Thunderbird 2 was largely designed by Derek Meddings, who was also responsible for drafting the looks of the other main International Rescue craft. A behind-the-scenes photo shows that TB2's grabs used to pick up the Seascape Drilling Rig diving sphere (in Atlantic Inferno) were actually held by a crewman, pulling it up.When the model of the main fuselage was lifted onto its telescopic legs, leaving its pod on the ground, the structure sometimes weakened - resulting in the front section of the craft breaking away. Ian Wingrove manipulating the grabs and Noel Rowland on camera This would not normally be possible, due to the weight of the pod itself, and its contents. A slight error exists in the opening credits of the TV series: When Virgil is displayed on-screen, TB2 can be seen to be on the ground with its legs fully extended, yet the pod is held in place.Even the new TB2 gets severely damaged later in another TV21 comic, The Zoo Ship, when an attempt to fly TB2 by remote control backfires, causing it to crash on its runway and damage one of its wings. After narrowly escaping destruction during crash-dives in the episodes Terror in New York City and Ricochet, the original Thunderbird 2 is seemingly destroyed (as is the original Thunderbird 3) by the Hood's henchmen in the TV21 comic, Brains is Dead, with Jeff remarking at the end that both craft will need to be rebuilt, implying that the damage sustained was so severe that both craft have to be completely replaced, or at the very least, need extensive repairs.When Parker appeared on BBC1's The One Show in 2014, he said that the National Physics Laboratory wrote to Gerry Anderson saying that they thought something like Thunderbird 2 was aeronautically impossible in real life.Engines: 2 variable-cycle gas turbine engines operating as turbo fans at low speed and supersonic combustion ram jets at high speed 12 variable-cycle turbo-ram cruise / trim jets in tailplane 4 vertical take-off turbo fan jets in main body 4 vertical take-off chemical rockets in landing legs.Maximum altitude attained: 100,000 feet.These form a bigger picture of the craft's exact technical details. The craft is, however, completely capable of vertical takeoff and landing without the pod, but has less integrity this way.ĭespite Thunderbird 2's specifications being classified, bits of information have been revealed on several occasions, including: TV Century 21 issue 234, the 19 Thunderbirds annuals, FAB Cross-sections, Thunderbirds Agents' Technical Manual and Century 21 Tech Talk season 1. Once the pod of choice locks into position, TB2 is ready to depart for the danger zone. Two stilts are located each at the front and back of the craft to hydraulically lift TB2 upward, allowing it to receive one of six pods - each equipped with its own undercarriage - available for different types of rescue scenarios. The frame incorporates the cockpit, wings, and fuel tank near the vehicle's front, and at the rear the engines and the tailplane, which serves to aid lift and stability. TB 2 is comprised of two parts: a framed superstructure, and a cargo pod.
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