Simon McCaffery’s Thunderbird 2

Custom Build of IMAI’s 1/350 scale Thunderbird 2
Kit: TB-2 Special High Grade Version

Before the demise of Imai, this kit was the premium Japanese TB-2 kit in 1/350 scale with turned brass and white metal rocket exhaust parts and telescoping strut legs, and a detailed cockpit. Like everyone else, the big green TB-2 was always my favorite Thunderbirds vehicle as a kid.

I modified this kit by cutting out the two lower windows on each side under the nose and installing clear plastic windows. I also built an interior in the No. 6 Pod using kit-bashed parts from some military models, and installed lighting using a small dollhouse bulb powered by 2 AAA batteries in a RadioShack pack with power switch. The effect when the kit is displayed is quite nice.

The kit was finished with a custom shade of flat green Tamiya acrylic, with panel sections and lines in slightly lighter and darker shades. I lacked the confidence to do too much weathering, but it still turned out OK. The decals provided for the stripes on the fuselage and tail exhausts didn’t appear to be the correct diameter, so I used detailing tape. As for the distinctive markings on the fuselage around the intakes and under the nose, I referred to stills on the DVDs of the original episodes and feature films, and shots found on the web of the studio models. There are plenty of inconsistencies between the original models seen in the episodes and feature films, so I selected the details I liked.

Simon McCaffery