Thunderbird machines International Rescue's fleet comprises five principal rescue vehicles called the "
Thunderbird machines":
Thunderbird 1 :
Pilot: Scott Tracy Thunderbird 1 is a variable-geometry (
swing wing) hypersonic
rocket plane, blue and grey in colour, which is used for fast response and rescue zone
reconnaissance, and as a mobile control base. It has
VTOL capabilities which are demonstrated in many episodes, and its take-off from Tracy Island is usually vertical. With a maximum speed of , 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. The aircraft is primarily piloted by
Scott Tracy, with
Alan taking his place when he is unavailable as
Thunderbirds 1 and
3 are rarely required on the same mission (such as in "
Atlantic Inferno", when Scott takes charge of Tracy Island while
Jeff is on holiday). Jeff describes
Thunderbird 1 as "sleek, first and fast" at the beginning of
Thunderbird 6. One of the most popular errors noticed amongst
Thunderbirds fans is the pilot's ability to control almost all of the many functions of the rocket simply by moving one of the two control levers forward or back.
Thunderbird 1 appears in most episodes of the series; as a reconnaissance craft, it often assesses which vehicles are needed to effect a rescue. It does not appear in "
Sun Probe", "
The Impostors", "
Ricochet" or "
Give or Take a Million". In "
The Uninvited",
Thunderbird 1 is shot down by the Zombite Fighters and crashes into the desert. Scott is rescued by two explorers.
In adaptations Thunderbird 1 appears in the 2004 film
Thunderbirds, where it has an updated look similar to the original: silver-grey, with blue and yellow detailing and red nose cone. In the remake series
Thunderbirds Are Go,
Thunderbird 1 features a design similar to the original but with subtle changes and retains the role it has in the original series. However, like all of the
Thunderbirds, it can be piloted remotely through Scott's wrist console. It also possesses an electromagnetic cable that can be fired from the open cargo bay, allowing it to lift or tow objects. The electromagnet at the end of the cable can be swapped for a clip. It also carries a Skypod, a short-range flying capsule that allows Scott to get in close to a target where
Thunderbird 1s size would be a disadvantage, as well as several remote-operated drones that can be deployed to search multiple areas or places that cannot be reached by conventional means.
Thunderbird 2 :
Pilot: Virgil Tracy :
Co-pilot: Gordon Tracy Thunderbird 2 is International Rescue's heavy-duty transporter aircraft, which carries rescue equipment to the danger zone in one of six pods. It is a large, green VTOL aircraft that is involved in most ground- and sea-based rescue missions. It is piloted by Virgil Tracy, often accompanied by either Scott, Alan, Gordon or Brains, sometimes by
Tin-Tin Kyrano, and on at least one occasion by Lady Penelope. Designer
Derek Meddings maintained that the
forward-swept wings were a purely aesthetic decision intended to make
Thunderbird 2 stand out next to real-life aircraft: "All aircraft have
swept-back wings, so I thought I'd sweep mine forward." The launch sequence begins with the opening of a concealed hangar door disguised as a cliff face. Inside,
Thunderbird 2 stands on extended landing gear, ready to load one of six large equipment pods, which make up nearly half the volume of the craft. The pods slide on a conveyor belt until the desired one is in position, and the craft then lowers onto the pod. The aircraft then taxis down a runway flanked with
palm trees that fall back to accommodate the large wingspan. It is then raised on a platform until it is at the correct angle for take-off. A blast shield rises at the rear of the launch ramp, channelling the exhaust of the rear engines through a series of tunnels to the other side of the island.
Thunderbird 2 launches from this angle rather than using the VTOL thrusters because it is much more fuel efficient. It is the most frequently seen of all the
Thunderbirds, appearing in all but one episode of the TV series ("
The Impostors") and in all three films. In "
Terror in New York City",
Thunderbird 2 is fired upon and crippled by the warship
USN Sentinel and remains out of operation for the rest of the episode. The vehicle is subsequently repaired using parts sourced from several different aircraft companies to protect the secrets of the aircraft's design.
