Excelsior class model , was one of the few " Star Trek " productions that introduced a multitude of new space faring designs at once , six in this case , including the . Built for that movie , the studio model for the " Excelsior " - class and the subsequent variant models , have been in used in five of the " Star Trek " films and all three of the television shows set in the 24th century , making the " Excelsior " - class the most frequently seen " guest - star " Federation starship in the " Star Trek " franchise . Apart from the " hero " models , the various " Excelsior " - class models ( or stock footage thereof ) , appeared in both the series premieres of and , and the series finales of " Deep Space Nine " and . Design process . For " The Search for Spock " an unique approach to designing was adopted , not seen before or after in the " Star Trek " franchise . Instead of the traditional way of thinking out a design , devising a design , coming up with detailed drawings to be approved of by effects supervisors and building models from blueprints , this time visual artists David Carson and Nilo Rodis - Jamero of Industrial Light & Magic ( ILM ) produced their pre - visualization artwork and handed it over to model makers Steve Gawley , Bill George and their team to be translated into study models , in essence inviting them to use their own imagination to finish up on the design . Very much a collaborative effort , Carson later remembered , " " We ' d churn out quite a few sketches . Then the ones that were most promising we might polish up a little in color for presentation . It wasn ' t uncommon for me to do a drawing that would inspire Nilo , who would then turn it into his own drawing that would be much more impressive ! He would often inspire me . " " ( ) Once turned over to the model makers the resulting study models were presented to producer Harve Bennett and / or director Leonard Nimoy for appraisal or as supervising model maker Gawley put it , " " You had all these models sitting on a table so that the director could really get a feel for what we were talking about . It just made everything easier to understand , and insured that everybody was on the same page . It also made it easier to give cost estimates . " " ( ) Director of Photography Kenneth Ralston elaborated further , " " From the beginning , once Nilo Rodis , one of the visual effects art directors , had done a sketch and they got an idea of what direction to go , the model people all built prototypes . The space dock had four or five small prototypes . The Bird of Prey , I think , had only two because we all knew this one design would work and we were selling that one . The Merchant Man and the " Grissom " also had several designs . When Leonard and Harve and Ralph Winter came to meetings we presented them with three dimensional models . It really is a lot better doing it that way because they can physically see how different angles would work . " " ( " American Cinematographer " , August / September 1984 , p . 62 ) In the specific case of the " Excelsior " Rodis recalled , " " The " " Excelsior " " had to be brilliant , and it had to steal thunder from the " Enterprise " . " " , to which Carson added , " " We kicked around a few different ways to go with the " " Excelsior " " , but when Nilo did the drawing that led to the eventual design that was it , because it was very well received . It seemed to me to be a believable extension - a kind of next generation design . " " ( ) Study models . The Rodis / Carson sketches , once approved , were sent down to ILM ' s model shop of Bill George who commented , " " The art department had done a number of sketches . All of them were very different and very futuristic . They still had the basic theme of the dish and the engines , but they did not look like the " " Enterprise " " at all . I was given the job of building prototypes of those sketches . Leonard Nimoy was going to come up and look at them and hopefully choose one . " " ( ) Some of the study models based upon Rodis ' designs found their way into canon however . A two - engine model , flippantly labeled ( NCC - 1404 ) , found its way into the debris - field of Surplus Depot Z15 in the " The Next Generation " episode . Two four - engine variants , one of which had pivoting warp nacelle s ( the feature not canonically encountered until the advent of the in the form of its variable geometry pylon configuration ) , were also present in the scene . These models therefore became canon albeit without class designations or names . Nilo ' s designs were all thin and long and George finished up upon the study models in good time . With time to spare Carson proposed that George come up with his own ideas . He did , and later explained , " " When you ' re designing something you want to come up with a take on it that will drive the design . At the time I was really into Japanese design , so I thought , " OK , what would the " " Enterprise " " look like if the Japanese designed it ? " That was the basis of what I came up with for the " " Excelsior " " " " . ( ) Upon this premise , George built a couple of study models which had a deeper profile and a more rounded secondary hull section ( one of which had a nacelle type later applied to the ) . A bit to George ' s surprise , Nimoy chose one of his refinements as the template for the final studio model . George : " " What ' s funny