TOS Enterprise Cargo Bays

[Vance]

I always thought that was funny how SFB went with FJ's torpedo placement, than what was shown on TV. Although that spot COULD be the drone launcher for those upgraded to use them.

Simple. SFB is not a Star Trek production, it's a game based on the Technical Manual, and licensed accordingly. Seems like a nit, but that's why the design choices were made.

 

[T'Girl]

Since those "hatches" were on the underside of the saucer section, I figured they were the landing pads used like those on the starship Voyager, Andrew Probert designed the saucer section to be able to land on planets.

During the TMP fly-around scene, the lower saucer section shows three open hatches. All convenlently lit with spotlights.

One is the airlock / docking port Kirk later exits in a pressure suit.

Two is a long rectangular hatchway on the outer rim and close to the center line to port. It's below where Franz Joseph placed crew quarters.

Three is a square hatch, further from the center line to starboard, where the N in NCC is. It doesn't seem to be where the blueprints on cygnus X-1 place the foreward starboard landing pad.

 

[Timo]

One is the airlock / docking port Kirk later exits in a pressure suit.

And this could also well lead into some sort of a cargo or consumables hold, since it would make sense to concentrate various types of external access into the one and same hatch.

Two is a long rectangular hatchway on the outer rim and close to the center line to port. It's below where Franz Joseph placed crew quarters.

Probably not so much a cargo hatch as a removable cover plate for some internal equipment, since the seams don't appear on the full model. Perhaps all the hull plates come off that way if needed?

Three is a square hatch, further from the center line to starboard, where the N in NCC is. It doesn't seem to be where the blueprints on cygnus X-1 place the foreward starboard landing pad.

Hmm... In Mr Scott's Guide, the centermost of the two features at that location (the more elongated one) is unlabeled, while the one slightly outboard (the square one, with double lines) is the landing pad. The unlabeled one would fall better on the N of NCC, but I think the one we see is indeed the square one - a partially extended forward starboard landing pad. The unlabeled one would be the item described above, a possible cover plate.

I'm not sure if this was the original Probert intention for the items, but the work on the model and the final effect on the screen would seem to fit these descriptions just fine.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[RedShirt]

Probably not so much a cargo hatch as a removable cover plate for some internal equipment, since the seams don't appear on the full model.

Yes they do, as can be seen in this picture taken after TMP wrapped production:

(note the tape holding those removable panels in place)

And here at the Christie's auction:

Hmm... In Mr Scott's Guide...<snip>

For what it's worth, it is my understanding that the plans as presented in that book (and reprinted in countless other sources) are what the filming miniature was intended to be, not what it actually turned out to be as many details are different or missing completely. Personally, I take those plans with a very large grain of salt.