In adaptations In the 2004 film,
Thunderbird 2 is given an updated design that does not include a hollowed-out middle to carry any pods; instead, the craft has a solid body that carries several pod vehicles within. In the remake series
Thunderbirds Are Go,
Thunderbird 2 features a slightly updated design (with the pods now called "Modules") while retaining its role as the team's workhorse. The craft now features the same electromagnetic cable reels as
Thunderbird 1. Like the other
Thunderbird craft,
Thunderbird 2 can be piloted remotely through Virgil's wrist device. The contents of
Thunderbird 2s Modules differ from the pods of the original series. Module 1 specialises in carrying fire-fighting equipment and contains large speakers and subwoofers topside that are used primarily to emit low-frequency sound waves for use against large fires. It also comes with two under-slung
liquid nitrogen cannons. Module 2 contains three "pods", special units that can be converted and customised into several different rescue vehicles such as the Mole. Module 3 contains electromagnetic "grabs", large claws designed to lift objects heavier than the standard electromagnetic cables can handle. The nose of the craft also contains a set of grabs that can hold a set of seats for lifting people. Module 4 contains
Thunderbird 4 as Pod 4 did in the original series. Module 5 consists of a fuel pump to refuel other vessels, as well as seats. Module 6, like Module 4, is capable of carrying
Thunderbird 4, but is used during space travel.
Thunderbird 3 :
Astronaut: Alan Tracy or John Tracy :
Co-pilots: Scott Tracy and Tin-Tin Kyrano Thunderbird 3 is a vertically-launched
single-stage-to-orbit spacecraft used for space rescue and maintenance of
Thunderbird 5. It is long, with a wide body and a span including the engines. It is red in colour. One source says it is orange. The craft is used for space rescues in "
Sun Probe", "
Ricochet", "
The Impostors" as well as escorting the
Zero-X in the film
Thunderbirds Are Go. . Director
Jonathan Frakes wanted the
Thunderbirds to have a "sleek, pristine" look, so requested bright colours with minimal hull texturing.
Thunderbird 3 is unique among the
Thunderbird craft in having its dimensions quoted in an episode of the series: in "
Give or Take a Million" Jeff Tracy states that the spacecraft is tall. However, Brains says in a videotaped interview that
Thunderbird 3 is " in height". The spacecraft uses chemical rockets for lift-off and boost, and an
ion drive for propulsion in space. It is hangared beneath the "Round House" on Tracy Island, and is primarily piloted by Alan or John Tracy, with Scott often co-piloting. Since John is usually seen in
Thunderbird 5, he is rarely seen piloting the spacecraft (only in "
The Mighty Atom" and "
Danger at Ocean Deep" and "
The Uninvited", and never in a rescue situation). In "Ricochet",
Thunderbird 3 is piloted by Virgil.
In adaptations Thunderbird 3 features a slightly different design in the series
Thunderbirds Are Go. The three support structures on the engines are now grapple arms that can swing forward, which hold four electromagnetic cables each, and the nose cone of the craft holds a drill. The cockpit area can rotate to keep the pilot orientated "up" in relation to Earth regardless of the orientation of the rest of the craft. Like
Thunderbird 2,
Thunderbird 3 features a customisable pod vehicle in its cargo bay that is specialised for space rescues. Like the other
Thunderbirds, it can be piloted remotely through Alan's wrist device.
Thunderbird 4 :
Aquanaut: Gordon Tracy Piloted by
aquanaut Gordon Tracy,
Thunderbird 4 is a yellow utility submersible for underwater rescue. It is long and wide, which makes it the smallest of the
Thunderbirds vehicles but not the smallest of the pod vehicles.
Thunderbird 4 is carried aboard
Thunderbird 2 – usually in Pod 4, though on one occasion in Pod 6 ("
Attack of the Alligators!"). In "
Terror in New York City", when
Thunderbird 2 is temporarily out of action and
Thunderbird 4 is needed, the craft has to be launched by emergency procedure, from the
Thunderbird 2 hangar along the island runway, with the runway's overhang lowering itself into the sea as
Thunderbird 4 approaches it.
Thunderbird 4s slow speed makes it impractical for the craft to travel long distances on its own. In "Terror in New York City", Jeff Tracy contacts the
Sentinelthe warship responsible for incapacitating
Thunderbird 2to pick up
Thunderbird 4 and ship it to the danger zone. The submersible is fitted with an adjustable searchlight which can be raised or lowered to reveal a variety of rescue instruments, such as
cutting lasers, electromagnets, demolition rockets and battering rams, which can be extended from the nose section.