is I think that ' s what Leonard responded to . When laid out all these things on the table , he pointed to the study model that I had done and said " That one . " And I think it was just because it was so much more familiar . It was quite a surprise when I found out that was the one he wanted . There were a couple of the other study models that I really liked , and I certainly hadn ' t trying to figure out which one he was going to choose . " " ( ) The mere fact that Nimoy chose one of George ' s models warranted him his status as one of the co - designers of the " Excelsior " - class , though he was not acknowledged as such on design patent No . , issued to Paramount Pictures by the US Patent and Trademark Office for the USS " Excelsior " on 24 March 1987 ( there described as " The ornamental design for a toy spaceship " ) . Andrew Probert ' s earlier patents for the starships in " The Motion Picture " , attributed to him in those cases , were cited as past references , as was the . The patent application was tendered by the studio on 29 November 1984 and was valid for fourteen years when issued . " " The mysterious four - nacelled ship appears to have been another " Excelsior " study model built by Bill George for " Star Trek III " . I think there might have been a photo of it in one of the " art - of " books . We had at least three or four of those Bill George models kicking around . One of them is still hanging in the DS9 graphics department " " , Michael Okuda later recalled in regard to the " The Next Generation " s graveyard scene in the two - part episode . However , none of the " Excelsior " study models have ever been identified as being in the on - screen scene . Yet , as the " Unification " depot scenes were mostly composited from shots previously made for the former episode , it is feasible the models were filmed , but that the footage was originally not used . The fixed four - nacelled variant study model , constructed out of sheet and vacuum - formed plastic and measuring 21 inches , ended up in Okuda ' s personal collection , and eventually appeared as Lot 45 in the Propworx ' STAR TREK auction of 4 June 2011 . Damaged from years of storage and missing two of its nacelles , it was estimated at US $ 1 , 000 - $ 2 , 000 , selling for US $ 1 , 400 ( $ 1 , 722 with buyer ' s premium ) . The original physical model . The 7 . 5 - foot long studio model was built at ILM ' s model shop under the supervision of Steve Gawley . Building upon the experience they had garnered from the construction of the the model in the previous outing , they made sure that the model made for easy handling and assembling by constructing it out of lightweight vacuformed pieces with easy access to the inside of the model . In its original finish , the model went on to make additional appearances in and ( albeit there as stock footage from " Star Trek IV " ) . ( ) Star Trek : The Next Generation . In 1987 the model was again at ILM , as the company was contracted to compile a library of stock footage for " The Next Generation " s pilot episode . Due to his earlier acquaintance with the model , Gawley was appointed to give the model a once - over and prepare her for her reuse . ( ) As the script called for the appearance of the ( the first ever appearance of an " Excelsior " - class vessel other than the " Excelsior " herself ) , Gawley relabeled the model as the " USS " Hood " NCC - 2541 " . Originally only contracted to build the two differently sized " Galaxy " - class studio models , ILM was able to secure an additional commission to do visual effects photography for the pilot as well , which , among others , comprised shooting a library of motion control footage of the " Excelsior " - class model . An internal memo of the series ' Associate Producer Peter Lauritson , dated 1 April 1987 , and an upgraded one from 12 May 1987 , specified some of the costs incurred producing this footage , Since no dorsal views were ever used in the series , the registry number was never seen and apparently forgotten about , as the " Hood " was later endowed with a much higher number for her appearances in " Deep Space Nine " . That the " Hood " was actually labeled " NCC - 2541 " , was confirmed when a behind - the - scenes picture showed up on several websites on the internet in the 1990s . . Nevertheless , a profile view , shot for , but not yet used in the pilot episode or the remainder of the first season of the new series , turned up in the second season opening episode as the USS " Repulse " NCC - 2544 . However , it would take until 2012 for the remastered version of the episode , that the registry number " NCC - 2541 " became discernible , though only just barely ( and therefore overlooked by the digital artists at CBS Digital ) , on the aft of the warp nacelles , thereby providing the on - screen confirmation that the model originally was indeed relabeled " NCC - 2541 " in 1987 . The stock footage , including the profile shot , filmed at ILM for the pilot episode was extensively re - used throughout the entire run of the series . For the second season opener , the saucer was marked as the USS Repulse ( NCC - 2544 ) , though the other markings appear unchanged . Modification . In 1991 , the model was refurbished and partly modified for its appearance in , yet again at ILM´s model shop . The bridge module was replaced with a smaller one , the large impulse deflector crystal was covered by a panel with two smaller ones and the rounded , what is on the designated as " aft crew lounge " , was replaced with a more angular one . As for the bridge Bill George rationalized , " " We changed the bridge on the " Excelsior " model because on this show , the bridge is actually very small – it ' s the " Enterprise " bridge re - dressed . The " Excelsior " was originally built for " Star Trek III " , where it had a cavernous bridge , and the model had a big bubble on top which I felt was always out of scale . We replaced it with a smaller bridge area which helped the overall scale of the model . " " ( " American Cinematographer " , January 1992 , pp . 58 - 59 ) Part of the refurbishment was the replacement of the " Hood " decals with the new call sign for the USS " Excelsior " , NCC - 2000 . A year later , the model was filmed in its original configuration one last time at Image G for its appearance as the in " Deep Space Nine " s pilot episode , . The shot of the two unnamed " Excelsior " - class vessels shown at the end of the series ' 1995 fourth season episode , was probably composited from previously unused stock footage filmed for " Emissary " , as the model by that time had already been converted into the . Redesign . For the production of , the " " producers [ . . . ] felt that the " Excelsior " had been seen too many times in previous films ; they wanted a brand - new design for the " Enterprise " - B . This presented a challenge how to maintain continuity and " Trek " " historical accuracy " while giving the audience a " new " ship . Mike Okuda felt the challenge could be met . " " ( " " , p . 4 ) Okuda has clarified , in some more detail , that , " " ( . . . ) there were not any sketches done for an all - new Enterprise - B . We had said for years that the Excelsior sculpture in the TNG Observation Lounge represented the Enterprise - B , and I felt that some fans would have felt let down if we had failed to follow through with that idea . That ’ s why I enlisted the talented John Eaves , who fortunately jumped right on board to help out . Fortunately , our producers saw the value in this approach , both from a fan - expectation viewpoint , as well as the sheer financial practicality . Don ’ t underestimate the value of financial practicality . If we can ’ t do these things on budget , eventually the studio ( and its investors ) will figure out that they can ’ t make a profit , and they ’ ll stop investing in new productions . They already take a huge financial risk on every new production , and the only reason they ’ re willing and able to do so is if there ’ s a reasonable chance that they ’ ll make a profit . " " The modifications designed for the " Enterprise " - B were created by John Eaves , with the assistance of Okuda . According to Eaves : " " [ Mike ] pointed out that we needed to design an area that protruded from the ship , so that the energy ribbon could whip out a section while leaving most of the ship intact . " " As a result , Eaves , who originally imaged the damage higher up near the neck of the ship , subsequently re - positioned the damage on the section of decks that extended out from the hull , which he had designed surrounding the deflector dish tapering gently on the bottom and flaring out dramatically on the top . Eaves elaborated that " " ( . . . ) the addition of the decks gave the B ' s belly section a look similar to that of a ( a flying boat of the 1940s ) . " " Ultimately their modifications produced added girth to the design , which increased its overall size , while still retaining the original " Excelsior " design . ( " " , p . 4 ) The Catalina also served as inspiration for Eaves in adding the two additional impulse engines , one on either side of the existing impulse engines , " " To seek out inspiration the PBY Catalina came to mind with it ' s built in boat like belly detail which made for the perfect reference to be translate [ d ] into the Starship ' s new hull lines . As for the big wing top props the same is seen on the top of the saucer with twin impulse engines located on the back of the dish . " " Once the new design was approved by Production Designer Herman Zimmerman and Executive Producer Rick Berman , the new sketches were sent to Visual Effects Supervisor Bill George , who passed them on to ILM ' s model shop for conversion of the the existing " Excelsior " model into the " Enterprise " - B under supervision of Lead Modeler John Goodson . ( " " , p . 8 ) To execute the design changes , the top of the saucer and bottom of the secondary hull were completely replaced . The new top of the saucer had the same bridge and nearly the same impulse crystals , but lacked the fins . The two boxes ( labeled as impulse engines in the MSD ) covered the aft pair of RCS thrusters and the windows next to them and also extended to the underside of the saucer . The Catalina inspired changes to the secondary hull were integrated into the hull design ( molded from translucent fiberglass resin ) . The nacelles were " capped " and two dorsal fins were added to the top , one on the front cowl and one on the aft cowl . ( " " , pp . 4 - 12 ) For the scene where the damage caused by the Nexus is shown up close , a enlarged section of the redesigned forward secondary hull section was needed , both in order as not to damage the studio model as well as to show more detail . " " This model was built for an extreme close up shot of the ship ' s hull , revealing the dramatic extent of the damage , telling the audience that Kirk had no chance of survival . " " , Okuda later elaborated . ( " Christie ' s Auction Catalog " , Part One , 2006 , p . 66 ) The model , measuring 94×54×33 inches ( as large as the studio model itself ) was constructed out of wood , acrylic , glass fiber / resin , and etched brass construction ( for the exposed decks ) . The model showed up in the " " auction as with an estimated sale price of US $ 1 , 500 - $ 2 , 000 ; it sold on 5 October 2006 for US $ 4 , 500 ( $ 5 , 400 with premium ) . The " Enterprise " - B model was returned to Image G for use in the " Deep Space Nine " fourth season episode , , as the . " " We had to take off all the detailing , the numbers and names , and make new ones . Mike Okuda was instrumental in cutting us new decals and actually showing us how to get the old ones off without destroying the paint job . We did a lot of hand rubbing with water . " " , effects supervisor Glenn Neufeld later recalled . ( " " , p . 302 ) It marked the second time the large model was at Image G , but it was also the last time the model was used as a production asset . The " Enterprise " - B / " Lakota " model ( measuring 92×12×32 inches ) , still wearing its " Lakota " markings , was listed as in the " 40 Years of Star Trek : The Collection " auction with an estimated sale price of US $ 3 , 000 - $ 5 , 000 ; it sold on 7 October 2006 for US $ 110 , 000 ( $ 132 , 000 with premium ) . The model was added to the collection of ScienceFictionArchives . com , an European organization that is dedicated to preserve science fiction production assets for public display purposes , such as in museums . The " Jein " model . When an original configuration of the " Excelsior " was needed for the " Voyager " season three homage episode , , it was discovered that the original model could not be returned to its original configuration without causing irreversible damage to it . A new one was therefore built by Greg Jein at a smaller scale for expedience sake , with minor differences – even though it was supposedly the same ship as seen earlier . ( " " , p . 386 ) For example , " Flashback " features the only appearances of the USS " Excelsior " s warp nacelle s glowing , although the episode also incorporated footage from " Star Trek VI " in which the nacelle sides did not glow . Affectionately referred to as the " " Jein " model " among production staffers themselves after its builder , the model was built at approximately half - scale of the original model , which made it much easier to handle at Image G – in the process partially explaining why a refit - " Excelsior " class vessel was no longer seen afterwards – , and continued to be reused until a CGI " Excelsior " was built for later seasons of DS9 and " Voyager " . The " Jein " model has been relabeled and dressed with battle damage once for the " Deep Space Nine " sixth season opening episode , , as Okuda later confirmed , " " The " " was indeed a re - use of the small " Excelsior " model that Greg Jein built for " Flashback " ( VGR ) . It was done for a DS9 episode . " " In this guise the model , named for Scenic Artist Anthony Fredrickson , was featured in the TNG Season 2 DVD - special feature , " Inside the Star Trek Archives " ( incidentally presented by Fredrickson ' s wife , Penny Juday , who was unable to suppress a chuckle when she discerned the name of her husband on the model ) , where it was revealed that the pennants , bearing the original name , on the sides of the model were not replaced . Five episodes later , in , the model , or rather stock footage thereof , was used for a last time . The model , unlike its bigger sister , has been retained by CBS Consumer Products , and has been , relabeled back to USS " Excelsior " , featured in tour displays such as " Star Trek World Tour " , " " , and " Star Trek The Exhibition " as late as 2012 . A limited edition of twelve , without internal lighting , built from the same molds utilized for the " Jein " studio model , was later sold in 1997 at US $ 7 , 500 apiece , with a certificate of authenticity signed by Jein , at the in Chicago . Other physical models . For the refit - " Excelsior " - class design , a study model was built by designer John Eaves . Having been one of his first design assignments for a starship , Eaves , in his early stages as a production illustrator for " Star Trek " , preferred to have a physical model at hand to get a feel of the three dimensionality of his designs , especially where the motion picture starships were concerned . As , obviously , no commercial models were available to this end at the time , Eaves had to build one for himself . This however , was no impediment as Eaves was an accomplished studio model builder himself , having started out his career as such . The study model of the " Enterprise " - B he built for himself for " Generations " , was amongst the very first ones he constructed . A fairly large model , measuring 34 inches in length , it later turned up as in the Profiles in History ' s " The Ultimate Sci - Fi Auction " of 26 April 2003 , estimated at US $ 6 , 000 - $ 8 , 000 . Constructed out of resin , Eaves ' construction material of choice , the model was represented as , " " ( . . . ) this model is featured in the opening scenes of " Star Trek : Generations " . " " , implying it was screen - used , though it never was . Unlike the or , it has yet to be fully confirmed if commercially - available " Excelsior " - class models were used as stand - ins for filming models in any of the " Star Trek " productions . Still , it seemed very likely that one or more of them have , as behind - the - scenes photos taken at Image G have appeared on , revealing at least one AMT model kit ( no . 