I plan to go through all the models used in Thunderbirds in reverse Bandai/Emotion laser disk order as time permits.
Space radio
station KLA is severely damaged when a faulty communications
satellite booster explodes nearby. The force of the explosion
puts KLA into an uncontrolled descent. Thunderbird 3 must rescue
the crew of KLA before it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere while
Thunderbird 2 keeps the stricken satellite from hitting an oil
refinery!
Here is 'Pirate'
radio broadcasting space station KLA in orbit. Looks like
this thing was a simple turned wooden shape to which
various plastic model kit parts and other things were
attached.
This is a view of
the TELSAT-4 communications satellite launch area at
Sentinel Base. Look at the incredible level of detail
that was incorporated into this miniature set. The plume
of white smoke between the rocket and the gantry is
probably Titanium Tetrachloride, a chemical which smokes
spontaneously in contact with air.
Here is the
TELSAT-4 rocket in flight in front of the rolling sky
backdrop. This is probably a wooden model. Note how the
flame and smoke from the pyrotechnic rocket motors is
going straight 'down'. In later episodes of Thunderbirds,
like this one, rocket models were often filmed upside
down so that the flames and smoke (which tend to rise)
would appear to shoot straight down in the finished shot.
The International
Space Control headquarters is a typical highly detailed
Thunderbirds building. It was made of wood, artist's
board, and transparent acetate sheet. Check out the
miniature trees on the left which were made from colored
lichen and natural twigs.
Here is the KLA
radio station model showing the effects of damage
sustained by the detonation of the TELSAT-4 third stage.
The KLA's 'damage' appears to be little more than a few
charcoal smears on the paintwork and some bent wire.
Here is the
Thunderbird 3 spacecraft undocking from the Thunderbird 5
space station. Note the many plastic kit details
incorporated into the Thunderbird 5 model. Those red
pipes appear to be made from plastic kit part sprues or
'trees'.
Here is
Thunderbird 3 firing its Schermuly pyrotechnic rocket
motors after undocking from Thunderbird 5. Schermuly
produce emergency flares and other similar devices.
During the 1960s, they made special no-thrust black
powder rocket engines for the Andersons.
This is the
International Rescue space station, Thunderbird 5. Most
students of Supermarionation believe that only one model
of TB5 was ever made. This model was reworked a number of
times and on each occasion some details were changed.
Here is the Cliff
House on Tracy Island. The rock face under the Cliff
House swings up to reveal Thunderbird 2's hidden hangar.
The various Tracy Island Base sets were built using
methods that would be familiar to anyone who is involved
with model railroading. Rocks were made from natural
stones, plaster, paper mache, lumps of coal, styrofoam,
and other such things. Trees and vegetation were made
from colored lichen, sponge, twigs, and small plants.
Dirt was made from sand or colored sawdust. Structures
were made from wood, artist's board (a type of stiff
card), and other such things.
Here is a view of
the Thunderbird 2 heavy cargo craft emerging from its
hidden hangar under the Tracy Island Base Cliff House.
Notice how the palm trees on either side of the runway
are hinged to tilt back to provide Thunderbird 2 with
additional clearance.
A launch pad for
Thunderbird 2 is located on the end of the Tracy Island
runway. Normally stored horizontally, the launch pad is
elevated after Thunderbird 2 has moved into launch
position. Sharp eyed Thunderbirds viewers may note the
rod which the technicians attached to the back of the
launch pad to keep Thunderbird 2 from slipping backwards
whenever the launch pad is raised!
Here is one of the
smaller models of Thunderbird 3 next to one of the KLA
space satellite models. It was standard practice to make
a number of different models of each main
Supermarionation vehicle. Models were made in different
sizes and with different levels of detail as required for
long shots or near shots.
Here is a small
astronaut figure which is being manipulated on a thin
wire next to what is probably the largest (or one of the
largest) models of Thunderbird 3. Small human figures
such as this were often made from painted plasticine
clay. Note the high level of detail incorporated into
this version of Thunderbird 3. This was probably the
model used in the huge TB3 launch silo set.
The KLA space
satellite is falling in a trajectory that will cause it
to hit this oil refinery unless something can be done.
Most of the structures you see here were made from Volmer
and Kibri HO/OO scale plastic model railroad kits.
Here is another
view of the desert refinery that the KLA is going to hit
unless International Rescue finds a way to alter its
trajectory. It looks like many of these miniature
structures came from the Australian nuclear power plant
set from 'The Mighty Atom'.
This small yellow
vehicle appears to have been some kind of die cast toy
truck. Does anybody out there have any idea what this
thing is? The wheels look like the kind used on Matchbox
products during the early 1960s.
Here is one of the
smaller models of Thunderbird 2 attempting to push the
falling KLA satellite out of the way of the oil refinery.
Both models are suspended on thin metal wires in front of
the rolling sky backdrop.
Here is a close up
of TB2 pushing against the KLA satellite. Notice how
clean this model of the KLA space radio station is in
this shot. What happened to all that charcoal 'damage'?
Thunderbird 2 has
the KLA satellite balanced on its starboard wing and is
carrying it over the oil refinery. These spherical
structures were probably used in 'The Mighty Atom'. Note
the kit details at the base of these structures and the
painted on panel line details on the spheres.
Thunderbird 2 is
about to drop the KLA space station away from the oil
refinery. Notice that all that charcoal 'damage' somehow
came back! SFX shots were not always filmed in sequence.
2003 Archive 
