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Since I have one Thunderbird in the mix what say we go for 2! Heres Monograms 1/48 F-84F in Thunderbird livery. The second airframe the USAF Air Demonstration Team first introduced in 1955. The kit decals were in sorry shape so I've replaced them with a set from Warbird Decals Nothing like colourful fun if you ask me. To the build line! More like a drunken Conga line with all the builds going on at preset, but no matter, Boom -Chicka Boom we go!

Since I've already done the Short lived Republic F-105 Thunderbird, It's high time to go to the waaay back machine and do the Thunderbirds first iteration with Tamiya's 1/48 F-84G. In real life Chrome no less! Not sure how that will work out. I haven't built a chrome plated kit since sine I did a Hawk P-51 back when Johnson was President. Lyndon, not Andrew. SO lets see what the kits offers us shall we? Lots'O Chrome thats for sure This should prove interesting. to say the least. But forward as they say... Into the Fog!

As the Comet is nearly finished and there is still a bit of time left with this GB, I thought I might have a go at something really out of my comfort zone. A diorama/structure model. This kit was a gift from my son, and this is just the time to start building it. The kit is currently marketed through Bachmann Industries in their Adventures in Plastic series. I think the kit may have originally issued by Aoshima.. Should be an interesting challenge once I have worked out a logical build/paint sequence (or I could just follow the instructions, nah). The instructions suggest watching old episodes of 'Thunderbirds' to help with painting, which advice I will possibly follow, given I have a box set (again a present from offspring, they know their father is a man of simple tastes). This build might be spread over some time as I will be doing other builds in the Airco/DH GB

Ahoy once more. Finally posting up shots of this diorama I put together...flipping heck, it was back in April 😮. Anyway, got a request from my aunt about whether any Thunderbird 2 models existed, as it was my uncle's favourite. By chance I'd spotted the reboxed Aoshima offerings around October '21, and ended up building the Mole for my brother (don't think I've actually posted images of that one yet, may have to get hold of it for some pics), so I knew one was around. Snapped it up, and also got a display case for it. This was my first real attempt at putting an aircraft model in flight, and I'd later replicate the technique for my MiG-29 display (with the same style of case). Took a considerable bit of doing and a lot of trial and error to get it to sit where and how I wanted. Since its about to be wrapped up soon as a Christmas present, decided to get pictures before it leaves my possession. Overall, not a bad build. Needed a bit of modification for flight mode, notably adding in scratchbuilt landing feet pads to more resemble the original version. If memory serves I used all the decals except for those on the engine cowlings. Paint scheme was a combo mix of Tamiya Yellow and Flat Green. Minor weathering effects applied, with just a bit of a panel line wash and a small amount of oil fading at the top of the pod. The base took a lot more tinkering to get looking right. Initially brush-painted every individual field in, then went over with an airbrush to try tidying things. Adding the trees, the teeny tiny little vehicles (there's a FAB1 down there too), and the little town, as well as the mast, to give the sense TB2 is high above. The kit comes with a TB4 and excavator. Obviously they wouldn't fit into the planned scene, so I came up with making them their own mini scenes. Was something different from what I was used to, and helped me try some new things On with the pictures. Thank you as always for looking Gaz

First topic. Tracy Island 2.0......it's 2.0 because I made this 2 years before but only used "left overs" etc.etc. That one was sold so I thought....let's try it again but better and more detailed. So....I started to "study" Blender and bought a 3D printer to make a lot of things I need myself. I'm making a Tracy-Island cutaway model like the one in the books Started with the TB1 Launchbay and here's what we've got untill now. The rocket ( F-Toys) was bought, all the rest is handmade and it's only 22x11x6 cm ( Rocket is 5 cm ). To be continued...ps...looking for a F-Toys TB2 model.... Visit my website

Ok now for something COMPLETELY different. Revell's 1/48 F-105D back dated to an F-105B Thunderbird circa 1964 season ( it's only brief use as a demonstration aircraft. Not sure if I'll do it in Alclad II or Foil, or a combination, But in any event should prove interesting. So come along and all comments, suggestions, questions and general clowning are always welcome, So let the Countdown begin and Gerry Anderson take the hindquarter!

