Multiple land, air, sea and space vehicles appear in the 1960s British Supermarionation television series Thunderbirds and its adaptations. Many of the futuristic craft seen in the productions were designed by Thunderbirds special effects director Derek Meddings.
The most prominent vehicles are the five principal rescue craft of the International Rescue organisation: the "Thunderbird machines" (after which the series was named). In the fictional world of Thunderbirds, all of the International Rescue vehicles were designed by Brains, the organisation's resident scientist.
International Rescue vehicles 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.
A long-range craft, Thunderbird 2 is capable of reaching anywhere in the world without refuelling. It has a cruising speed of . 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.
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 Brains Behind Thunderbirds (1965/2000), Carlton International Media. Appears on bonus disc on Thunderbirds: 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition DVD box set.
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. In a list of "Top Ten Cool Sci-Fi Vehicles", syfy.co.uk ranked Thunderbird 4 seventh. 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.
In adaptations The submersible appears in the 2004 film with an updated design, including space for two operators, larger cockpit windows, searchlights and two under-slung claws. It is handled by Alan Tracy rather than Gordon because the latter is unavailable, having been stranded along with his father and brothers in space.
For the remake series Thunderbirds Are Go, Thunderbird 4 features a slightly updated and streamlined design with some new features. It now possesses a pair of deployable grapple arms and two "dry tube" evacuation pods in its stern. The cockpit floor has a large transparent viewport. Like the rest of the Thunderbirds, it can be piloted remotely through Gordon's wrist device. During a rescue mission on Jupiter's moon Europa in the episode "Deep Search", it is shown that Thunderbird 4 can also be transported in Thunderbird 3, although it has been given new features to cope with the icy conditions on Europa. When not in use, Thunderbird 4 is housed in one of Thunderbird 2s Modules and a water tank, so that it can launch from the island when necessary.