Federation Wambundu-class Light Utility Cruiser
Wambundu-class Light Utility Cruiser
Overview:
The Wambundu-class Light Utility Cruiser was developed by the Starfleet Corps of Engineers in the mid-2320s. Their primary goal was to replace the outdated Derf-class in the buoy/substation tender role; a secondary goal was engineering and science support to outposts and small colonies within Federation space. It was in full-scale production by 2330. At 212 meters, the Wambundu-class had roughly similar shapes and proportions to Starfleet's original NX-class explorers.
She was designed to operate with a much lower crew than the legacy 23rd-century support ships. Wambundu-class vessels operated independently as tenders for small space facilities and in teams as planetary support vessels. An outpost expanding to a full-scale colony might initially be supported by a frigate or line cruiser, which would be replaced by three or four Wambundu-class utility cruisers (and a bulk freighter or transport) until the expansion was completed.
The Wambundu-class typically operated with a ship's crew of only 40. For most ships this was supplemented by an additional 22-member engineering support crew, while others had 19-member science teams or three eight-member medical trauma units. Their additional crew quarters and cargo capacity, combined with its efficient performance at higher warp speeds, frequently saw the Wambundu-class tapped for transport and courier missions in addition to its support roles.
The larger California-class assumed Starfleet's engineering support, medical, and science missions in the 2360s. The remaining Wambundu-class vessels in 2382 continue to serve as tenders for lightly-crewed and automated subspace relays, telescopes, sensor arrays, and navigational buoys. They will be transferred to the ready reserve fleet in the year 2400.
Specifications:
- Entered Service: 2327
- 2382 Active Total: 22
- Endurance: 6 months
- Length: 212 meters
- Beam: 131 meters
- Complement: 40 crew
Designers Notes:
The Wambundu-class is one of those “canon-but-unseen” ships from displays and scripts. A prominent example is the USS Drake, whose captaincy was declined by Will Riker and assumed by Paul Rice (TNG: The Arsenal of Freedom). It is normally listed as a light cruiser. But Riker was very hungry for command in early TNG seasons. I personally felt that if he turned down this captaincy, he must not have considered the Drake to be a “real” starship. So I decided to make it a Lost Era support vessel--something between the TMP-era Derf and the TNG-era California.
The Advanced Starship Design Bureau has their own take on this design. But to be honest I never liked their shape or proportions. This one ended up being my favorite out of my kitbashed ships!
This model is built using CaptainMojo’s parts kits: link Most components have been stretched, skewed, flipped, and otherwise transformed.
Parts Used:
- Niagra-class saucer and warp pylons
- Apollo-class warp engines (from the Nebula kit)
- Consul-class dorsal/ventral detailing (from the Nebula kit)
- Angueira-class secondary hull (from the Oberth kit)
- Freedom-class bridge
- Ranger-class impulse thrusters
- The “nose cone” deflector is actually a module from the New Orleans/Cheyenne kits
It looks good to my eyes at 1/3788 on an FDM printer, but some of the parts will probably betray their original sizes, proportions, and fine details if printed in resin at larger scales.
Please post your prints and remakes!