Sleek, first and fast - Thunderbird 1 is go! In the first of this five-part series, Fred McNamara argues the case for why each Thunderbird machine is the greatest of the International Rescue craft - beginning with Thunderbird 1! Piloted by Scott Tracy, Thunderbird 1's status as International Rescue's rapid-response vehicle is vital in establishing the specific requirements needed of I.R. to tackle the danger zone, However, the craft continues to divide fans over its perceived usefulness. Is Thunderbird 1 the greatest Thunderbird machine? Investigations are go!

Thunderbird 1: ready to go!

Its blast-off from beneath the Tracy Villa swimming pool is often the visual signifier of International Rescue charging off into heroic action to avert another disaster. Thunderbird 1 is International Rescue's supersonic, rapid-response rocket vehicle. Its function is to be the first Thunderbird vehicle to arrive at the danger zone and for its pilot, Scott Tracy, to ascertain precise details of the situation and report back to Tracy Island. This is so that the most suitable heavy duty equipment may be ferried out to the disaster area.

This precise functionality of Thunderbird 1 is exquisitely established in Thunderbirds' debut episode, Trapped in the Sky, with Scott commanding the rescue operation of guiding the stricken Fireflash to a safe landing without its landing gear functioning. As Thunderbirds progresses, however, the series would greatly fluctuate in depicting Thunderbird 1's various features and abilities that come with it being the fastest of International Rescue's Earth-based machines - particularly when much of any rescue operation falls to the efforts of Thunderbird 2. 

Thunderbird 1 demonstrates a wide variety of usefulness throughout the series, whether it be commanding a rescue operation or forced to be more creative in its deployment in rescuing those in severe peril.

Fantastic gadgetry & perilous piloting

Despite its slickly compact and sleekly sharpened design, supersonic capabilities, and memorably beloved launch sequence, Thunderbird 1 has weathered a perception of being the most redundant of the International Rescue craft. uselessness is at odds with how fantastically it's presented within the series. The subsequent decades since Thunderbirds' debut haven't been kind to Thunderbird 1's role within the series, often disregarded as filling out valuable time that could be better spent depicting Thunderbird 2's more substantive involvement in rescue operations.

However, Thunderbird 1's rapid-response functionality ensures the craft's value. Thunderbird 1 boasts an eclectic array of invaluable rescue equipment unique to the craft that prove invaluable in navigating tricky rescue operations where the brutish might of Thunderbird 2 aren't entirely dependable. The remote controlled TV camera (Pit of Peril, Edge of Impact), sonar sounding device (The Man from MI. 5), and the scanning antenna (Operation Crash-Dive) are just some of the unpredictable gear that TB1 boasts. The success of every rescue isn't therefore entirely determined by what's carried in Thunderbird 2's pod. Thunderbird 1's own modest yet vital array of gear is just as important.

Given its compact and speed nature, Thunderbird 1 is able to tackle much smaller and more immediate rescue scenarios than the heftier, time-consuming effort it takes to operate Thunderbird 2. End of the Road neatly encapsulates the need for Thunderbird 1 when a danger zone can instantly shift from dangerous to a nightmare. Balancing precariously on the edge of a storm-battered cliff-top, Eddie Houseman can't stop the runaway rockfall which suddenly tumbles down towards the maintenance truck he's trapped in as Thunderbird 1 approaches. Realising the danger, Thunderbird 1 dramatically employs its spear cannons to catch the falling debris, saving Eddie from certain disaster before Thunderbird 2 can arrive at the danger zone.

Scott is forced to make creative use of TB1's small size later in the episode when ensuring Eddie's truck can safely be grabbed by Thunderbird 2's magnetic grabs without being toppled over by TB2's downward thrusters. Scott's gentle yet precise piloting of Thunderbird 1 ensures the truck is safely balanced enough for TB2 to lower itself into position and clasp the vehicle with its magnetic grabs. End of the Road delivers one of Thunderbirds' masterfully complicated rescue operations with tensely-coiled action as International Rescue navigate the unflinchingly tricky mountain terrain that very nearly proves to be Eddie's doom.