6630 ) in use . It can be discerned that a mounting rod is attached to the model ' s dorsal side , having enticed Mike Okuda , when examining the pictures , to comment , " " The plugged - in motion control mounting rod on the ship and the apple box suggests to me that the photos may have been taken at " G , " rather than at one of the warehouses , although the floor in the photos does not match the filming stage at G . " " It , or others , were therefore likely used as a deep background elements in the " Deep Space Nine " fifth season finale , . This show was the penultimate episode in which new footage of the " Excelsior " - class ships was shot using physical models , also featuring the " Jein " model for foreground shots , as confirmed by the show ' s visual effects supervisor , David Stipes , " " 2 Excelsior - class ( non - refit ) ; Yes , ( the 3 foot model created for Voyager / Sulu episode ) " " . As a result of one of several kitbash sessions for the series , another AMT model kit was apparently slated for use , being labeled as the USS " Excel " ( NCC - 2020 ) . Polaroid images of this model , made available in 2013 by Dan Curry , showcased it alongside two " Miranda " - class derivatives , the and the , of which only the latter , the USS " Antares " , made a confirmed on - screen appearance . Display models . Consumer products were utilized to represent the " Excelsior " - class as golden display model s seen in the display cabinet in the observation lounge of the USS " Enterprise " - E in . John Eaves purchased a 1994 Playmates toy model ( no . 6172 , coming in at 19 inches and the only refit - " Excelsior " - class model commercially available at the time ) , apparently discounting his own personal study model as being too large , filled it up with resin , made castings from it , and had the castings gold - plated at ArtCraft Plating . For , Eaves repeated this procedure , this time using three newly - available AMT model kits ( No . 8761 ) , though they were not used in the film due to a late script change . However , these eventually did appear in . Eaves and the studio initially retained most of the models but almost all were sold at auctions at a later time . One was sold as Lot 16 with an estimate of US $ 800 - $ 1 , 200 in the Propworx " STAR TREK auction III " on 24 March 2012 for US $ 550 ( $ 677 including buyers premium ) ; one was sold as part of a complete set of six in the Profiles in History ' s " Hollywood Auction 44 " on 15 May 2011 as Lot 1550 for US $ 11 , 000 ( for the whole set ) ; one sold as part of a complete set of six in Profiles ' " The Star Trek Auction " on 12 December 2001 as Lot 288 , estimated at US $ 10 , 000 - $ 12 , 000 , again for the whole set , and another one has reportedly been sold in an online Sotheby ' s auction in October 2000 . A silver refit - " Excelsior " model was seen in Admiral Leyton ' s office at Starfleet Headquarters on the Presidio in " Deep Space Nine " s fourth season episode , . This probably was a painted AMT model kit No . 8761 . Another commercial product was used as one of the four models mounted in front of the sail - shaped top half facade of the Starfleet Headquarters on the Presidio , appearing in " Paradise Lost " and its companion episode , . The top half of the facade was itself a maquette and the starship models were Galoob Micro Machines ( most likely taken from the pewter - painted " Star Trek Television Series I Box Set " and " Star Trek the Movies Collectors Edition " sets ) . ( ) The " Excelsior " - class vessel was mounted on the far right . Derivative ship class studio models . While the use of commercial models as stand - ins for the filming models of the " Excelsior " - class itself has yet to be ascertained , what is certain however , is that for the " Deep Space Nine " episode , " A Time to Stand " , liberal use was made of AMT model kits to create the derivative kitbash class models of the , " Raging Queen " , the unseen USS " Hutzel " , and , most prominently , the . They were part of an opening shot of a retreating flotilla of Starfleet vessels , deemed necessary by the visual effects supervisors . To beef out the scene , the production staff built several new ships , kit - bashing them out of parts from several commercially available AMT or Revell - Monogram " Star Trek " model kits . Due to the tight time scheduling of a television production , several production staffers had to pitch in to provide the fleet on time for filming , and which included , amongst others , Gary Hutzel , Judy Elkins , Adam Buckner , the above - mentioned Anthony Fredrickson , and Dan Curry . While most were used and some were not , the majority of them , including the ones mentioned below , received entries in the 1998 reference book , " " , being kitbashes notwithstanding . A small , what the auction description had called " concept " , model ( measuring 14 . 