Maker · UK · Thunderbirds kits 2020s
AiP (Bachmann Europe)
Bachmann Europe’s plastic-kit brand, “Adventures in Plastic”. Its Thunderbirds range, launched in 2021, is largely UK reboxes of Aoshima kits, plus a newly tooled 1:144 Thunderbird 2.
Fanderson reported in March 2021 that AiP was launching a series of 11 models, “essentially reboxes of the highly-regarded Japanese Aoshima kits”, covering the five main rescue craft, FAB 1, the Mole, Fireflash and Thunderbird 1 and 2 launch-bay sets. Bachmann’s product pages give each kit’s scale — from 1:350 for Thunderbirds 2 and 3 to 1:32 for FAB 1. The 2025 Thunderbird 2 with Firefly is Bachmann’s own new tooling.
2 items
Specimens by AiP (Bachmann Europe)
- 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