The head of each puppet was fitted with a solenoid connected to special tungsten wires on which the puppet was strung. The heads were then copied in the form of a fibreglass shell. The heads were sculpted in clay followed by some rough painting, so the final results could be judged. Similarly, different types of puppets' hands were stored and these could be bent into any shape to hold objects or make gestures. The puppet bodies were produced in plastic, and in quantity a stock of interchangeable male and female components was on hand for quick assembly.

The size of the puppet's heads was slightly reduced to give added realism, making the figures marginally more human in appearance. Not all the elements making up each puppet were produced in the studio's workshop - the mechanisms that operated the heads and hands, were made by outside contractors. Twelve puppeteers were given six months to create the marionettes for Thunderbirds. Each dressed puppet cost between 250 and 300 pounds. Any character could be made up from these interchangeable components. The rest of the puppet was made in a plastic and was in the perfect proportion of one-third human stature, with the hands and feet to suit the fitting. Each main character had up to five heads, with different expressions, to suit the mood. Then, the crowning glory - the hair, in the latest styles. Heads were first made in plasticine, then moulded in glass fibre. The construction of the puppets was revolutionised for the Thunderbirds team by the development of bondaglass - a fibreglass cloth and polyester resin - similar to that used to make custom car bodies. Finally, the head was painted, and fitted with a miniature wig.

The heads that were accepted, were copied in fiberglass inside the shell, provision was made for eye and mouth mechanisms. Following their initial briefing, the artists sculpted the proposed heads in clay and then roughly painted them, so that the final result could be judged before too much work had been done. The puppets were already well-advanced gone were the crude puppets with no eye or mouth movements.Ĭreating the puppet characters was a long and difficult task. By 1964, AP Films were ready to start making Thunderbirds.

Thunder birds real