Here's a thing, if Tb5 was so ahead of its time, why did it need a bloke in it in the first place? Having John on the ground would have allowed Brains more flex with the rostering, tasking, leave, and gym tests of course. I can't help thinking that John knew he was onto a cushy number and as a consequence, mission effectiveness suffered. The swine.

I knew a Flight Test guy who not only looked like Alan Tracy, he walked like him too...

When being briefed on the radio kit before his first Harrier flight, after a fair bit of info' had been discussed, he paused - " and remind me, what is the O.F.F. Mode ? "...

Maybe John Tracy in TB5 had a pervy way of listening in to naughty phone lines, and obviously O bin liner learned all he knows from watching The Hood.

Seems to me someone with a fair bit of aircraft knowledge was involved in Thunderbird vehicle design - is it just me, or does TB1 bear a close resemblance to a cross between the Miles M.52 & the Lightning - and for instance Fireflash I think I'm right in saying is close to some late Barnes Wallis designs - not too sure about the the thrust line with the engines high up on the tail in the Fireflash I grant you.

It did have the advantage of having the crew safely by the tail, letting the punters arrive first !

That's why SID (Space Intruder Detector) in UFO was so much more sensible - a fully automated, talking AWACS!

One of the most noticeable aspects of Anderson productions is that they take time to build a story - many are really quite slow moving and rather cerebral. The fact that they are still appreciated by 21st century kids shows that a good story never goes out of fashion.

Now, who's up for a few hours of Space 1999 courtesy of ITV 3 or 4 (forget which)?

Ahhhhh Moonbase with the lovely Gabriella Drake (caused many a pre-pubescent stirring).........she appeared later in Crossroads......Ed Bishop as the Top Man............great memories.
What an excellent thread...........
Gerry should have been knighted.............we could do with International Rescue now!

Of course the Moonbase Interceptors were quite limited in their response.......i.e. One Shot only........

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 :eek:
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...

Ever noticed how TB1 looks a lot like a Lighting but with 10 times the range

Or how in the new Doctor Who, the 'air base' at the end was similar to the one in Captain Scarlet?

I thought the same thing.

This then, for jungly..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB1k02yh43A

She was a few years before my time I'm afraid. If it had been Gabrielle Anwar on the other hand..

Splitbrain,

I always preferred to gloss over the timing of TB2's lift engines ( maybe just the high power bit in the pure hover makes the noise & flame etc ? sadly more likely that's how long the effects flares lasted...)

When a lad, my cynical father always pointed at TB2 " they put the wings on the wrong way !" - so many years later I took great delight pushing pics of the X-29 under his nose.

Dyonsphere,

It seems TB1 has considerably more than 10 times Lighning range as it trundles across the Pacific / anywhere without refuelling - does 25,000mph too according to the 1st episode, which even some ex-Lightning types would hesitate to claim.

Is it me or are the episodes of most G.Anderson series where it all goes wrong - TB2 shot at & crash landing, Cloudbase under mass attack & going down in C.Scarlet, Mass Attack in UFO, or the one in space 1999 where Alpha & it's Eagles are picked off by Hawks & giant bomber etc; A, a staple fall-back, B, the most exciting !

Having said that, I still think the 1st episode of Thunderbirds ( 'Stranded in The Sky ' ) is a classic at any level, landing the Fireflash wheels-up on 3 high speed trucks...

BTW A friend once saw a soft porn film with G.Drake :E

Brought into the hover on the main nuclear drive, conventional lift engines started to hold her there and the main drive is shut down - that's what you can hear winding down...

I often wonder how you pilots manage these days without a F/E to manage the power plant for you. :rolleyes:

"Retard! Retard!" as the Airbus yells at the crew when they touch down. :}

Female aircrew in front line combat duty too, while all the men have admin jobs! I would wager Sylvia had a say in that..

Bigbluecar,

Sorry, just getting a thumbnail image there.

Al R

Right click on the link and copy the shortcut- it is worthwhile, I'd forgotten about the other two ladies at Moonbase :E

Top thread chaps.

here you go...

http://ufoseries.com/newPhotos/ellisClothesChange.jpg

I think I'd better go and lie down for a while after that pic :8

Well I can honestly claim to have actually flown/steered/dived All the original Thunderbirds machines. So there! But then in my callow youth I worked for Mr G Anderson. On Slough Trading Estate. I will never forget......the smell of warm Mars Bars, almost every day for 2 years! :)
Aviate 1138

Thanks Kitbag.

God yes. I wouldn't mind any one of those ripe young fillys engaging intercontinental drive mode (nappy wearing or not) for me.

Avlate,

How fascinating, you worked on the set then? Do you have any fots?

F.A.B.
 

Surely that means "Fire All Boosters"?

And remember..... Spectrum Is Green:ok:

Holy Moly! - Desktop bound. - Till my boss sees it, I had to remove a wallpaper with Alan Partridge in his shorts with the slogan 'Do you want me to lapdance for you' as it was deemed offensive!

if you have a look at this you can see moving pics of the clothes change:}

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uah-H5...related&search=

complete with soft porn sound track and technical talk:}:}