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FAB 1

FAB1-1
FAB 1

 

Here are the Canon Foundry facts about FAB 1, all taken from Thunderbirds FAB Cross-Sections by Graham Bleathman, Carlton Books (2000) ISBN 1 84222 091 8:

Dimensions

Length: 21 feet

Width: 8 feet

Weight: 3 tons

Performance

Land Speed: In excess of 200 m.p.h.

Sea Speed: 50 knots

Armaments

  • Front: 2 machine guns and 1 central machine cannon
  • Rear: 2 machine guns, 4 harpoon launchers, smokescreen canister, oil slick dispenser and 2 laser guns

Engines

  • Modified Rolls-Royce gas turbine
  • Vortex aquajet for water travel

Driver

Parker

Other Information

  • Movable grille slats allow for cannon to emerge and act as air intake for gas turbine located behind
  • The winged figure atop the grille is a “Spirit of Ecstasy” and a signal locator array
  • Its hydrofoils extend to below the wheels, lifting the car vertically clear of the water
  • All the “glass” on FAB 1’s dome is actually laminated, polarized anti-glare glass-steel
  • The centrally placed power-steering wheel has an air bag
  • FAB 1’s clear upper doors are known as gull-wing for the manner in which they open (upward, like a gull’s wing flapping up)
  • Beneath the gull-wing clear upper doors are the pink doors that are part of the body of the car; these open by folding down so that when stepping out of FAB 1, a person is technically stepping on the inside of the door
  • There is a spare tyre directly behind where Lady Penelope sits in the back of the car
  • Has TV cameras on the left and right either side of the engine, and one on the rear of the vehicle next to the left-side taillights
  • Has four spatial stereo hi-fi speakers inside it
  • There are snow skis that can be extended beneath should they be required
  • Has retro-pack emergency air brakes
  • The pink Rolls Royce was built under licence and approved by the Rolls-Royce Corporation for the Creighton-Ward family
  • When Lady Penelope took possession of FAB 1, it underwent several modifications including the hydrofoils, skis, studs in the tyres for icy roads and a variety of weaponry built into the front and rear.
  • The original engine was replaced by a Rolls-Royce built gas turbine
  • More modifications to FAB 1 were made by International Rescue when Lady Penelope became a member of the organization

Here are some more canon facts about FAB 1 from other sources:

 

From the TV Series and Movies (Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6):

The Canon FactThe Source
FAB 1 has an automatic weapon (cannon) that extends from its grill.Seen in the episode "Trapped in the Sky."
FAB 1 can float and propel itself on water.Seen in the episode "Lord Parker's 'oliday," the movie "Thunderbirds Are Go" and is also present in the John Theydon novels.
FAB 1 has a single-shot weapon that is hidden behind the middle of the three left headlights.Seen in the episode "The Perils of Penelope" when Parker shoots the glass of Pernot in Penelope's hand.
FAB 1 can release oil and smoke.Seen in the episode "Brink of Disaster"
FAB 1 can be automatically, remotely controlled.Seen in the episode "Brink of Disaster" when Parker and Penelope make the crooks go round and round the fountain in FAB 1 all night.
Though we did not see FAB1 use its hydrofoils until Series 2, they were obviously a feature of the car from before the start of the series as in the audio 'Introducing Thunderbirds' Lady Penelope and Parker use FAB1 to travel from FAB2 to Tracy Island.Introducing Thunderbirds
Other Sources:
The pink Rolls Royce was designed and built by Brains under Jeff's direction, out of his gratitude for her having agreed to become his advisor in International Rescue.Peel, John (1988)  Supermarionation: the Magical World of Gerry Anderson . "Supporting Cast: Lady Penelope," Los Angeles, California; Schuster and Schuster
FAB1 was originally built for Penelope’s father, Lord Hugh, but later modified for her special requirements.Olivier, Jenny (2001), Lady Penelope’s Secrets. Carlton Books Limited. pp. 60-63
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