FAB1 and FAB2! BRITISH PATHE THUNDERBIRDS 1965

 I mean, Wow! FAB1 and FAB2 the boat! The original workshop of dreams!

https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/109502/

CRUISIN' FOR A CHOOSIN'

 Further mental splashing in the wet stuff got me thinking about toy cruise liners.

Are there any?

I found this impressive mystery action cruiser from China. Complete with multiple decks and lights, it took me right back to getting my bump'n'go space toys in the 1960's! What do you think readers?

https://es.aliexpress.com/i/1005003183042771.html

I was also impressed with this model concept for a futuristic liner by design consultancy frog design I saw online [their image].

Its sleek curves and chestnut - cream colour scheme really do it for me! You?

For sleekness I still don't think you can beat the old Victory Industries Vosper Triple Screw Yacht model below, as used by the Century 21 modellers in Gerry Anderson's shows. Are there other boats and ships in Thunderbirds and the other Gerry Andersons?

Have you got a Vosper? Have you got a sleek boat or ship?

Are there any futuristic ships in TV shows and films?

THE MURKY BITS OF LADY PENELOPE'S FAB FLEET

We all know what FAB1 is. We grew up with the pink Rolls.

But Lady Penelope's other FABS are less well-known, certainly to me.

FAB2

Liking a good boat, I've blogged about FAB2 before, Lady Penelope's luxury yacht. Check the post labels for it.

There was another FAB2, which is news to me; the modern movie version, a movie I've not seen but I recall was disliked by Thunderbirds fans.

Here's its FAB2, a large pink whatchmacallit! Have you seen it before?

 FAB3

according to sources on the net, was the Lady's Heli-Jet at her Australian Bonga Bonga Ranch. I don't know who piloted it, I assume Parker too.

I don't think it featured anywhere except on paper, including Graham Bleathman's cut-away, which you may have in your collection.

FAB3 was also the name of the Lady's racehorse in the strip 'Safe Bet', Redan Thunderbirds comic 58, October 2004. You can see it on the cover below.

FAB4

FAB4 features in fan fiction as seen here:

"When flying intercontinental, Lady Penelope chose to take the Fireflash airliner, which was able to accommodate the Rolls Royce, FAB1. The Creighton-Ward yacht, FAB2, was ideal for cruising around sea-bound locales in Europe, but for more out of the way locations, such as Tracy Island, the little jet, registration FAB3, was the preferred mode of transport. Another of Brains' designs, it was compact enough to carry six people in comfort while still having the power to fly through the air at half of Thunderbird Two's speed. Her sister craft, FAB4, resided in the States."

https://www.tracyislandchronicles.com/tb2/purupuss/purupuss_lodestarlost01_FULL.html

Do you know of any more FABS?

FAB1 BOARDING

I've recently got excited about where FAB1 was stowed in the Thunderbirds fleet.

Courtesy of the brilliant Thunderbirds Wiki's TV screengrabs we can see.

Here's the pink roller in the superyacht FAB2. 

About to board Skyship One.

About to board Fireflash.

Still no evidence FAB1 got stowed in Thunderbird 2's pod.

Or?

DO YOU KNOW WHAT FAB3 WAS?

I've always loved FAB1 - like most kids of my age. Its just one of those TV cars that was the perfect form of style and looks and drove straight into the showroom of our memories.

FAB2 was Lady Penelope's yacht, which we've blogged about once or twice. Not sure if Parker was the pilot or whether FAB1 went on board. It would have made a great JR21 toy, maybe using the Vosper  toy as its basis. Would that have worked?

Amazingly there was a FAB3 too! I only found out today. I could never have guessed and I had to chuckle when I read it. It was Lady Penelope's racehorse! Now I've no idea if it appeared on TV and whether Parker was the jockey. Not sure it would have been a decent JR21 toy, but they did release at least three other small toy horses, the Rocking Neddy, Piggy Chariot and Cowboy Joe.

Now please don't tell me: there was a FAB4 too?

MORE RANETTA PLASTIC BOATS

More Renatta from Spain.

Would they look well in an episode of Thunderbirds or Stingray do you think?

The Apollo.

The Yate Christina.

The detailing on the deck of the Christina.

The deck and window reminds me of my much smaller Scout 1 from the Project SWORD range [below].

Do you have any plastic boats readers?

fab birthday: the royal yacht: fab 2

The Queens Car, the sumptuous Phantom V Rolls Royce, now resides behind protective glass .......

 ....... on the Royal Yacht Britannia. Me and Missus MB visited it a few years back in Edinburgh.

Seeing it made me think of that other royal Rolls, FAB1, being stowed onto ....

... Lady Penelope's own royal yacht, FAB2.

You can read more about FAB2 on Thinderbirds Wiki.

The real FAB2 prop was a sizeable model when you compare it to C21 model-maker Peter Aston in this behind-the-scenes shot as featured in Derek Medding's brilliant 21st Century Visions book. It looks like a scratchbuilt wooden boat.

I always thought that FAB2 would have made a marvelous JR21 plastic toy in the style of their other Rosenthal Thunderbirds toys. 

A basis for the toy could have been a boat well known already to Thunderbirds fans, the Vosper triple screw express turbine yacht.

I have done a comparison so you can see what I mean:

And with a little messing with Paint here's a rough mock-up of a custom JR21 FAB2 and box! ha ha.

Has anyone got a Vosper yacht and a small FAB1 you could place on the deck?

Or even a Vosper yacht and a JR21 FAB1 together just for fun as I've no idea how big the Vosper is!

What do you think readers? Do you like FAB2 as a Thunderbirds vehicle?