Thunderbirds Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Thunderbirds Wiki
You might also be looking for the 2086, 2004 or 2015 versions.

Thunderbird 1 is International Rescue's rapid-response vehicle, and is usually the first to arrive at the danger zone. Thunderbird 1 is piloted by Scott Tracy, although it can also be piloted by his younger brother, Alan.

History[]

Construction[]

Originally codenamed "Tracy 1", Thunderbird 1 was built alongside what would become Thunderbird 2 and 3 in a top-secret Tracy Aerospace facility[1], over a period of about four years[2]. Although Brains was responsible for heavily revising existing blueprints at Tracy Aerospace, it is unclear who originated the plans.

Tracy 1 was the first of the three to be ready for testing, with Scott taking the helm because of his air-force experience. Although the first test-flight began smoothly, after only 10 minutes Scott was ordered to return to base because of an oncoming thunderstorm. Moments later, the craft was struck by lightning and Scott lost all control of the craft, and it started to spiral towards the ground. Unphased, Brains activates the rocket's ground to air remote control system and begins to steer it gently towards the ground. However, the landing gear did not deploy and Tracy 1 crash-landed, almost killing Scott. Although Jeff was not impressed at the crash, Brains remained optimistic and was enthused that the ship's metal alloy remained largely undamaged.[1]

In the aftermath of the crash, Scott joked that the rocket became a "real Thunder Bird", prompting Jeff to denote the series of rescue craft as "Thunderbirds".

In Operation[]

Main article: Thunderbird 1/Missions

Thunderbird 1 makes its first formal appearance for International Rescue during the rescue of Fireflash 1 in Trapped in the Sky. The radar operator at London International Airport's control tower was amazed to pick up the craft travelling at 7,500 miles per hour.

ER668

Thunderbird 1 plays an active role in a rescue (End of the Road)

Although Thunderbird 1's primary role is reconnaissance and assessment, the craft itself plays a role during the rescue of Eddie Houseman in End of the Road. After Eddie's explosives truck teeters on the edge of a narrow mountain ledge, Scott is forced to use Thunderbird 1's nosecone to prop the truck up and keep it steady while Thunderbird 2 comes in from above with magnetic grabs.

Thunderbird 1 comes under fire in The Uninvited when it is shot down by a Zombite fighter jet, making a 'forced landing' in the Sahara Desert. Apart from the radio systems not working, Thunderbird 1 sustains no significant damage and is able to return home the next day.

In Solar Danger, Thunderbird 1 is fitted with grade ten emergency boosters, which allows it to operate in space. Thunderbird 3, with Alan and Brains onboard, is stuck on Venus and has lost contact with Earth, and Thunderbird 1 needs to travel to the planet itself to help with a potential rescue. The journey to Venus with the upgraded boosters takes at least 27 hours. After arriving, Thunderbird 1 is almost crushed by a Venusian monster, but with the added speed of the boosters Scott is able to get himself free. Scott and Thunderbird 1 remain on Venus for several more days as they await the arrival of a similarly upgraded Thunderbird 2, and for the recovery and repair of Thunderbird 3, but all are able to survive the inhospitable planet and make a safe return to Earth.

In Atlantic Inferno, Alan moves up to pilot TB1 as Scott assumes command of International Rescue, when their father leaves Tracy Island on holiday. Jeff had reasoned that Thunderbirds 1 and 3 were rarely used on the same rescue assignment; so Alan was directed to control whichever of the two craft any rescue would require (which, in the event, turned out to be TB1).

Technical Data[]

Despite Thunderbird 1's specifications being classified, bits of information have been revealed on several occasions, including: TV Century 21 issue 235, the 1994 and 2003 Thunderbirds annuals, FAB Cross-sections, Thunderbirds Agents' Technical Manual and Century 21 Tech Talk season 1. These form an idea of the craft's technical details, even if precise details are inconsistent.

