20 Things You Didn't Know About Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

3. It's Not The Size It's How You Use It

Star Trek Helicopter
CBS

Sulu commandeers (though we never quite find out how) a Huey 204 helicopter in Star Trek IV. This is to solve the logistical problem of their whale tank. It's all well and good to secure the actual panels, but how are they going to get them to the Bird-of-Prey in Golden Gate Park?

This issue was somewhat shared by the filmmakers. How were they going to capture shots of a Huey in flight over San Francisco? They were told very early on that there was no chance they were going to be given permission to fly, so how could they capture the shots seen in the film?

Resorting to their earlier method of forced perspective that had worked so well for the bridge, the filmmakers simply built a radio-controlled model of a Huey! This allowed them to film it in such a way that it looked as though it was crossing the San Francisco skyline. Likewise, the shot of it rising above the cloaked vessel was simply another shot of the toy. Sulu's Huey never actually takes off from the ground, yet the shots in the film are excellent.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"