Thunderbird One
Here are the Canon Foundry facts about Thunderbird One, all taken from the International Rescue Thunderbirds Agents’ Technical Manual written by Sam Denham (2012):
Dimensions
Length: 115 feet
Wingspan: 80 feet
Diameter: 12 feet
Weight: 140 tons
Performance
Max Speed: 15,000 mph
Max Altitude: 150,000 feet
Range: Unlimited
Power
Power source: Atomic fusion reactor
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 engine in flight
- 1 vertical take-off variable-mode engine operating as a rocket or variable-cycle gas turbine hover jet
Other Information
- Combination of a standard rocket-ship and swing-wing fighter plane
- Top-secret new technology was developed by Brains to prevent stratospheric disintegration. This is called HALO (High Altitude Operating) system incorporation MIDAS (Molecular Interspatial Disturbance Anti-detection Shroud). This provides a distortional force field which acts as a protective barrier against external air pressure and is an effective radar-jamming cloak.
- Gimbal-mounted pilot’s seat is in the nose-cone section
- Forward-mounted display screen provides inflight visual information
- Observation ports on either side of the cabin can be shielded (closed) or unshielded (open)
- Can land horizontally on any terrain with optional wheel or skid-mounted undercarriage
- Can hold station in mid-air with the use of a hover-jet positioning system
- Craft is equipped with a mobile inspection camera, sonar sounding equipment, a winch system, high-velocity spears, a magnetic grapple and a retractable destructor cannon (“Retracted International Engineering Ltd TBM6 20mm swivel machine cannon”).
- A variety of field equipment, medical supplies and protective clothing is stored in control cabin lockers.
- A storage bay in the rear fuselage houses a mobile control unit and a personal hover-jet
- Fitted with two automatic camera detectors and a digital- and magnetic-wiping beam
- There are bucket seats available beneath the pilot’s chair for additional passengers as required (appear to be two in the drawing on p. 45)
- The pilot exit hatch is directly beneath the pilot’s chair on the underside of the craft if she is horizontal (p. 45 drawing)
- The pilot climbs up to the exit hatch, and down from the exit hatch, via a ladder that retracts/lengthens when deployed.
- There is a passenger cabin directly behind the cockpit bulkhead. It appears to only hold one passenger.
- Passengers have a separate access ladder that functions the same as the pilot’s, but leads directly to the passenger cabin.
- There is a bulkhead screen that moves around the center section of bulkhead, and also a passenger seat microphone, to allow for communication between pilot and passenger.
- Red nose cone is heat-resistant and Cahelium-bonded
Information from the Thunderbirds Information Sheet:
Colour – Grey with blue and red markings
Length – 115 feet
Speed – 15,000 miles per hour
Pilot – Scott Tracy