F is for Five, Four, Three, Two, One . . . Thunderbirds are Mini!

I had a little tub of sub-scale Thunderbird models, which I shot back in 2018, but never got round to posting, and while they've been sorted into the stuff which was in storage and gone back to storage, I've four more smallies come-in since, so a quick but not very informative overview of small and very small Thunderbirds now.

So this is what was in the tub, it's an eclectic mix of odd-scale and mostly 'micro' vehicles, the majority taken from the old TV series, but there's at least one hideousity from the remake movie, which seems to have sink with minimal trace, as it deserved to!

 

From the left, we have a small vinyl FAB1, of which there were two in the tub, and I vaguely recall my Brother and I, having one each, many years ago, so they might have been counter-top cheapies?

The left-hand Thunderbird 4 a big thing I don't know much about, a Carlton jobbie, from recent years, I suspect? While the die-cast (bottom right) is from the reissue T2? The little one at the back is from the original Dinky Toy Thunderbird 2, and we had the proper green one, not the weird 2nd issue in metallic blue?

The orange thing is probably from the same source as the previous Thunderbird 4, and presumably another pod-vehicle for T2 to fly about the place with? I have no idea on the teeny T3, which may be a cracker/gumball thing.

 

While the multicoloured Thunderbird 3 is from that set of PVC-alikes with the Colorforms copies, and while I have the whole set in storage, with the other vehicles, this one was in the tub.

The  new-shape Thunderboird 2 on the other-hand, is just nasty, isn't it? Just phuqing nasty, blerraach!

Two cereal premiums from Kellogg's Sugar Smacks if I recall correctly? And the diminutive little Thunderbird 1 is the 'scale-model' being carried by Bones on the Xandria key-ring from Holland.

 

We have looked at these before, and I still need a T3 and Maximum Security Vehicle, but here's a quick shot as a reminder, I've since ID'd a couple of variations worth a quick note . . . 

 

The T1 comes in different shades of blue, suggesting at least two production runs, and the T2 likewise, although the difference isn't so marked and my paler one is missing its engine nacells.

 

To which (above) I've added these in recent moths, there are two larger models from Bandai, the Carlton-licenced cereal giveaway from Captain Scarlet and I've included three figures which have also come in.

The blue chap with the glue-stain, is probably from a plastic model kit out of Japan, I don't know which, and he may not even be Anderson-related, but he looks the part of a Troy Tenpest! The seated guy is from one of the Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle (SPV) reissue's but whether Carlton, Dinky or Vivid I can't remember, while the other guy is like Micromachines, but 'Action Fleet' size, and probably a Carlton thing?

Returning to Thunderbirds first - the two Bandai's are pull-back motor equipped for whizzing about the [smooth] floor, and both are slightly 'deform' in the fashion of a lot of Japanese toys these days, and dated China 1982, which is recent in Toy terms?

 

The SPV from Captain Scarlet was one of two I needed to complete my cereal premium sample, and I've managed it, but can't bring myself to break out the Spectrum Patrol Car (red thing) yet; I'll probably wait for a loose sample?

 

I think we've seen the figures loose before, but I now have all but one bagged as well, these are not rare, and somewhere like Sandown Park will always have a few somewhere. Captain Blue, Captain Scarlet, Destiny Angel and Captain Black.