This is the Cheetah-class Colonial destroyer Hawkwind. She is one of the few military vessels from the vast Colonial fleet to have survived the Genocide. She survived merely by chance (though many of her crew believe that it was the Lords of Kobol that were protecting them). They had been scheduled to meet with the 4th Fleet (her designated Fleet, hence the yellow stripes) and keep a patrol for anything untoward that might hinder the Peace Conference - any militant groups who didn't want the peace to occur and rabble such as that.

However, she had suddenly experienced navigational computer trouble and was unable to get to her assigned patrol on schedule. Because of this, she wasn't there when the Cylons erupted their attack and destroyed the rest of the 4th Fleet. When she did arrive, she was able to only chase off and destroy the few remaining Raiders and transport ships still there. She received a few distress calls and investigated all of the ships in a search for survivors. All of the ships were badly damaged and in most cases destroyed. The crew of the Hawkwind were able to rescue over 2,000 survivors. However, that was from an entire fleet personnel of 12,000.

Uncertain of their next move, they heard the call from the Galactica for any, and all, ships that survived to rendezvous at Caprica. However, by the time they were able to make it there the Galactica and her RTF had left. With no knowledge of the Galactica's coordinates they waited, uncertain what to do. Soon they heard of another battlestar that survived, and was rendezvousing at Virgon, much closer to their current location. Within the hour they met with the Olympia and assisted her, and the other ships, with repairs and replenishment before leaving on their unknown journey.

I built this from a Revell/Monogram kit. Essentially I removed the middle section and attached the 'head' and 'tail' to each other. I then used SMT resin detail pieces that I had gotten a while ago. Using sheet styrene I covered over the large hole remaining underneath facing aft (where the yellow stripe in the mid-section underneath is). That became my Transport Bay. No Vipers launch from there. It primarily houses shuttles and Landrams for various environments. They are stored in the alcoves one sees when looking into the Bay.

I painted her Testors Acrylic Camouflage Gray. Then I gave it a wash in Reaper Black Wash Ink. I smudged black chalk onto it and sealed it with gloss. I added the decals and dry brushed the base color over everything. I then added some battle scarring to various locations.

I am very proud of her. She makes a nice start to my Battlestar Olympia and her Ragged Fleet in 1/4170 scale.

My thanks go to my friend Max Brandt for coming up with the name Hawkwind. I thought it sounded very good for a destroyer. Special Thanks go out to Jeff (JTGraphics) for making the decals. It made the completion of this model much easier, and made her look better. Thank you, Jeff.

Image: Detail, port side

Image: Detail, port bow

Image: Left/front view

Image: Engines

Image: Above

Image: Below

Image: Detail

Image: Name plate

Image: Top/front

Image: Bottom/front