Plan 9 From Outer Space/Lindberg flying saucer model kit in McCoy's office

[Dukhat]

In my ongoing search of 'Hey, I never noticed this before,' I stumbled across some photos of an actual model kit used as set dressing in McCoy's office. Amidst all of his skull collection, he apparently had a modified flying saucer from the Lindberg model company, which as many might know was used by Ed Wood for his flying saucers in Plan 9 From Outer Space. Wood painted them all silver (including the clear cockpit where the alien pilot was located) and discarded the engines. McCoy's version was painted bronze, retained the clear cockpit with alien (also painted bronze), added three tripod-style landing legs, and attached the engines to the sides of the saucer rather than their intended location in the back. I checked screencaps, and sure enough, it's there:

 

[Metryq]

Cool! It's like the Han Solo in carbonite in several Firefly episodes.

 

[Just a Bill]

Nice find!

 

[Warp Core Breach]

Now this is probing into the depths of the insanely obscure, and I love it!

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Impressive catch.

Where did you get the best looks at it? This is the only image I could find, and it's not great:

https://tos.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/screencaps/season2/205-amok-time/amok-time-br-240.jpg

 

[Spock's Barber]

IIRC, the budget was so minuscule in Plan 9 that the ‘flying saucers’ were just car hubcaps.

 

[Dukhat]

IIRC, the budget was so minuscule in Plan 9 that the ‘flying saucers’ were just car hubcaps.

Did you actually read my opening post?

 

[scotpens]

IIRC, the budget was so minuscule in Plan 9 that the ‘flying saucers’ were just car hubcaps.

A long-standing myth that's been debunked, like Victoria Vetri playing Isis in human form in "Assignment: Earth."

 

[Nerys Myk]

A long-standing myth that's been debunked, like Victoria Vetri playing Isis in human form in "Assignment: Earth."

I think he's talking about the budget for Plan 9

 

[Just a Bill]

I just spent a little time trying to figure out how long this thing was on McCoy's shelf. Dukhat's screenshots with Kirk are from 2x05 Amok Time, which might be the first time we see this part of the sickbay complex? I poked around in a few Season 1 episodes and didn't spot anything, and this would be consistent with the facts that the last Stage 9 set plan we have for Season 1 (09 Balance of Terror) shows that area still undeveloped, and we know there was a major overhaul here for the start of Season 2. I also checked 2x01 through 2x04 and didn't see any examples of the shelf. So for now I'm assuming that 2x05 was the saucer's first appearance.

The next chronological shelf shot I could find was in 2x08 The Changeling (right), and the saucer was still there (judging by the shadow cast on the back wall).

Then for 2x10 Mirror, Mirror, they completely redressed those shelves for the I.S.S. Enterprise and the saucer was not visible. In the very next episode filmed, 2x11 The Deadly Years, the shelves were restored but it appears that the saucer did not return. (Probably somebody gave it a moment of critical thought during the re-redress and said, "nahh.") I suspect it never came back; at least I haven't yet been able to find another instance of it. There's another visible example of it still being gone in 3x08 For the World Is Hollow, but I really only spot-checked a handful of episodes that I thought might have scenes in this area.

So considering that this was only seen in two episodes (barely in one, and almost not at all in the other), I have to say well spotted, Dukhat!

Where are those great close-up shots from ... one of the fan productions, maybe?

 

[scotpens]

I think he's talking about the budget for Plan 9

I was referring to the oft-repeated but erroneous assertion that the flying saucers in Plan 9 were automobile hubcaps.

 

[mb22]

I once read they were paper plates!

 

[Dukhat]

Where are those great close-up shots from ... one of the fan productions, maybe?

The person who took the photos stated that it is the actual prop (I think he mentioned it was in a museum or shown at an event or something.) I personally don't know with 100% surety that this is the case. But honestly, I'm not sure why anyone would have made a replica of such an obscure prop from TOS that practically no one even knew about.

 

[Just a Bill]

Either way it's a great look at a really obscure prop! Thanks for sharing it. I will definitely have to make a miniature version for my scale model project.

 

[Dukhat]

I have no idea what was used for the legs. Any ideas?

 

[Just a Bill]

I have no idea what was used for the legs. Any ideas?

I don't know that this is right, but when I first saw them my brain thought of supports for a multi-tiered cake.

 

[Maurice]

Perhaps I missed it, but what is the provenance of those prop photos?

As to the kit, I dunno, I've built that kit multiple times, and if that's the dome on top, it looks too big to be original.

EDIT: I'm looking at "Amok Time" now, and I can't screengrab from Paramount+, but it looks to me like some dish with handles. They don't look like those saucer nacelles to me. Here's as close as I Trekcore has…

And here's what happens when I mess with the levels… pretty clearly handles.

 

[Dukhat]

Yep, sure looks like handles to me too. So much for ‘a never-before seen prop.’ Turns out it was a reproduction for the Star Trek Original Series set tour in Ticonderoga in 2024.

Never believe some guy on Facebook, lol.

 

[Maurice]

Yep, sure looks like handles to me too. So much for ‘a never-before seen prop.’ Turns out it was a reproduction for the Star Trek Original Series set tour in Ticonderoga in 2024.

Never believe some guy on Facebook, lol.

You know, I suspected that. The photography looked like what the late GSchnitzer would post about the New Voyages props.

 

[Metryq]

Image pulled from Blu-ray, lower image brightened. No scaling or sharpening.

https://i.postimg.cc/jjrHQTnB/trek-saucer.jpg


Actually, it looks like some sort of incense burner, or maybe an oil lamp with brass legs and handles. Perhaps an anthropological artifact of medical interest? Fondue set? Orange juicer?