Thunderbird 4 does not play an active role in the films
Thunderbirds Are Go and
Thunderbird 6. It does, however, appear in the title sequence of
Thunderbirds Are Go. In
Thunderbird 6, Jeff Tracy gives a "run down" on each of the
Thunderbirds machines in which
Thunderbird 4 makes a brief appearance. Theo De Klerk considers
Thunderbird 4 to have the least practical design of the fleet, stating that its non-cylindrical shape makes it ill-adapted to extreme underwater pressures. The
Daily Mirror questions why the submersible is one of the
Thunderbirds given that it "can't even go anywhere on its own", having to be "carried around" by
Thunderbird 2 instead. It is equipped with almost completely automated onboard systems, allowing the entire station to be run by a single crew member. It 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 from
Thunderbird 5). The space station is located in a
geosynchronous orbit above the Pacific Ocean. It is electronically cloaked to avoid detection from ground-based radar or other spacecraft's sensor systems. Derek Meddings designed
Thunderbird 5 after the other machines and based its look on the Tracy Island Roundhouse model (through which
Thunderbird 3 launches). According to spaceflight historian Jack Hagerty, the shape of
Thunderbird 5 "pays homage to the earlier
circular stations of
Willy Ley and
Wernher von Braun", as well as the space station depicted in the 1955 film
Conquest of Space.
In adaptations For the series
Thunderbirds Are Go,
Thunderbird 5 is heavily redesigned. It now features a rotating habitation ring, which uses
centrifugal force to provide occupants with
artificial gravity. The station has a holographic computer system, also present within the Tracy home as well as the other
Thunderbirds, which allows John to have face-to-face conversations with the rest of the team and display information relevant to missions.
Thunderbird 5 is also equipped with a
space elevator (a rocket-equipped pod on a length of cable), which allows John to travel between the station and Tracy Island without having to rely on
Thunderbird 3. The station is also equipped with one configurable pod vehicle. Its surveillance and data technology enable it to access almost any kind of digital information that is not secured. Starting in the episode "EOS", the station is co-operated by the
artificial intelligence EOS, which has access to all of the station's systems. The entity – which was created by accident in the previous episode, "Runaway" – initially has a violent sense of self-preservation which leads to it seizing control of the station and attempting to kill John. After John is able to convince EOS that no one is threatening it, EOS becomes his on-board companion, albeit with a mischievous streak.
Critical response Graeme Shimmin considers
Thunderbird 2 the best aircraft in fiction, as well as the "most iconic" of the
Thunderbirds. A
Daily Mirror article describes
Thunderbird 2 as "obviously the best
Thunderbird. It is huge, it is green, it is a beautiful machine." In contrast,
Thunderbird 5 is "the most boring
Thunderbird of all, sat in space 'monitoring transmissions'." According to Theo de Klerk, none of the
Thunderbirds appear to have adequate capacity for large amounts of fuel, or
turbo generators to convert the heat from their nuclear reactors. De Klerk also states that both
Thunderbirds 1 and
2 would be hindered by the
drag created by their
engine blocks. He adds that the single VTOL rocket in
Thunderbird 1s block would provide little stability during lift-off from Tracy Island, and that given
Thunderbird 2s shape, weight and short runway, it is debatable whether that craft could achieve enough
lift to take off. On
Thunderbirds 3 and
5, de Klerk states that with only three main rocket engines,
Thunderbird 3 could be unstable in flight, and that International Rescue would need three supporting satellites positioned around the Earth to compensate for
Thunderbird 5s radio blind spots. He also notes that the crew of
Thunderbird 3 do not appear to lie on their backs for lift-off, despite the increased
G-force of space launches, and that while both
Thunderbirds 3 and
5 produce artificial gravity for their occupants, it is unclear how. In a discussion of
Thunderbird 5, a science article published by the
University of Leicester stated that while "[logically] it would be desirable for this secret space station not to be visible from Earth with the naked eye", the
Thunderbird would be unable to attain the extremely low
albedo needed to stay invisible; as a result, observers on Earth would be able to see it.
Others Thunderbird 2 pod vehicles Thunderbird 2 carries specialised rescue vehicles and equipment to disaster sites in one of six interchangeable capsules, called "pods". The "pod vehicles" are stored within the aircraft's cavernous hangar or kept on standby within the pods themselves. In the remake series
Thunderbirds Are Go, the vehicles can be converted and customised into many different rescue machines for a wide range of purposes.
The Mole The Mole is a tunnelling
subterrene that assists in underground rescues. It is carried to rescue sites on a trolley and tilted upwards to begin drilling. Caterpillar tracks on both sides enable it to return to the surface. The Mole is notable for being one of the few pod vehicles to appear in more than one episode, featuring in "
Pit of Peril", "
City of Fire" and "
The Duchess Assignment". It also appears in the closing credits alongside the five
Thunderbird machines,
Fireflash and
FAB 1. In a list of "greatest vehicles" in
Supermarionation productions, commentator Fred McNamara ranks the Mole fifth, calling it "one of the most recognisable" pod vehicles. The
Daily Mirror describes it as "the best
Thunderbird vehicle that wasn't a
Thunderbird".