34×7×3 inches ) has also shown up at the wave of " Star Trek " auctions during 2006 - 2008 , selling as in the " It ' s A Wrap ! sale and auction " ( IAW ) for US $ 511 . 99 on 4 March 2008 . Clearly an unfinished AMT model kit , No . 8761 , of the refit - " Excelsior " - class version in a slightly differing configuration , it is far more likely to have been either a camera test model or an unfinished kitbash model for one of the " Deep Space Nine " episodes . Also sold off on IAW was an " Excelsior " - class starship schematic , drawn by J . Moll in 1992 . The " Curry " - type . The ( NCC - 42254 ) was built by , and named after Visual Effects Supervisor Dan Curry . The kitbash model was constructed from the saucer section and engineering hull from the AMT / Ertl USS " Excelsior " model kit , no . 6630 , and the warp nacelle s and pylons from the model kit , no . 8766 . Curry noted on his build , " " We had to do a fleet of damaged ships . We got together ( Gary Hutzel , and other people from Image G ) and we kitbashed Star Trek models in ways that they were never meant to be put together . Just for fun each person who built a ship named it after him or her self . The USS Curry is not supposed to be a specific class , just a model I threw together . " " In 2013 Curry took pictures of his model for representation on the Flare Sci - Fi Forums , affording a close - up look at his hitherto elusive build . In private correspondence with the forum poster , Curry revealed that he used runabout decals of AMT kit No . 6741 , not " Reliant " or " Excelsior " decals , used the top half of the shuttle that came with the AMT " Enterprise " - A kit , No . 6693 or 8617 , in order to cover up the hole where the " Excelsior " warp pylon assembly went , and attached the bottom half of the shuttle to the back underside of the secondary hull where the tractor beam emitter went . The emitter was now positioned under the shuttlebay in front of the ship . After use in the episode , Curry retained ownership of the model . Though similar in design , the likewise kitbashed studio model of the USS " Raging Queen " ( NCC - 42284 ) differed slightly from the USS " Curry " on details , as could be discerned on behind - the - scenes photos of the " Raging Queen " model . The saucer section was slightly more positioned forward , additional warp nacelle supporting struts were added and most noticeably , the warp nacelles were mounted perpendicularly on the model as opposed to the " Curry " model . Unlike the USS " Curry " , the USS " Raging Queen " was only seen as a deep background element in the scene . As with the USS " Curry " , the " Raging Queen " was a one - time use only model and slated to be discarded , but was saved from the dumpster by Visual Effects Supervisor Gary Hutzel , who took the model into his care . The USS " Hutzel " . The USS " Hutzel " was built , as the name already suggested , by Gary Hutzel . This three - engined variant kitbash model was almost entirely composed of the " Excelsior " AMT model kit components , but lacked a secondary hull , its three engines attached to the saucer , the lower one attached to it by two model kit " Constitution " - class warp engine pylons . A rather ungainly contraption , the model was in an advanced state of preparation for filming , as it had received a full paint job and was already endowed with an internal lighting rig , as behind - the - scenes photos of the model showed . In the end however , the model was not featured in the episode and has made no other on - screen appearances . Nevertheless , the design of the USS " Hutzel " did receive an entry in the " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine Technical Manual " . This model too was retained by its builder . The " Centaur " - type . Among the kit - bashes for " A Time to Stand " , was the USS " Buckner " , which was referred to as the ( NCC - 42043 ) in a later scene of the episode , although a photo of the model , taken by its builder , still shows the original name , but the same registry number . The model was not present in the opening flotilla scene , but was featured more prominently later on in the episode . The " Buckner " was constructed from parts of the " Reliant " ( no . 8766 ) and " Excelsior " ( no . 6630 ) AMT / Ertl model kits . It was built by Adam Buckner , who still owns the model . Buckner commented on his build , " " The USS " Buckner " was a ship I built while at Paramount working on " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine " for a little boy who wanted a " Star Trek " ship . Gary Hutzel saw the ship and asked if it could be featured in one of his upcoming episodes . I let Gary use the ship . He added the green fluorescent tape for windows and the pink fluorescent paint for engines . As this ship would now be a shooting model , I produced a second model which I sent on to the boy as promised . " " Buckner further added , " When I designed the ship , I intended the scale to be based on the Reliant / Miranda bridge and roll - bar . The use of the Excelsior saucer and nacelle parts were convenient as the real world scale of the dish was smaller than the Reliant / Miranda / Constitution / Enterprise dish . It did , however , lead to an unfortunate mis - calculation of scale by the art department when they visited the motion control stage unescorted , and upon seeing the model , made the assumption that the scale should be based on these parts . A further