Bandai DX Thunderbird 2

                This time the review will be out of the ultraman line.  But still is a futuristic vehicle that I love.  It is the Bandai Thunderbird the Movie, DX Thunderbird 2.  I love Thunderbird TV series from a long time ago when I watched it accidentally in the TV.  Even with the weird puppet as their actors, but the vehicle design really excite me and my craving for the toys begun.  It was at least 20 years later that I got 1 (one is enough) from the local toys Fair, in a loose condition, but still in a great condition for the toys and the price was good.  The toys is DX Thunderbird 2 (my favorite of all the vehicles) made by Bandai for the Thunderbird Live Action Movie.  Since this is from the Live Action Movie, means that the design is different from the Series.  But for me it doesn’t matter.  Most important is Thunderbirds are go.

Front View

 

                I got this vehicle in a loose condition, means no box or no manual.  What you see here is what I got exactly from the seller.

Upper View

                It is painted green mostly with some decals of the Thunderbird 2 and International Rescue.  The other details are the clear glass cockpit.  The materials are hard plastic with the wings made of soft rubber, so there is no fear of breakage in the wings.

Rubber Wings

International Rescue

Transparent Cockpit







                It also has electronic feature, located at the back.  There is a on off button, which when you switch to on and push the button above it, the Red thruster will light up (blinking) and played the Flying jet noise for several second.  The battery compartment is located in the underside.  While the nice thing is, the button to activate the electronics, and even all the button for other feature is camouflage well in to the upper side of the jet.  So if you do not look carefully, you might not find it.

Rear View

On off Switch



Battery Compartment







                The jet also has 4 landing skids, which can be deployed by pressing the 4 buttons above the fuselage.  After you press the button, the landing skids will deployed loose.  After that it must be deployed manually by pulling it hard (really hard).  It has 3 stages of deployment depending on the condition you want the jet to pose.  If you want to display it with the hangar down then you have to pull it all the way until you hear 3 clicks (every time the skids lock there will be a click, very nice).  To retract it you just have to push it all the way in, this time, very very harddddd.  I almost have fear of it breaking, but so far no problem exists.

Underside View

Landing Skids deployed full

Landing on the bed

                The main feature of the Thunderbird 2 is the deployable containers.  In the TV series, it has only 1 container per jet.  In Live Action Version here it has 3 all combine in 1 jet.  And all 3 can be deployed all at once.  The way to deploy it is by pressing the buttons above the fuselage, again camouflaged very well.  The containers itself can be removed from the ship, leaving only the elevators.

Find out where the buttons are

                The first container is the largest, is located in the front.  Push the button above and the container will drop down and the container door will automatically open, showing the vehicle “Firefly” stored inside.  The Firefly itself is very detailed and in scale with the jet. It rolls freely, and every time you roll it, the forward shovel will move up and down. Cute gimmick.

front container deployed

Here come Firefly

                The second and third containers are located at the rear; it can be placed face front or face rear.  If you want it to deploy simultaneously then this rear container has to face the back of the jet.  It has smaller size, but also has a vehicle inside each.  One of them stored the “Mole’ the drilling machine, again very detailed with a gimmick.  As you rolled The Mole ahead, the drill bit also will automatically spins.  The other stored the Thunderbird 4, which also has a gimmick, when you rolled it ahead, the mechanical arms in front of Thunderbird 4 will shake.

Side container deployed

Thunderbird 4 go

Another Side Container

It's The Mole

                All in all, this toy has great playability, and the detail is very good, especially with the inclusion of the 3 more smaller vehicles which makes it more fun.