Enhanced TOS - anyone else really hate the swirling lollipop on the front nacelles?

[Houston Trekker]

The spinning caps could be used as storytelling devices…port clockwise and starboard counterclockwise—forward motion.

The opposite in reverse (easy to play the film backwards.

When turning, both nacelle caps turn into the new direction.

But camp would be served best with Harry Mudd’s path blocked by Constitution class ships with each cap glowing then going dark as if they were old cop-car light bars.

I do like the Harry Mudd reference A LOT!

 

[FredH]

Hate it, no — but I admit I’ve always wondered what exactly was going on with the mechanism, especially with the later retcon that those were (perhaps among other things) Bussard collectors. Is the seemingly solid dome a sieve? And if it is, what are the internal “propeller blades” for?

 

[Houston Trekker]

Hate it, no — but I admit I’ve always wondered what exactly was going on with the mechanism, especially with the later retcon that those were (perhaps among other things) Bussard collectors. Is the seemingly solid dome a sieve? And if it is, what are the internal “propeller blades” for?

I think that the nacelle caps are a sieve designed to allow hydrogen to be attracted by the the spinning impellers inside (using some form of charged field that emanates from them)

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Hate it, no — but I admit I’ve always wondered what exactly was going on with the mechanism, especially with the later retcon that those were (perhaps among other things) Bussard collectors. Is the seemingly solid dome a sieve? And if it is, what are the internal “propeller blades” for?

I think we were just supposed to see chaotic, random blasts of luminous energy in there. The broken mirror pieces, light bulbs, and rotation were meant to portray crazy power that could barely be contained.

When they got it built, It ended up that the rotation was visible on film, but I don't think that's what they were going for. The effect was still good, though, and the show had limited time and money. And I was captivated by the nacelle caps as a kid. It worked.

Not so lucky: the Companion lighting effect in the shuttlecraft ("Metamorphosis" teaser) wasn't meant to look like a spinning wheel of colored gels, but they went with what was ready when it was time to shoot.