The Kitty hawk-class was a type of cruiser that saw service with the Federation Starfleet during 23rd century. (Ship Recognition Manual, Volume 4: Starships of the Original Series Era) The Kitty Hawk comprised of a saucer section joined to a cylindrical engineering hull by a short interconnecting hull. The nacelle pylons were connected to the forward end of the engineering hull and projected outward and ventrally. This gave the appearance of the ship "skating" on its nacelles, which lead to the class been nicknamed the Brinker class.