Car magazine ranks it among the ten best vehicles to appear in Gerry Anderson productions.
Other pod vehicles •
Booster Mortar (a.k.a. the
Thunderiser): a tracked vehicle with a cannon that can fire rescue packs through upper-floor windows to assist people trapped in tall buildings. Used in "
Edge of Impact". Used in "
Trapped in the Sky". •
Excavator: a high-powered rock-crushing machine similar in design to the DOMO. It is used to clear rough terrain or unblock caves with people trapped inside, often being used for areas affected by landslides. Used in "
Martian Invasion". •
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 "
Moveand You're Dead". Used in "
Path of Destruction". •
Neutraliser Tractor: a tracked mobile device used primarily to disable the radio control systems and electronics of explosive devices through the use of sonic waves. Used in "
Moveand You're Dead". John Marriott also criticises this story development, commenting that "the big screen was an unsuitable place for the gentle irony of steam-age technology scoring triumphantly over an array of fantasy machines."
Thunderbird Shadow Thunderbird Shadow (or
Thunderbird S) is an addition to International Rescue's fleet of vehicles in the remake series
Thunderbirds Are Go. Black in colour, it is a highly agile, VTOL-capable hypersonic
stealth aircraft piloted by the organisation's Chief of Security
Kayo Kyrano. It is primarily used for covert operations related to protecting International Rescue as well as support for land and air-based rescues. The cockpit section doubles as a high-speed "Shadow Bike" motorcycle which can be dropped to the ground from the craft's fuselage when aerial pursuit becomes impractical while remaining in remote control contact. The ship features a pair of grappling claws in place of traditional landing gear, allowing it to perch on walls, ceilings, and other vehicles. The claws have also been used to carry cargo. Additionally,
Thunderbird Shadow is equipped with electromagnetic cables, a sonic cannon, and stealth mode "optical camouflage" cloaking technology, allowing it to appear invisible to the naked eye and radar. It can also launch electronic disabling devices onto vehicles to take control of them when in range.
Thunderbird Shadows launch area on Tracy Island is located on a rock outcrop in a hangar shared with
Thunderbirds 1,
3 and
4. Once Kayo is geared up in her flight suit, she ascends to the main body of the ship in the Shadow Bike. The craft is then carried backwards on a turntable and up a wall via a rail. The turntable then rotates 180 degrees so the nose faces up, just as the wall flips round to take the ship outdoors (the exterior is disguised as a rock façade of the island).
Thunderbird Shadow takes off from there.
Zero-XL Introduced in the final episodes of
Thunderbirds Are Go, the Zero-XL is a deep-space rescue vessel powered by a "T-Drive" engine. Designed and built by Brains and the Mechanic, its sole purpose is to travel to the
Oort cloud to rescue Jeff Tracy. The Zero-XL acts as a carrier for the other
Thunderbird air and space vehicles, comprising multiple docking ports that enable
Thunderbirds 1,
2,
3,
5 and
Shadow to be linked to it simultaneously.
Lady Penelope's vehicles . •
FAB 1: a six-wheeled
Rolls-Royce pink motor car used by
Lady Penelope and her chauffeur,
Parker. The car has an aircraft-style canopy and is fitted with many gadgets including a machine gun located behind the Rolls-Royce grille. •
FAB 2: Penelope's yacht, featured in "
The Man from MI.5". Parker loses the vessel by gambling it away in a game of poker. It also makes an appearance in the
Thunderbirds Are Go episode "Upside Down". •
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 features propellers for flight housed in its wheels. In the 2004 film, FAB 1 is a Thunderbird – a
Ford Thunderbird – and can
become an aircraft. Penelope also owns several pink Ford cars, at least one of which is named "FAB 8".
Miscellaneous •
Hover bikes: small personal transports that hover above the ground, used by all members of International Rescue. These vehicles are also seen in Anderson's earlier series
Fireball XL5. They also make an appearance in the 2004 film and the
Thunderbirds Are Go episode "Home on the Range". •
Ladybird Jet: Tin-Tin's jet seen in two episodes of
Thunderbirds, and appears as a piece in the
Thunderbirds game "Tracy Island" expansion pack. ==Other vehicles==