confusion was made when in the making of several art department assets , specifically some books , they " corrected " a number of details without consulting VFX . The most notable " correction " was the bridge to match the dish . " The detail on this ship was enhanced when I knew it was going to be shot . I added additional greebles to the hull . The intent was to give the ship both a sense of scale ( smaller rather than larger , so more greebles rather than a smooth hull ) and to give it a sense of a ship that had been customized for its role as a deep intruder with additional detail for engine speed , sensitive long range scanning and increased stealth . This explains the bits on the rear of the dish and the tank treads littered around the dish ' s edge . And yes , the shuttle bay is a shuttle bay . There was no room for it in the rear . " When it was decided to give the model a more prominent role in the episode , Adam Buckner added the hull " greebles " to suggest a smaller scale of the vessel , thereby blurring the impression of an " Excelsior " - class sized saucer . As for the use of the fluorescent tape on the model Buckner explained , " " The Paint and Tape were for work under UV lights ( read " glow in the dark when struck with strong UV radiation " ) . We used UV for the matte process and some of the window and engine passes . By mixing the paint and selecting the appropriate tape color , the material would glow in a chosen color range , allowing the separation of windows , engines and mattes to different layers by selecting the desired color during transfer from 35mm film to digital , or in the compositing process . " " Being a fan , as well as a production staff favorite , a somewhat redesigned CGI model of the USS " Centaur " was commissioned by Adam " Mojo " Lebowitz and built by Ed Giddings for representation in the planned , but ultimately canceled , 2000 " Unseen Frontier " reference book project . Lebowitz himself was responsible for the rendering of the model . While its originally intended " Unseen Frontier " appearance came to naught , orthographic and beauty views of this model were nevertheless later published in " Star Trek Fact Files " , no . 298 , 2002 ( reprinted later that year in ) , and most notably in the " " , issue 52 , 2015 . At that moment in time , it had been the only one of the " Deep Space Nine " kitbashes ever to be endowed with a CGI counterpart . CGI models . While the physical models performed admirably in the job they were constructed for , advances in computer software meant that at a later stage of the " Star Trek " franchise CGI model s of the class were constructed to take over their role in the productions . ILM ' s CGI model . After discovering , during the production of " Star Trek Generations " , how well the CGI model of the worked in combination with the likewise - conceived CGI Nexus effect , such as controlling the interactive light and being able to move the models freely within the phenomena , ILM ' s Visual Effects Supervisor John Knoll , after conferring with Co - Supervisor Alex Seiden and CGI Supervisor John Schlag , decided to digitize the " Enterprise " - B as well for its scenes within the " Nexus " . " " All the shots of the " Enterprise " - B in the Ribbon were done with computer graphics . The decision allowed us to have particles streaming around the " Enterprise " as though they were deflected by the shields , and to do effects with tighter interaction than we could ' ve gotten away with using motion control " " , Knoll explained . ( " American Cinematographer " , April 1995 , p . 85 ) Computer Graphic Artist Stewart Lew constructed the CGI wire - frame model from flat - lit photographs taken from the physical studio model . Those photos were also used by Scott Frankel to map and texture Lew ' s model in ViewPaint , a software program ( developed by ILM itself for the 1993 movie " Jurassic Park " , and not to be confused with the commercial ViewPoint software ) , that allowed 3 - D manipulation . ( " Cinefex " , issue 61 , p . 68 ) " " To " render " the skin of the " Enterprise " - B , we actually took a bunch of flatly lit detail photographs of the ship with a real long lens from directly above and below , from both sides , and from front and back . Since the geometry of the CG " Enterprise " - B matched the the photographs of the motion - control model , it matched the motion - control model exactly when we laid the texture maps that were derived from those same photos over that geometry ! " " , Knoll elaborated . ( " American Cinematographer " , April 1995 , p . 85 ) As construction on the physical model was still under way at that time , photography and texturing had to be regularly updated to keep pace with the changes . Lighting and rendering the model was entrusted to digital artist Ben Snow , who recalled , " " When I got there I did a lot of training and I implemented half the RenderMan Companion ( Steve Upstill ’ s The RenderMan Companion ) – which is good if you have an opportunity to do , and they put me on developing the CG version of the enterprise B in that film . " " Having just been employed by ILM , Snow has added , " " It was a dream come true . I was on the ILM stage talking with the visual effects supervisor " [ remark : John Knoll ] " about lighting the ship so I could match it . " " Digital Muse ' s CGI model . When in 1997 , during the pre - production of " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine " s season sixth , it became clear that events would lead up to the massive climactic battle in , visual effects supervisors were aware that that battle was impossible to realize using traditional motion - control photography . " " The problem is that motion control is about shooting one ship at a time , one pass at a time . There was just no way we could have done it . We just didn ' t have enough time or money . " " , David Stipes explained . ( " " , p . 