TB3 was constructed of Jelutong wood, EMA's ABS plastic tubing, Perspex and brass. In these 3 photos the model can be seen in various stages of construction. The tapered wooden nose cone and the 3 engines were turned on the lathe, and the wings were carved in thin jelutong. I turned the 2 cone shaped rings that go between the "stages" of the model out of solid perspex. The front vanes (those black & orange striped things!) were carved from solid perspex and the bars connecting these to the engines were made from brass tube. The grey "cooling vanes" were individually cut from 1/8th inch (3mm) perspex.

These photos were taken once the final spray painting had been done using "Signal orange". At 30 inches in length the model is large enough to incorporate all the detail seen on the large 6ft high model used in the original TV show. Piping was added using fine brass rod, with some Plastikard panels added to simulate the detail seen on the original large model. The lettering was done using rub-down lettering, but the large number 3's had to be cut specially by a printing firm as no standard available numbers were big enough. Panel lines were first added in Biro and then cut in with a scalpel. .

Weathering was done using graphite pencil rubbed on with my finger! The last photo shows me holding an earlier smaller model TB3 (used in some photos for the Thunderbirds comic) with the larger completed 30 inch model on the bench in the foreground

A comic cover featuring the larger TB3 model in flight. The background was created by taking a time exposure of cars moving at night, thus creating what looked like vapour trails when projected onto a blue sky backing.

TB3 docks with TB5 in this shot used in Poster Magazine No 2.

A final shot used in Poster Magazine No 2 shows TB2 docking with TB5

This 30 inch long TB3 model was built for The Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester, (UK) and can still be seen in a display there, as can several other of my models.