THE ROUND HOUSE - Thunderbirds created by Gerry Anderson

Thunderbird 3 hangar is located beneath the unusual elevated Round House on Tracy Island. Whereas the Swimming Pool and the Cliff House totally conceal Thunderbird 1 and Thunderbird 2 respectively, the Round House maintains an opening to Thunderbird 3 silo below. The House is a ring shape, with a hole in the middle. When the rocket blasts off it surges upwards through the opening and through the hole in the middle of the Round House. It is an impressive site.

The size of Thunderbird 3 is established as 287 feet tall, but the original idae was for it to be closer to 200 feet. the scaling of teh Round House and its staircase and railings favours this idea, although is probably too small for that idea. In the film ‘Thunderbirds Ae Go’ the model was re-dressed to incorporate two levels and suggests a generally larger appearance. This painting is an amalgam ob both incarnations. A night-time launch would have been very dramatic, as the massive thrust would light up the surrounding. The remote location of Tracy Island would make anyone seeing the launch unlikely.

Thunderbird 3 and the Round House designed by Derek Meddings