No need to reenact the countdown .. as its available in its original classic form here:
As a youngster (child in fact) Thunderbirds was just brilliant - all the automated features such as the sliding swimming pool, Virgil's 'pop-up' coat rack and, what did it for me .. the flopping palm trees as T2 taxied out of its cave-hangar!
Thunderbird 2 - with the 'flopping palm trees' at 4:05 
Back to the hybrid T2 lookalike, yes there have been several efforts in recent years to develop this type of vehicle - basically a more efficient airship - and I believe that if designers are able to hammer-out a cost-effective solution combined with acceptable performance that we may well witness these craft gracing the skies in times ahead!
If the BBC report is correct and that the US DoD have offered these chaps £300m to advance this project then, one presumes, it is not to be scoffed at in terms of lack of commitment.
The UK firm are not alone however;
Aeros have been around for quite a while and
Boeing have been working on this for the better part of the past five years now - and there are others besides.
Aeros' hybrid vehicle
And Boeing's effort
"Captain, there's a heavy storm brewing a hundred miles off the starboard bow and its heading in our direction."
"Helmsman, set new heading 240° and Number One advise the client that, together with our previous circumnavigations, we are now expected at port 2 days behind schedule."