501 ) In order to pull this off it was decided to complete the transition to CGI . Due to the scale of the project it was decided to divide the workload up between Digital Muse , who were to transform the Federation starships into CGI , and Foundation Imaging , who were responsible for the alien ships . Part of the process was the decision to greatly improve production efficiency by employing one software format only , . This entailed turning over existing CGI models , done in other software formats , to Digital Muse for re - programming and re - rendering in LightWave , including the ILM models done for " Star Trek Generations " and " Star Trek : First Contact " . The majority of them were converted , but for some reason the " Enterprise " - B was not one of them , either because it was overlooked or for technical reasons . The most likely explanation for the latter circumstance , was the incompatibility of ILM ' s own in - house developed software , in which the model was constructed , with the commercial LightWave software , as opposed to the CGI " Enterprise " - D model , featured in the same movie , which was constructed in the commercial 2 . 1 software , and that " did " get converted for it to soldier on . Instead a new CGI model was built at Digital Muse , using the Jein model as reference , incorporating its characteristics , such as the glowing nacelle sides , and also serving as the additional explanation why the refit - " Excelsior " class was no longer seen . Built , rendered and lighted by CGI modeler David Lombardi , the model already made its debut in the preceding " Deep Space Nine " episode , and continued to be used to represent the class for the remainder of both the " Star Trek : Deep Space Nine " and " Star Trek : Voyager " series . Other CGI models . Digital Muse ' s production CGI model did not meet everyone ' s approval , as Foundation ' s Supervisor Adam Lebowitz later explained , " " A few years back , when I was working on a " Star Trek " book for Simon & Schuster , I hired Ed " [ Giddings ] " to help out with modeling chores . The CGI " Excelsior " model we had used on DS9 wasn ' t very detailed , so I asked Ed to create a new one . Armed with a ton of reference photos of the physical model , he went to work , sending me daily progress images , upon which I would scribble notes and make suggestions . After a few weeks , Ed put the finishing touches on what is easily the best CG model of the " Excelsior " to date , matching the studio model rivet by rivet . " " Like Gidding ' s " Centaur " model this CGI model was also originally slated for appearance in the canceled " Unseen Frontier " book project , and likewise went on nevertheless to make several appearances in and onto licensed " Star Trek " print publications , the very first time in the " Fact Files " , no . 297 , 2002 ( reprinted later that year in ) , the later " " calendars , their book derivatives and , again , most notably in " The Official Starships Collection " , issue 8 , 2013 . Still , Giddings ' model made one , admittedly very fleeting on an auxiliary screen only , surprising appearance in an official live - action production , when it was featured in the opening scenes of the film portion in the 2004 " Borg Invasion 4D " - ride at the " " - attraction . As former Foundation Visual Effects Supervisor , Lebowitz , now serving in a similar function at Threshold Digital Research Labs for the film , had access to the digital database of previously used CGI live - action production starship models , and had several of these featured – mostly as scenic backdrops in the opening and closing scenes – in the film , and included that of Giddings . The same reasons as to why a CGI refit - " Excelsior " - class vessel never appeared again in any of the live - action productions after the use of ILM ' s version in " Generations " , also applied for its non - appearance in print publications such as the " Ships of the Line " calendars . The one time a CGI " Enterprise " - B was called for , the " Fleet Museum " centerfold in the , contributor Sean Scott had to make do with Gidding ' s model of the standard configuration , though he took care to obscure the ship as much as possible in his composition . However , five years later , Digital Artist Robert Bonchune could not enjoy that luxury when he rendered the CGI models of the various " Enterprise " s for representation in the reference book " USS Enterprise Owners ' Workshop Manual " . Still , as one of the two initiators of the abandoned " Unseen Frontier " project , Bonchune was acquainted with the quality of Gidding ' s work , and , logically , commissioned him to finally bring a usable CGI version of the refit - configuration into the fold . Gidding ' s refit - configuration model went on to make an even more prominent appearance in issue 40 of " The Official Starships Collection " .