Here is a pic of the 11 footer prior to its 1991 restoration. Note the little red thingy on the lower side of the bridge dome.
There's one on the other side as well. They look like they could be lights but there's no indication they were ever lighted.
I strongly believe these were
intended to be lights and my firm belief stems from the fact that we do have one identical red thingy or
"cone" on the upper engineering hull just ahead of the hangar dome.
Notice that the red translucent cone is surrounded by two circular windows. On the WNM pilot model the center objects of those "triumvirate" windows were lights (saucer bow, saucer underside port and starboard) but for a reason I do not know they decided not to turn the cone on the engineering hull into a light and decided to use the hangar dome instead as a running light.
When they prepped the 11-footer for the regular series they turned the hangar dome into a constant light and placed the running lights port and starboard, the cone remained unlit.
I have to get back to my previous post and
require the assistance of experts / footage / information to settle a debate with my friend who's participating in our TOS
Enterprise blueprint project.
My theory, thus far, had been that these red cones had been used on the second pilot version as saucer underside (and bow) position lights. Here's a
rare shot of the second pilot version underside with what
appears to be one of the cones fully lit (however, it's white, not red!).
These cones did not decorate the outer hull of the bridge prior to the modifications for the regular series (one might speculate that when these were removed from the saucer underside and bow these weren't discarded but instead recycled to decorate the outer bridge, but then should probably be clear
unless these were painted red).
In the unusually clear VFX shot in my previous post with the
Enterprise in front of the third season asteroid / Yonada we can make out the silhouette of the cone on the engineering hull. It appears to be illuminated from the diffuse (white) light below from the three circular light spots but appears to be translucent and red (not clear!?).
To make matters even more complicated here is an upside down
close-up shot of the engineering hull, apparently prior to the "restoration"
but does not reveal a red cone but a red bulb instead!
You may say I'm seeing things but the third season VFX shot sufficiently indicates a cone, IMHO, and not a bulb. Is it possible the cone got damaged / lost after the VFX shot and was replaced with a bulb?
I'm confused and would appreciate assistance.
Bob
) VFX shot from "The Doomsday Machine". Apparently the bridge cones were illuminated red.