So an impulse trip to Hobbycraft today lightened my wallet to the tune of £35 and I walked away with this (along with the annoyance that the TB1 and TB2/3 kits aren't in scale with each other unless you pay extra for the kit that has both TB1 and its launch bay in): I am a bit unsure about what paint shades are quote-unquote correct given that the instructions say that their codes are just a suggestion. Mostly because I've got a tin of Ford Nordic Blue in the garage from a costume project that I think would be perfect for those areas. Might also replace the black stripe decals with vinyl tape for the sake of my own sanity.

More of a placeholder as I’m finishing off my Canberra SC9 over at the unarmed GB as I’m off to Tokyo 8 July - 10 Aug so need to get that over the line… Thought I’d have a bash with this - have a couple of Hasegawa line kits in the stash but felt like doing something different … This is a really old tool reboxed down the line … Challenges will be white paint, raised panel lines and of course the large decals …. Will pop a Canberra pilot in (unless anyone has any modern USAF pilots sat in the spares box never to be used !) and see how it goes…Kit has loads of ejection pins and flash to sort but seems quite a basic build parts wise … Have some Mr Paint in all 3 colours for where the insignia red and blue are needed … How do you guys prime for white ? I just used a white rattle can on the Canberra - is it better with black over the white plastic or maybe Halfords grey ? or stick with the white?

Hi all, calling this build done; it was a blast down memory lane, as I am sure it was for quite a few of you over 50 years. I painted the Fireflash in Tamiya LP6 Pure blue and Mr Color Super Metallic's super iron 2 with 30 drops of LP-6 to give me a bluish tinge to the silver. My plan was to mount the plane on fibre optic strands that had been epoxied into the tops of each Elevator car. 1.8mm strand was stiff enough to hold up the plane, I did not glue them into the fuselage so that I can remove the Fireflash for easy transport. I super glued the cars to the base. Overall I am delighted how this kit came out and I would like to thank everyone for their support and comments. Stay tuned for Thunderbird 2 coming soon!

Hi all, I thought I would tackle the tiny Elevator cars as a gentle intro for this build. Everything so far has been a super nice fit. I masked and airbrushed the top of the cars in black and then hand painted the rest. The decals are superb quality; they went down easy enough on the cars. Once weathered I started on the Fireflash aircraft, the parts so far have just fell together, no fit issues so far. Car number 3 will be used later in the build when I start on TB2.

Hi all, here is the final reveal for the TB Mole vehicle. I made the base from an old diecast model floor, and covered it in some cork. I found some styrene rock base from a submarine kit I had not used and covered the remainder of the area in body filler and dusted some Citadel dead grass over whilst it was still curing. Then I padded it down with some kitchen foil. This gave a convincing ground effect, I finished it off with a bit of shading and dry brushed the stones with AK dust effect enamel wash. Flory pigments were brush over the ground and lock in place with Hataka Matt clear. For the Mole I used some Molotow liquid for the screw which was 2k clear coated. AK Star ship filth wash gave the grime and dirt effects and dry brushed with Mr Color Super Metallic 201 silver. Overall I think it turned out pretty FAB. Paints used Tamiya Mr Color AK enamel washes Flory pigments Hataka matt clear Thanks for looking and your comments in advance.

Hi all, well, there is not much to this kit that's for sure, not one scrap of styrene in it. The corkscrew nosecone and Mole tube body are made from expanded polystyrene covered in a thin grey resin primer. The seam on the screw was pretty awful but I tidied it up with some 5-minute epoxy and careful sanding. Hopefully the weathering will hide most of it. The cast white metal parts are quite crisp; the wheels are made from some hard nylon plastic. There are some inaccuracies in this kit, most notably the side rails where the yellow Mole body sits. The rail should be flat but has this raised area in the centre; this should be part of the Mole body. However, I decided to leave it painted in blue. Also, the jet exhaust pipe is missing from the rear, I scratch built one to correct this. Now that the decals are fitted I will seal them in a satin clear coat then I can begin the weathering and throwing some tunnelling dirt over the vehicle. I will build a small diorama to finish the model off.

Over the years, I've managed to find a few video snippets of the Thunderbirds flying formation in their F-105s. Longer videos of the team flying a full demonstration or even a practice session have eluded me. Does anyone know where I can find a full length video of one of the F-105 airshows. Also, can anyone point me to something other than the widely published few pictures of the Thunderbird F-105Bs?

