Thunderbirds

Well, I can't believe where the time has gone, but it turns out that my Thunderbirds project has been on Lego Ideas for over a year and a half! I've had a wonderful time watching the votes come in, reading all the kind words in the comments, and just dreaming that Lego Thunderbirds might actually become a reality! But alas, the clock has run out, the project is about to expire, and unlike on Thunderbirds, there will be no last-minute rescue.

So before everything gets permanently locked, I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to the more than 3000 people who voted for my idea. Thank you for sharing my dream. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

Several people have asked for instructions, and I always said I would release them if/when the project failed. So I leave you with a link to my bricksafe page, where you can find Stud.io model files and pdf instruction manuals. Be aware that these models were never built in real life, and some of the bricks do not exist in the required colours - anyone trying to build these will need to get a little creative!

Download the files for free at: https://bricksafe.com/pages/NathanR/lego-ideas-thunderbirds

Thanks for all your support!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Thunderbirds... Are Gone...

Thunderbird 2 is the latest model to get an overhaul, and what a challenge this has been! All the decals have been redrawn from scratch, and I've finally been able to find the right font to use for the number "2".

The model has been given a few minor internal tweaks, taking advantage of the new 1x1 brackets to give a few more connection points in the tail section. The Firefly has also been promoted from draft model to star vehicle. It's now on it's way to a rescue mission:

But wait, there's more! Want to see Thunderbird 2 in action? Head on over to Mecabricks for an animated, fully interactive 3D model of Thunderbird 2!

Let me know what you think! Feedback is always appreciated!

I'm still working my way through all the custom decals, trying to redeign them for slightly greater accuracy. Thunderbird 3 has now been fully revised, though the changes are fairly subtle and there isn't really that much that has changed. So rather than wasting time with photos, enjoy a new render of Thunderbird 3 docked to Thunderbird 5!

As always, you can also check out a fully interactive 3D model of Thunderbird 3 over on Mecabricks.

Let me know what you think in the comments - feedback is always welcome!

It's the weekend, and I've been tinkering with some more of the pod vehicles that were carried by Thunderbird 2. User barbeque commented that it seemed odd having Thunderbirds without the Firefly - a super-strong bulldozer that could travel to the heart of any fire and snuff out the inferno using it's onboard explosive shells - so, I've come up with two prototypes! Both are smnall enough to fit inside the Lego Thunderbird 2, and have a moveable bulldozer blade. Which is your favourite?

I've also designed the "Recovery Vehicle", a tracked vehicle that appeared in Pit of Peril and used magnetic grapples to haul the Sidewinder out of an enormous underground cavern. I'm not sure about the use of mini antennae to represent the coiled cables, but it kind of works. What do you think?

Any other pod vehicles you'd like to see added to this set? What were your favourites?

Please let me know in the comments!

It's Thunderbird 4's turn for an upgrade! However, due to it's small size, there wasn't much that could actually be changed. The model is the same as it was before, but I've completely redesigned the custom decals. The "Thunderbird" logos now have the correct fonts, and the engine intakes have gained a little extra detail. So feast your eyes on Thunderbird 4 preparing to plunge beneath the waves:

And then scouring the ocean depths:

You can also checkout an interactive 3D model of Thunderbird 4 on Mecabricks!

More new content coming soon! And a huge thank you to everyone who has been voting - onwards and upwards!

Real life has really gotten in the way of things this year, but now I'm back and slowly working to improve my models of the Thunderbird vehicles!

Today, Thunderbird 5 gets a few updates. The model has been completely rebuilt in Stud.io to allow the creation of instructions manuals. The internal structure has had a couple of tweaks to make it stronger, I'm experimenting with a new design for the main pylon on the bottom, and I've completely redesigned the custom decals. You have no idea how annoyed I was when I realised that I'd used the wrong font for the "5" in the "Thunderbird 5" nameplate! I've also managed to update the text to the right fonts, and improve the red grille detail near Thunderbird 3's docking port.

You can also checkout an interactive 3D model of Thunderbird 5 on Mecabricks!

Stay tuned for more updates in the coming days. In the meantime, help keep the dream alive by hitting that support button!

Today is a very special day - it marks the 54th anniversary of the first broadcast of Thunderbirds! 

To celebrate, I'm giving some sneak peaks at my latest Thunderbirds models. They are still very much a work in progress! 

First up is Thunderbird 1 in its launch bay. The original set is amazingly detailed, and it's proving quite a challenge to replicate everything in Lego bricks. It will be a little while yet before I get to add the swimming pool at the top:

Next up, and much more complete, is the spaceship Zero-X from the 1966 movie "Thunderbirds Are Go".  The ship carried a group of astronauts on mankind's first mission to Mars, but disaster struck on its return to Earth and the astronauts only survived thanks to the efforts of International Rescue.

The model features detachable wings, a removeable nose cone, a detachable Mars Excursion Vehicle, and even a small escape unit.  All that needs to be added are a few custom decals for the final details.

Do you like these designs? Do you have any suggestions for other Thunderbird vehicles you'd like to see built out of Lego? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

Woohoo! 1000 votes already!  A huge, huge thank you to everyone who has supported this idea.

There is still a long way to go to get to 10k votes, but hopefully, it won't be long before Thunderbirds Are Go!