DEAGOSTINI HIGH SPEED ELEVATOR CARS

There can’t be many Thunderbirds fans that don’t get a nostalgic buzz when they see the high speed Elevator Cars from the premier episode, ‘Trapped in the Sky’.

I’m currently up to cars, one, two and three in my DeAgostini Thunderbird 2 build, with number four due to arrive with pack 10 in a few months’ time.

Like the Recovery Vehicles I talked about last time, my Elevator Cars will be getting some weathering at some point, but for now its plain old showroom condition.

I can still remember watching that first episode of Thunderbirds way back in 1965, and really liking the cool and intriguing design of the cars as they emerged from Pod 3.

The Master Elevator Car is driven by Virgil, while the others are radio controlled. As most of you will know, during the episode Car 3 develops a radio fault while the Fireflash airliner, with a bomb on board is on its first runway approach.  The car spins out of control and smashes into some nearby aircraft. Remarkably, the ever resourceful   Thunder-boys have a stand-by Elevator Car also the pod, although quite how four of these rather large vehicles fit inside always amazes me.

Virgil has a lucky escape when his Master Elevator Car applies maximum braking, bursts a tyre, and spins out of control, leaving the nose of Fireflash to drop precariously and scrape along the runway.