Thunderbird 1's functionality and dramatic impact blossoms to creative heights throughout Thunderbirds' spin-off media, including comics, novels, and annuals. Quite often, these spin-off stories weren't restricted to the formulaic approach or practical/budgetary constraints of the TV episodes, resulting in memorably jarring instances of severe action for the Thunderbird craft. In the pages of TV Century 21, Solar Danger depicts Thunderbird 1 jetting off into deep space to rescue Thunderbird 3 from the monster-infested waters of Venus, while The Big Freeze sees resident artist Frank Bellamy capture the breath-takingly grim image of a blackened Thunderbird 1 consumed by ice, throttling its functionality. 

From fantastic gadgetry to dramatically challenging rescue scenarios, Thunderbird 1's role as an indispensable rescue vehicle is well and truly proven across several key instances throughout Thunderbirds. However, Thunderbird 1 also proves its usefulness for International Rescue for a far darker reason...

Utilised to destroy life?

In any given number of episodes, the Thunderbird craft are depicted as having rarely seen technologies unique to certain episodes - technologies which almost certainly weren't envisioned by Gerry Anderson's concepts of the Thunderbird machines or were factored into Derek Meddings' designs. One of the most unusual features is for Thunderbirds 1, 2 and 4 to feature missile-firing capabilities: why do rescue vehicles need to arm themselves? However, such logic turns even deadlier when considering Thunderbird 1's firepower.

Martian Invasion and Move - And You're Dead showcase the uncomfortably drastic lengths which International Rescue go to in order to maintain its strict levels of secrecy, with Thunderbird 1 leading the charge. Thunderbird 1's deadly cannons come in handy when targeting enemies of International Rescue who may be after their technological secrets or would otherwise harm the Tracy family. Thunderbird 2 does something similar in Alias Mr. Hackenbacker. Terror in New York City showcases a less violent side to I.R.'s defensive tactics against intruders, with Scott deploying Thunderbird 1's ability to electromagnetically wipe Ned Cook's footage of the craft in flight. It's far more common to witness the Thunderbirds utilise more gun-toting methods to defend themselves, however.

Such actions cast a bitter shadow over International Rescue's altruism. Jeff Tracy reminds us in Trapped in the Sky that I.R.'s equipment must be kept secret in case it falls into enemy hands and is utilised to destroy life instead of preserve it. Clearly though, International Rescue aren't above using the Thunderbirds to take lives themselves, but only when deemed absolutely necessary. In these drastic actions, Thunderbird 1 is more than a rescue vehicle - it's a defensive mechanism in service to International Rescue's self-imposed privileges of intense secrecy.

Thunderbird 1 - the greatest Thunderbird craft?

While primarily serving as the first I.R. craft on the scene, scratching the surface of key TV episodes and embracing Thunderbirds' extended canon reveals how Thunderbird 1 operates with a myriad of purposes. Freed from the heavy duty burden of Thunderbird 2, the craft which TB1 so often lingers in the shadow of, Thunderbird 1's quickfire abilities and deadly security protocols gift the craft with the well-earned title of being the greatest Thunderbird craft. 

Relive International Rescue's iconic rapid-response rocket with our veritable swarm of Thunderbirds 60th anniversary releases! Enjoy Thunderbird 1 in meticulous model form with our limited edition Thunderbird 1 die-cast collectable. This superbly rendered release of TB1 is flying from the Gerry Anderson Store. Be sure to grab yours before it leaves the danger zone! You can also enjoy Thunderbird 1 in a smaller scale, either with our Anniversary Edition Thunderbird 1 or the Corgi die-cast model.

Experience Thunderbird 1 in enthralling levels of danger and excitement from the pages of TV Century 21 with Thunderbirds Comic Anthology Vol. 1, with Volume 2 arriving soon! You can also witness Thunderbird 1's heroic actions in spectacular high-definition with the Thunderbirds 60th Anniversary Blu-ray and the Thunderbirds Super Space Theatre Blu-ray, both of which are available now! 

You'll soon be able to discover all of Thunderbird 1's best-kept technological secrets with the forthcoming release of the International Rescue Technical Operations Manual. Stand by on this frequency for further updates - Thunderbird 1 is definitely go!

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