  • Maximum speed: 15,000 mph
  • Diameter: 12 feet
  • Length: Between 90 and 115 feet[3]
  • Wingspan: 80 feet
  • Weight: 140 tons
  • Maximum altitude attained: 150,000 feet
  • Power source: atomic fusion reactor
  • Range: unlimited
  • Engines: 4 variable-cycle gas turbine engines; 4 booster rockets; 1 variable-mode engine operating as a high-performance sustainer rocket for launch or boost as a variable-cycle gas turbine in flight; 1 vertical take-off variable-mode engine operating as a rocket or variable-cycle gas turbine hover jet; pitch and yaw jets: 20 forward and 25 rear

Profile[]

Cockpit[]

Thunderbird 1 is mainly controlled with four flight levers - two control steering and altitude, while the other two control engine throttle. The cockpit also has two viewing hatches - one on the left and one to the right of the pilot's control seat.

Control Panel[]

Scott has several visual-aid screens on the control panel, including a monitor for a homing device and a sonar detector.

Engines[]

4 variable-cycle gas turbine engines
4 booster rockets
1 variable-mode engine operating as a high-performance sustainer rocket for launch or boost or as a variable-cycle gas turbine engine in flight
1 vertical take-off variable-mode engine operating as a rocket or variable-cycle gas turbine hover jet
Pitch and yaw jets: 20 forward and 25 rear

Wingspan[]

Thunderbird 1’s wingspan, when fully deployed, is debated to be between 24 and 35 meters.

Gadgets[]

Thunderbird 1 has a wide variety of gadgets at its disposal, notably an Automatic Camera Detector - which can tell Scott immediately when someone's photographing his ship - and an electromagnetic beam, used to wipe any forbidden photo or video.

There's also a Remote-Control Hover Camera, a megaphone, a magnetic grapple connected to a hawser cable, High-Velocity Steel Spears, and a sonar tracking system.

Armament(s)[]

Cockpit underside-mounted International Engineering Ltd TBM6 20mm swivel machine cannon.

Refit[]

From time to time, Thunderbird 1 underwent minor changes to its design.

In Trapped in the Sky, Thunderbird 1 was seen landing on wheels. Later on in the series, these would become flat 'skis'. While FAB Cross-sections states that the two methods were interchangeable, the Century 21 Tech Talk feature on Thunderbird 1 would put forward that it was a permanent modification to the craft.

Launch Sequence[]

Main article: Thunderbird 1/Launch Sequence

Thunderbird 1 is kept in an underground hangar directly beneath the Tracy Villa, and is moved into position beneath the pool when preparing to launch.

Appearances[]

Thunderbird 1 appears in most episodes. The only episodes in which it does not make an appearance are Sun Probe, The Impostors, Ricochet and Give or Take a Million. It makes a brief appearance in The Perils of Penelope when Scott returns home from leave, despite not taking part in the episode's rescue.

Cutaway Drawings[]

Main article: History of the Cutaway Drawings (Classic Thunderbirds)

Thunderbird 1 has appeared in no less then seventeen different publications - but in only four basic designs, three of which are illustrated by Graham Bleathman.

Behind the Scenes[]

Design[]

Thunderbird 1, like the rest of the hero International Rescue craft, was designed by Derek Meddings. Described in the series bible as nothing more than "the 15,000mph rocket" with "smoke billowing from its tail"[4], Meddings combined the rocket-like takeoff with the need for horizontal flight by incorporating retractable 'swing-wings' into the main body.

The designs then went on to Mike Trim, who drew up detailed plans in order for the model team to construct the craft in miniature.

Filming Models[]

Main article: The Models of Thunderbird 1

Because of the way the Thunderbirds television series was produced, around 15 different models were produced by the model-makers at AP Films. Because of differences in scaling, detailing, and typography, the different models can be identified and catalogued.

Construction Kits[]

Main article: Construction Kits of Thunderbird 1

Like all of the Thunderbirds, Thunderbird 1 has gone on to be a popular subject for model-kit manufacturers, with new kits still for sale to this day.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 The Complete Thunderbirds Story
  2. The Secrets of Tracy Island
  3. The in-universe story Introducing Thunderbirds states that TB1 stands 90 feet high, a fact that makes its way into the similarly in-universe Century 21 Tech Talk. On the other hand, out-of-universe sources (including original production documents) place the craft at 115 feet tall.
  4. Filmed in Supermarionation (book), volume three
Advertisement