The old thread was long enough, so here's a new thread with more photos from Aviation Nation 2019. You want flare action, you say? A10-03 by paulbradley109, on Flickr f15e-02 by paulbradley109, on Flickr f15e-20 by paulbradley109, on Flickr Afterburner, anyone? f35-02 by paulbradley109, on Flickr f35-07 by paulbradley109, on Flickr f35-05 by paulbradley109, on Flickr f35-13 by paulbradley109, on Flickr f35-10 by paulbradley109, on Flickr More sedate? c17-14 by paulbradley109, on Flickr c-130-03 by paulbradley109, on Flickr ch53-02 by paulbradley109, on Flickr h60-09 by paulbradley109, on Flickr kc135-02 by paulbradley109, on Flickr t28-01 by paulbradley109, on Flickr A few fighters: f15e-01 by paulbradley109, on Flickr f15e-11 by paulbradley109, on Flickr f16-05 by paulbradley109, on Flickr f16-02 by paulbradley109, on Flickr f16-17 by paulbradley109, on Flickr f22-07 by paulbradley109, on Flickr fa18-09 by paulbradley109, on Flickr heritage01 by paulbradley109, on Flickr And, as always, the Thunderbirds to wrap it up: tbirds01 by paulbradley109, on Flickr tbirds19 by paulbradley109, on Flickr tbirds22 by paulbradley109, on Flickr tbirds24 by paulbradley109, on Flickr tbirds29 by paulbradley109, on Flickr tbirds32 by paulbradley109, on Flickr

This is supposed to be the 'Remote Control' verision of this kit which was supposed to let you drive it back and forward but not turn and fire the magnetic grapples and rewind them. However the gearing never worked properly and I gave up because after all this isn't a toy! (Honest guv I mean it!!!) You can see the WIP here Here are the completed photos... Its a good addition to my collection of Thunderbirds pod vehicles, joining The Mole, Firefly and of course Thunderbird 4

Good evening everyone. A bit of long shot I know but does anybody know where I could obtain a couple of motors which would fit the Mole and Recovery Vehicle kits please? Thanks in advance.

Hi all. I am looking at buying a thunderbird 5 kit. I have seen two i'm interested in, either the Aoshima one, or the IMAI one, has anyone on here built on, and is there any difference? looking online it seems the IMAI one is an older version of the Aoshima one? best regards Dan

Hi everyone, I'm in the planning stages of a scratch built 1:8 scale model of a new concept design of FAB 1 from Thunderbirds the TV show. I'm studying for an MA (master of arts) in Design - 3d innovation, and the main part of my studies is to explore how people value models that they might commission to be built. Value can take many forms, monetary, sentimental, historical amongst others. But what do people feel gives a model added value? Material choice? Methods used? Limited numbers? Historical provenance? In order to find out, I'm making a 1:8 scale model of a theoretical design for a new FAB 1, experimenting along the way with different materials and processes to hopefully find what people like and where, if anywhere, a line is drawn to say 'that's enough', be it due to time, money or client specification. I've started a Facebook group so you can follow progress there, and I'll try to post updates here too. https://facebook.com/groups/373568053080542 If you'd also like to get involved and join a mailing list of model makers, retailers and collectors who I'm hoping can provide useful feedback along the way, please drop me a pm or let me know on the Facebook group. cheers! *update, the model will no longer be a new concept, but a model of the latest version of FAB1 from the ITV show 'Thunderbirds Are Go'. There will be no use of or reference to the Rolls-Royce brand in the model.

Hi everyone, I've joined this forum hoping to learn and share ideas on scratch building model making. I started out making airfix kits of spitfires like many of us do, at around the age of 13 and my new found hobby quickly became more than just something to do in my spare time. Fast forward 22 years and I'm now studying for an MA in Design. With model making being my background I've decided to build a model of a new concept design for the Rolls-Royce FAB1 limousine from Thunderbirds. The idea of this model is to explore the relationship between client and model maker, and to investigate how clients value models and what makes models valuable to them. Hopefully I'll be able to share my work in progress here and seek assistance where and when I could do with it. cheers, 'Parker'

A long winded title on the label for this one; General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon 'Thunderbirds' USAF Display Team Can be built as a single seater for the Thunderbirds or a 2-seater for the Dutch; I fancy doing this wheels-up as the Thunderbirds version. I've not built a display aeroplane since I built an Airfix 111 sqd Black Arrows Hunter everso long ago Reading my teabags I see a lot of Micro-Sol & Set in the future of this build

