Thunderbird 3

launch sequence

from Brains' sketchbook
the original page layout, a jumble of annotated sketches
the original page layout, a jumble of annotated sketches

The ingenious launch sequences of the Thunderbird craft, worked out by Brains after months of planning, are shown here as they appeared on the brilliant scientist's drawing board.

Brains planned to the last detail the sequences shown on this and the following pages, so that the craft could be launched from the organisation's secret base on Tracy Island at a moment's notice. The precious seconds saved in a launching can mean the difference between life and death in a rescue.

sketch of a person sitting on a settee in a rudimentary living room, a large circled red number 1 in the left top corner and the text 'pilot sits on settee in Tracy lounge' with an arrow indicating the sketch sketch of a person sitting on a settee in a rudimentary living room, the settee descended through the room's floor on a ramp into a cavernous space, an arrow to indicate movement, a large circled red number 2 in the left top corner, the text 'settee and a section of floor move down into underground chamber' and the circled text '*acoustics, must damp take-off noise from sounding into house' two sketches; the first of a person sitting on a settee on top of a ramp settling down between a tracked trolley on the left and an identical settee on the right, arrows to indicate movement, a large circled red number 3 in the left top corner and the text 'settee into underground chamber beside trolley on rails'; the second shows the settee with the person on the trolley, the replacement settee halfway on the ramp, a large circled red number 4 in the middle bottom and the text 'settee & pilot slide onto trolley - a duplicate settee slides on to ramp to replace one in lounge' two sketches; the first of Thunderbird 3's bottom visible through its nacelles, underneath it a ramp with a person sitting on a settee flanked by a tracked trolley and a track leading off into a tunnel at right, arrows to indicate movement, a large circled red number 5 in the top middle and the text 'settee moves along tunnel to ramp under rocket - settee slides on to ramp'; the second is circled in red marker with a large red number 6 and shows the settee being lifted into Thunderbird 3 by the ramp with the texts 'flap segments open' and 'ramp moves up inside rocket with settee' two sketches; the first a section of a launch silo with a building on top surrounded by palm trees, Thunderbird 3 ascending and a blast duct covering a ramp and a tracked trolley at the bottom, an arrow to indicate movement, a large circled red number 7 to its right; the second shows Thunderbird 3's bottom clearing a circular building next to a palm tree; at the bottom beneath both sketches the text 'rocket leaves chamber - through center of round house' sketch of a section of the bottom of the launch silo showing the wheeled blast duct filled with exhaust gases and covering a ramp and a tracked trolley at the bottom, arrows to indicate movement, and the text 'blast duct to move over ramp and trolley' sketch of a section of Thunderbird 3's top half showing 4 floors marked 'cockpit', 'stores', 'bunks' and 'lounge' from top to bottom, the settee and the ramp at the bottom, a red arrow along the left side passing through a person standing on a elevator platform and terminating in the cockpit, and the text 'settee remains in rocket / ramp returns to base of rocket / pilot taken to cockpit by lift'

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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.