Thunderbird 2 must have had a lift body design, there is no way those stubby little wings would have kept that lump in the air. It would have been like a c130 with the wings of an F104
And the propulsion system always fascinated me. Virgil brings her into the hover and THEN fires the lift engines to descend. They can be heard winding down BEFORE T2 actually touches down..incredible
I'll get my coat...