay, and a single forward torpedo launcher in place of the captain's yacht. She was assigned to convoy escort duty, guarding transports and planetary/amphibious assault carriers during much of the Dominion War, and never lost a single ship under her protection.

Construction Details

This model is a heavily modified AMT/Ertl Sovereign Class kit. The design is loosely based on two of John Eaves' alternative concept drawings of the Enterprise-E on pages 100 and 101 of the TNG Movies Sketchbook. I trimmed half an inch off the edge of the primary hull of the Ertl model to create a slightly smaller and lower profile saucer section, and reworked the impulse engines to give them more of an enclosed look. I moved the secondary hull aftward, shortened it, and scratchbuilt a new aft section from sheet styrene. The upper secondary hull and warp nacelle pylons were also scratchbuilt out of sheet styrene, and the warp nacelles are resin castings from molds I made off a scratchbuilt styrene master.

For another image of the ship, click the link below:

• Southern Cross goes bye-bye.