Thunderbird 2 Model Aircraft

Fly with this hand crafted Thunderbird 2 Model Aircraft . Each piece is carefully carved from wood and hand painted to provide a piece you’ll love.

Length  – 18 inches

Thunderbird 2 is International Rescue’s heavy-duty transporter aircraft which carries rescue equipment to the danger zone in one of 6 pods (including Thunderbird 4 in pod 4). Thunderbird 2 is a large, green VTOL aircraft that is used in most earth-based rescue missions. It is piloted by Virgil Tracy, who is often accompanied by either Scott Tracy, Alan Tracy, Gordon Tracy, Brains or sometimes Tin-Tin. Thunderbird 2 is 250 feet (76 m) long with a wingspan of 180 feet (55 m) and a height of 60 feet (18 m). 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 (9,700 km/h), which is roughly Mach 7,82 (but cruises at 2,000 miles per hour (3,200 km/h), roughly Mach 2,6). It therefore arrives at the danger zone later than Thunderbird 1.

Gerry Anderson’s design error on the original TB2 was corrected in later renditions. The telescopic legs which raise the craft were placed on the superstructure which prevented the pods from being loaded from a conveyor belt as seen in the original series’ opening credits.

The launch sequence begins with Thunderbird 2 taxiing through a concealed hangar door disguised as a cliff face onto a runway flanked with palm trees that fall back to accommodate the large wingspan. The aircraft 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 vertical VTOL because it is much more fuel efficient.

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 in order to protect the secrets of the aircraft’s design.

Thunderbird 2 holds the distinction of being 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.

Thunderbird 2 features a slightly updated design (with the Pods a rectangular prism) 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. The contents of Thunderbird 2’s modules differ slightly from the original series. Module 1 contains a large speaker, 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 into a number of 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. Module 5 consists of a fuel pump to defuel other vessels as well as seats like Module 3. Like the other Thunderbirds, Thunderbird 2 can be piloted remotely via Virgil’s wrist device.