Jet Air Transporter: an air-cushioned vehicle that uses a combination of high-power vertical turbo fans and anti-gravity technology to allow people jumping from buildings or structures to be caught safely and gently lowered to the ground. Used in " Move–and You're Dead". [29] This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. ( June 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) In the 2004 live-action film, Thunderbird 2 was given an updated design where it doesn't have a hollowed-out middle to carry any Pods, and instead, has a solid body that carries several Pod Vehicles within. Thunderbird 2 is 250 feet (76m) long with a wingspan of 180 feet (55m) and a height of 60 feet (18m). A long-range craft, it is capable of reaching anywhere in the world without refuelling, often shown flying just above sea level and has a maximum speed of 6,000 miles per hour (9,700km/h), which is roughly Mach 7.82 (but cruises at 2,000 miles per hour (3,200km/h), roughly Mach 2.6). It therefore arrives at the danger zone later than Thunderbird 1. [9] A United States Army walking vehicle that appeared in the episode "Pit of Peril". It resembles a giant beetle. Powered by an atomic reactor, the four-legged Sidewinder has two mechanical arms at the front which are used to uproot trees and move aside other obstructions. The vehicle is operated by a crew of three from the cabin at the front. [46]

In " The Uninvited", Thunderbird 1 was shot down by the Zombite Fighters and crashed into the desert but Scott was soon found by two explorers. Thunderbird 4 features a slightly updated and streamlined design in Thunderbirds Are Go and has a few new features compared to its original counterpart, now possessing a pair of deployable grapple arms and two "dry tube" evacuation pods in its stern. Like the rest of the Thunderbirds, it can be piloted remotely via Gordon's wrist device.Thunderbird 1 appears in the 2004 live-action film Thunderbirds, where it has an updated look similar to the original; coloured silver grey, with blue and yellow detailing and red nose cone. In " Terror in New York City", Thunderbird 2 was fired upon and crippled by the USN Sentinel and remained out of operation for the rest of the episode. The vehicle was subsequently repaired using parts sourced from several different aircraft companies to protect the secrets of the aircraft's design. During a rescue mission on Jupiter's moon Europa in the episode "Deep Search", it was shown that Thunderbird 4 can also be transported in Thunderbird 3, although it was also provided with various new features to cope with the icy conditions on Europa. When not in use, Thunderbird 4 is housed both in one of Thunderbird 2 's Modules and a water tank seen in the main Tracy Island hangar so it can launch from the island when necessary. A reusable vertically launched SSTO (Single Stage To Orbit) spacecraft used for space rescue and maintenance of Thunderbird 5. Thunderbird 3 is 287 feet (87m) long, with a 23 feet (7m) wide body and a 79 feet (24m) span (including engines). It is red in colour. [15] Another source says it's orange. [16]

FAB 0: a six-wheeled motor car that appears in the Thunderbirds Are Go episode "Designated Driver" as the vehicle that precedes FAB 1. It resembles the original FAB 1 from the original Thunderbirds series and additionally features propellers housed in its wheels for flight. The Top Ten Cool Sci-Fi Vehicles". syfy.co.uk. NBCUniversal. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014. Multi-purpose jet-powered VTOL aircraft and helijets appear in numerous episodes and are widely used by civilian and military organisations. A variety of different designs are seen over the course of the series and were also seen in Anderson's next series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. Some versions seem to be based on the fuselage design of the Kaman HH-43 Huskie helicopter of the early 1960s. It is assumed that the production team modellers modified commercial plastic models (probably the 1/32 scale Hawk kit) of the helicopter for use in the series. Thunderbird 2 is the most frequently seen of all the Thunderbirds, appearing in all but one episode of the TV series ("The Impostors") and also appearing in all three films.The use of these models in Anderson's Supermarionation productions, beginning with Supercar, was a significant advance in television production. Dirt and wear were applied to add realism and counter the miniature models' toy-like appearance. [ citation needed] Thunderbird fleet [ edit ] With a maximum speed of 15,000 miles per hour (24,000km/h) ( Mach 19.7), it can reach anywhere on Earth within an hour's flight if a great circle route can be flown. Thunderbird 1 is hangared beneath the main house on Tracy Island and launches vertically from a pad camouflaged by a swimming pool that slides aside. Thunderbird 2 features a slightly updated design (with the Pods a rectangular prism and called Modules) in the series Thunderbirds Are Go while still retaining its traditional role of the team's workhorse. The craft now features the same electromagnetic cable reels as Thunderbird 1, though they can only be used if Thunderbird 2 has no Modules attached. Like the other Thunderbirds, Thunderbird 2 can be piloted remotely via Virgil's wrist device.

Although the Sentinel was prevented from fully destroying Thunderbird 2 when an identification signal was transmitted at the last minute, the damage sustained to the craft's engines crippled it for the rest of the episode. Subsequently, the Sentinel helped International Rescue to save some reporters from drowning in an underwater river in New York by taking Thunderbird 4 aboard and carrying it near the city, as Sentinel was the only available craft capable of transporting Thunderbird 4 that was fast enough to take it to the city in time to make a difference. [44] Sidewinder [ edit ] Sidewinder Measuring 122 metres (400ft) long, 90 metres (300ft) wide, and 83 metres (272ft) tall, Thunderbird 5 is equipped with almost completely automated onboard systems, allowing the entire station to be run by a single crew member. Thunderbird 5 is primarily commanded by John Tracy, although he is periodically relieved by Alan (according to the storyline, John and Alan swap roles once a month, one piloting Thunderbird 3 and the other monitoring Thunderbird 5, but such was writer Gerry Anderson's dislike for the character of John, that he was usually exiled to the space station). Derek Meddings designed Thunderbird 5 after the other machines and supposedly based the design on the Tracy Island Roundhouse model (through which Thunderbird 3 launches). [25]Another problem with the stated size is evident in the Thunderbird 3 launch scenes. For the craft to be over 200 feet, the ceiling of the roundhouse it passes through on take-off would need to be in excess of 50 feet (15m) high and the balcony rail 25 feet (7.6m) high. [ original research?] Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation". Many toys were made by Matchbox in the 1990s to coincide with a revival of the TV series, including a Tracy Island playset and also the new movie, though they were generally marketed outside the US and in Canada. The Tracy Island set was particularly popular in the UK, being the best selling toy at Christmas and was in such high demand on the year of its release that the BBC children's television show Blue Peter instructed viewers in constructing their own version from household materials. Remarkably, the free 'fact sheet' that detailed this process also became so sought-after that it too became difficult to obtain. Thunderbirds Episode Guide". Fanderson.org.uk. Bradford, UK: Fanderson. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013.