Before the release of the live-action film in 2004, the idea for a new Thunderbirds movie had been circulating since the early 1990’s. What blossomed into the released film started in 1997/1998, with a concept for a film project that barely resembled the end project. This applies not just to the script and the overall end product, but the entire production design.



Source material for this unreleased version of the film is very rare, but a script was written, and designs for the five Thunderbird machines were produced. Very low resolution images of these designs can be found online, but these are the only publicly available reference images. This build is one of five of the concept Thunderbird machines, a rough interpretation of the machines we never saw on-screen.

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Thunderbird 2 is a heavy-duty VTOL transporter aircraft, which carries rescue equipment to the danger zone in one of six pods (including Thunderbird 4 in pod four).



Concealed behind a hangar door disguised as a cliff face, it taxis onto the runway of Tracy Island towards its launch ramp, flying away and up to speeds of 5,000mph (8,000kph) to the danger zone, where it also lands vertically. The main body then rises up on telescopic legs to reveal the door of its interchangeable pod, and allowing access to one of the many dedicated rescue vehicles it can carry. It is similarly armed to Thunderbird 1, with grapple cables, missiles, gun turrets, and other equipment for both rescue and defensive purposes.