Hi guys, I will be building a box from Revell with four 1/48 F-16A's in them. They will be build in flight. I will use some Hasegawa pilots for this as well. It will be build straight out of the box. Here is a link to the box. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/163676-revell-4749-general-dynamics-f-16 I will post some pictures later. Cheers,

So after a hectic summer of building ridiculously big Oil Platforms or ridiculously complex Eagle Transporters (although THAT was well worth putting the effort into in the end :D), I've had a couple of weeks of building a couple of "simple" out-of-the-box kits that will eventually be posted in the RFI section for Aircraft. However while the paint it drying I decided I'd revisit the plan I had for my second Aoshima Mole kit. If you can remember all the way back to the middle of last year (2015), when the world seemed a much less complicated place, I built the superb Aoshima kit of the Mole from Thunderbirds, and in the Telford comp that year it won a Bronze medal Well I was so enamoured with the possibilities of this kit, that I went and bought 2 more from HobbyLinkJapan and made plans... One of those plans is to take the tractor section, which is a superb rendition of a Vickers Vigor toy tractor that was used by Thunderbirds as the basis of many of the pod vehicles, and converting it into an screen-accurate Firefly. That would of course leave me with the rest of the kit, ie the Mole itself! Another plan came into my head and this is the plan I aim to execute in this build, namely... well you'll see as we go along. So lets start off with the same pics fromt he previosu build to illustrate the kit itself... So the bits we are mainly intersted in are the yellow bits plus quite a few bits fro the various little baggies. These contain the "moving parts" and electrical gubbins (technical term here!) which will be a bit more important in this build tha n int he previous. To start off with, as before the silver plated screw and associated components were cleaned up, which removed most of the silver plating. The rest will be removed with some Mr Muscle Oven cleaner and then they'll get the Alclad treatment. Next I jump back a bit again to the Aoshima Thunderbird 4 kit I built at the start of this year which can be seen here. This included an electric motor which I didn't use in that build but kept it to one side as I knew it was the same electric motor that was supposed to be used in the the Mole. So some time was spent wiring this up with the various gears that come with the Mole kit to get this: Yeah I know its boring looking at a static pic of something that should be moving so here is the Youtube video of it in action! So thats all good if a little noisy. They supply a little tube of grease to help with that. You can see the red light on the top - I dicided to use the one supplied rather than replace it with a slashing red LED as the voltages required are different to that powering the motor. Its intended to be powered by 3V, so for that the pea-bulb they provided will do the trick. Next is the base or rather the "mounting" for it. So I ask you what does the Mole do? Why (I hear you reply) it digs through the earth in a generally downward direction... so that is how it will be displyed! This is a cheap picture frame with 2 layers of my favourite insulating polystyrene stuck to it with a slot cut out to contain the Mole. I'm going to make a hole int he back to thread the wires through so that the batteries and on.off switch can be mounted on the back of the picture frame. This will be a vertical model, which will be good on the club's display table as it won't take up much table space I'm still pondering exactly what the Mole is coming to the rescue of - but its likely to be something in the lower left of the display... more on that later...

Hi, First time I've gotten round to posting on here - mainly because I'm such a slow builder. This is a scratch build of a fighter featured in one of Gerry Anderson's later series, 'Terrahawks'. I always liked the wedge shape and thanks to some meticulous research (not by me, I hasten to add), most of the kit parts have been identified, enabling me to scale up studio-scale plans. Although the original was made from perspex I opted for plasticard as I'm more used to working with it. The first step was to make the thing strong enough to support itself and withstand being picked up! The side wings are split into three parts so had to be connected with a 'runner' between them. Once the main shell was complete, I got on with adding the kit parts, mainly from German tanks, and carving the cab out of balsa. The tailplane is plasticard with some Plastruct angles. And that's the state of play as of today!

This is my second attempt at building this classic scene from Thunderbirds. This one benefited from the experience gained on the first one: a) I didn't try to do a scratch built cockpit as it can't be seen; I used smaller batteries to power the LEDs. The build thread is here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235003077-thunderbird-2-launch-diorama-2/ ...and here is it with the camera flash turned off to allow the lighting to show