Why was the Millennium Falcon missing its Deflector Dish in this scene?

Question

I noticed that during the "Hanger Bay" scenes in A New Hope, the Millennium Falcon is missing its deflector dish. Out of universe, I recall hearing that this occurred because only half of the actual model had been built due to time limitations and budgetary restrictions.

Is there a canon explanation for why the Millennium Falcon was missing its deflector dish in this scene?

Answer 1

There's no canon reason that I'm aware of, but it's worth noting that in the original McQuarrie concept art for this scene, the rectenna is capable of rotating the full ninety degrees and becoming almost flush with the exterior of the ship.

It's certainly possible that when the Falcon is rigged for extended atmospheric flight the dish can somehow be flattened against the hull or even fully retracted, making it largely invisible from the angle we're viewing it from.

_{Artist's Impression}