Thunderbird 2

launch sequence

from Brains' sketchbook
the original page layout, a jumble of papers, some with sketches, some with calculations and some with random notes
the original page layout, a jumble of papers, some with sketches, some with calculations and some with random notes
sketch of a person standing against a marked wall segement, a large circled red number 1 in the left top corner and the text 'pilot stands with back to painting of rocket in Tracy lounge' sketch of the corner of a padded box and the text 'slide, protect headstop, low friction coating', sketch of the padded slide resting in a chute, a person lying down on a tilted segment of a wall adjacent to and flush with the chute, arrows to indicate movement, an inset with details of the wall hinge and drive motor with arrows indicating different objects and the text 'wall detail, geared motor, nyprex sleeve bearing, stiffening stuts in picture', a large circled red number 2 in the left bottom corner and the text 'picture tilts until head is lower than feet, pilot slips onto padded slide' sketch of a person lying down in a padded slide, arrows to indicate movement, a large circled red number 3 in the left top corner and the text 'padded slide glides down inclined plane of chute, painting tips back into place' sketch of a person lying on a padded slide which rests on a turntable with chute endings on both sides, arrows to indicate movement, a large circled red number 4 in the left top corner and the text 'chute levels out - pilot slows and stops on turntable which revolves until pilot is feet first' sketch of a side view of a person lying on a padded slide which rests on a turntable tilted 10 degrees down with chute endings on both sides, arrows to indicate movement, a large circled red number 5 in the right top corner and the text 'turntable tilts - pilot continues journey' sketch of the front half of Thunderbird 2 with a chute entering the fuselage at the top, a large circled red number 6 in the top left corner and the text 'chute enters Th. 2' sketch of a person lying on a padded slide in a chute ending in a multi-hinged chair, arrows to indicate movement, a large circled red number 7 in the bottom right corner and the text 'chute ends in folding seat inside Thunderbird 2, pilot slips off padded slide, feet strike foot plate which automatically folds & releases seat from chute' circled text at the top saying 'NB check Virgil's weight +/- ? lbs' sketch of a person sitting in the pilot's chair in a cockpit, his back to the retreating chute, arrows to indicate movement, a large circled red number 8 in the bottom right corner and the text 'seat clicks onto seat column, chute retracts out of craft' sketch of a side view of Thunderbird 2 on its elevated launch ramp, arrows to indicate movement, a large circled red number 9 in the top left corner and the text 'Thunderbird 2 comes to standstill on road, road breaks and lifts, acting as launch ramp', at top right the circled text 'road section behind opens to take blast from motors', underneath the launch ramp the text 'calculate loading' and at the bottom the texts 'site hyd. reservoir & pumps below? - or with feed lines?' and 'blast wall' with an arrow indicating same sketch of a section of Thunderbird 2's hangar with the chute reaching down to Thunderbird 2's fuselage, arrows to indicate movement, and the text 'cliff doors slide down (or up?)' the texts 'runway, not airstrip full width of wing span / too obvious / must camouflage', 'moveable palm trees', 'make road from house to jetty past 2's concealed hangar' sketch of a potted palm tree on a conveyor belt scratched through next to a sketch of a potted palm with a hydraulic piston and the text 'hydraulics, roots in container - nutrient solution' and at the bottom a sketch with arrows to indicate movement of a top view of Thunderbird 2 on its runway bordered by palm trees at a 45 degree angle sketch of a frontal view of Tracy Island showing the villa, the swimming pool, the cliff house and Thunderbird 2's hangar, and the text 'house, swimming pool, cliff house, Thunderbird 2 hangar' with arrows indicating same flanked by sketches of the chute and the slide with the text '2cm plate, taper to base, headstop on slide, could use KTO conveyor stands' with arrows indicating same

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Launch specification originally published in Thunderbirds 1966 Annual, later reprinted in Dutch Extra 3 album
The photo version can be found here.