International Rescue’s base is on Tracy Island somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean. Tracy Island is heavily camouflaged looking as if only a rich millionaire family lives away from the rest of the world. The swimming pool would retract allowing Thunderbird 1 to launch from its underground hanger. Thunderbird 2 would exit out of an entrance door looking like a rock cliff. The palm tree lined road from the Tracy’s house to the seashore was the runway for Thunderbird 2. The palm tree would move outward to allow Thunderbird 2’s huge wingspan pass through. Thunderbird 3 launched from underneath an opening of the Round House section.

No model kits were used. There weren’t any. David made each of the Thunderbirds with masking and scotch tape, paper, cardboard, paper plates, staples, toilet paper cardboard rolls, and oil paints. His models caught likeness as if it was from a model kit. Thunderbird 4 was just masking tape rap up together to make its shape and painted yellow. Thunderbird 5 got its saucer section from paper plates. Toilet paper cardboard rolls made the main body of Thunderbirds 1 and 3.
He even made a bi-level simulation of the Tracy Island. With toilet paper cardboard rolls holding the ground level up on large rectangle thick cardboard. This level had a replica of the Tracy TV show’s home with mini palm trees that could be flipped outward from the drawn runway. Care was needed when filled with water; he used a plastic bowl for the swimming pool that retracts sideway exposing the underground hanger. The lower level of David’s art work was the hangers that held the Thunderbird machines.
He even made a bi-level simulation of the Tracy Island. With toilet paper cardboard rolls holding the ground level up on large rectangle thick cardboard. This level had a replica of the Tracy TV show’s home with mini palm trees that could be flipped outward from the drawn runway. Care was needed when filled with water; he used a plastic bowl for the swimming pool that retracts sideway exposing the underground hanger. The lower level of David’s art work was the hangers that held the Thunderbird machines.

David’s parents were in awe of David’s hidden talent. David’s father took door-to-door-salesmen on tour of David’s creations. One salesman, as well as other adults, recommended that they should encourage David artistic talents [Why they didn’t pursue this is unknown. It could have been that there were other things in David’s life that were more imperative. However, they never follow up with therapists stating that David has homosexual tenancies and they should encourage him. That’s another story].
With the help from his father, David wrote to the series creator Gerry Anderson at the British TV production company ITC. Through some international correspondences, and David’s first money order converted into British pounds, he purchased from ITC a matchbox type model of Thunderbird 2 with Thunderbird 4 inside, and Lady Penelope’s pink Rolls Royce car named FAB-1.
This hidden creative side pop out of David. These were only copies from a TV show. His real original creation came with Irving, Harvey, Baron, and Terry. This was where the real David started to pop out.
With the help from his father, David wrote to the series creator Gerry Anderson at the British TV production company ITC. Through some international correspondences, and David’s first money order converted into British pounds, he purchased from ITC a matchbox type model of Thunderbird 2 with Thunderbird 4 inside, and Lady Penelope’s pink Rolls Royce car named FAB-1.
This hidden creative side pop out of David. These were only copies from a TV show. His real original creation came with Irving, Harvey, Baron, and Terry. This was where the real David started to pop out.
**In 2004, Thunderbirds was made into a live action movie directed by Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Jonathan Frakes. Bill Paxton played father Jeff Tracy, and Ben Kingsley played the arch-villain The Hood. The above pictures of the Thunderbirds on the left side are the movie versions verse the right side 1960 TV versions. The movie’s version is updated and sleeker. Lady Penelope’s car, FAB-1, was changed from the TV’s Rolls Royce to the movie’s Ford. This was because the movie producers could not reach an agreement with Rolls Royce Company.
https://youtu.be/2K9rVRuehGU