Fireflash is a hypersonic airliner capable of travelling at six times the speed of sound carrying at least 600 persons. Its luxurious interior contains a comfortable lounge in each of its wings and a cockpit located in the tail fin. It has been the target of at least two seperate sabotage events that have required the intervention of International Rescue.
Structure
Fireflash's fuselage has two decks, indicated by the two rows of windows seen in closeups. The main wings begin roughly halfway down the fuselage and sweep back to the very end of the plane. Each one contains a cocktail lounge with Cahelium Extract X strengthened windows that offer panoramic views. The end of each wing folds down 90 degrees to deploy the nacelle undercart, and then, when it takes off and it is in the air, the undercart is closed and the end of each wing fold back up 90 degrees.
The tail fin contains the cockpit, allowing the pilot and co-pilot a complete view of the plane. The top of the tail fin splits into two branches, each one housing three "Atomus" engines, that give Fireflash a cruising speed of 2800 mph. There are two sets of horizontal stabilising fins: one pair near the front of the fuselage, the other attached to the engines.
Technology
While the reactor is capable of running for up to six months, the shielding around the reactor requires servicing at the end of every flight, limiting its flight time to around 3-4 hours before everyone aboard is exposed to lethal levels of radiation.
History
Fireflash has been subject to a number of sabotage attempts, the first of which was during the maiden flight of the aircraft and was a particularly notable incident due to the fact that the rescue of Fireflash, its crew and passengers introduced International Rescue to the world. The Hood planted a bomb in the undercarriage of Fireflash, inhibiting its ability to land. Early attempts to save the aircraft included the pilots carrying out violent maneuvers to loosen the bomb but to no avail. The second rescue attempt involved putting a man aboard the plane to remove the bomb. The task was a difficult one and the bomb was just out of reach, resulting in the man falling from the aircraft, opening a parachute and falling to the ground. International Rescue, who had been monitoring the situation arrived with a rescue plan involving Elevator Cars to act as Fireflash's undercarriage. The rescue was successful, although resulted in damage to Fireflash's nose as well as a few of International Rescue's Elevator Cars. (TV: Trapped In The Sky)
Also Fireflash is sabotaged by a man who hid in the bay of Fireflashes 3,4 and 5 in the episode Operation Crash-Dive.
Technical Data
Length: Unknown
Wingspan: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Maximum Speed: Mach 6
Maximum Operating Altitude: In excess of 235,000
feet
Power Source: Atomic reactor powering six "Atomus" engines; six are in each tail fin
Appearances
- Trapped In The Sky
- Operation Crash Dive
- The Impostors (cameo)
- The Duchess Assignment (cameo)
- The Man From MI.5 (cameo)
- Security Hazard (flashback)
Trivia
- Fireflash is distinguished to be the only non-International Rescue machine shown in the closing credits of the TV series, starting with the episode Pit Of Peril and continuing to the end of the series.
- There was originally going to be a scene from Thunderbirds Are Go that would show Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and Parker on board Fireflash flying to the United States but it was deleted.
Gallery
<gallery widths="170" orientation="none"> File:FireflashBirdsEyeView.jpg|Overhead view of Fireflash. File:FireflashCabinPanoramic.jpg|One of the two wing lounges.