Shelf · TV series · 8 items
Model kits
Plastic kits of the Thunderbirds craft, from Imai’s 1960s Japanese kits to Aoshima’s reissues and new tooling and Bachmann’s AiP kits.
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Specimens
On this shelf
- Imai Thunderbirds kits (1966 onwards) The original Japanese Thunderbirds kits, many with box art by Shigeru Komatsuzaki. Vintage
- Aoshima BIG Thunderbird 2 (Thunderbirds No. 20) An extra-large (about 250 mm) Thunderbird 2 kit with Thunderbird 4, the Mole and a magnetic towing vehicle — reissued in January 2026. Current
- Aoshima 1/32 FAB 1 kit Lady Penelope’s FAB 1 as a 1/32 plastic kit. Current
- Aoshima 1/48 Thunderbird 4 kit Thunderbird 4 as a motorised 1/48 kit with a working searchlight. Current
- Aoshima Thunderbirds mini kits Small kits of the Mole, Thunderbird 4, Thunderbirds 3 and 5, and Thunderbird 1. Current
- AiP10001 Thunderbird 1 (1:144 kit) A 1:144 Thunderbird 1 kit with movable wings and a choice of launch or in-flight build — a UK release of an Aoshima kit. Current
- AIP10012 Thunderbird 2 with Firefly (1:144 kit) A newly tooled 1:144 Thunderbird 2 with Pod 6 and the Firefly, plus turned metal legs. Current
- Bellfine “Trapped in the Sky” model kit A three-craft kit based on the first episode: Thunderbird 1, the Fireflash airliner and a high-speed elevator car. Current
Model kits
Collector’s notes
Japan has the longest history of Thunderbirds kits. Imai Kagaku began its Thunderbirds kits in 1966 and, according to Japanese Wikipedia, sponsored the first Japanese broadcast of the series. After Imai stopped trading in 2002, Aoshima acquired its science-fiction moulds (according to Wikipedia) and still lists Thunderbirds kits today.
In the UK, Bachmann Europe’s AiP (“Adventures in Plastic”) brand sells Aoshima’s kits under its own label and has added a newly tooled 1:144 Thunderbird 2 — so the same kit can appear in an Aoshima box or an AiP box.
Tips
- For older kits, ask whether the parts are still sealed in their bags and whether the decals and instructions are present and undamaged.
- We have found no reliable record of an Airfix-branded Thunderbirds kit, so treat such listings with care. (Airfix parts were, however, used to detail the original filming models.)
Sources
Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds