Thunderbird Shadow is kept on a yellow turntable at the back of the refuelling hangar underneath the house on Tracy Island. Thunderbird Shadow is only ever launched by Tanusha Kyrano.
Launch Sequence[]
Kayo sits on the co-pilot seat in the lounge, with the pilot seat on her left. The two seats lower to the Thunderbird 3 and Thunderbird S launch tube, which Kayo is taken along via a trolley. At the end of this launch tube, the seats are rotated 90° clockwise so that Kayo is facing the two separate launch tubes at the end of the one she is currently in. The pilot seat is taken into the launch tube on the left, while the co-pilot seat is taken into the launch tube on the right. With Kayo now in her own launch tube, her flight suit and boots are attached to her by robotic arms with her personally clipping in her belt and putting on her jacket and gauntlets, all while the seat is rotated 180° so that she exits the launch tube backwards. Kayo’s helmet is lowered onto her head and the co-pilot seat is lowered in the Shadow Bike’s storage room. Kayo then gets out of the seat, jumps into the Shadow Bike, powers it in, and drives it along the launch tunnel. At the end of the launch tunnel, Kayo stops the Shadow Bike so that it can be rotated 90° and raised into Thunderbird Shadow. With the two locked in, the craft is carried backwards up a wall via a set of rails. Once Thunderbird Shadow is at the top of the rails, the wall section rotates 180° so that the craft is outside. Thunderbird Shadow is then rotated 180° so that it faces upwards, while Kayo unfolds the jet’s wings. Kayo launches Thunderbird Shadow using the primary thrusters to become airborne and the VTOL thrusters to move away from Tracy Island. The primary thrusters are cut off so that the jet falls towards the ocean upside down. Once horizontal, Kayo rotates Thunderbird Shadow so that it is the right way up and flies away from the island.
- First seen in Up from the Depths Part 2
Thunderbirds Are Go - Thunderbird Shadow Launch
Hiram Hackenbacker[]
Kayo sits on the co-pilot seat in the lounge, with the pilot seat on her left. The two seats lower to the Thunderbird 3 and Thunderbird S launch tube, which Kayo is taken along via a trolley. At the end of this launch tube, the seats are rotated 90° clockwise so that Kayo is facing the two separate launch tubes at the end of the one she is currently in. The pilot seat is taken into the launch tube on the left, while the co-pilot seat is taken into the launch tube on the right. Brains and MAX leave the lounge and enter the elevator to the refuelling hangar. With Kayo now in her own launch tube, her flight suit and boots are attached to her by robotic arms with her personally clipping in her belt and putting on her jacket and gauntlets, all while the seat is rotated 180° so that she exits the launch tube backwards. While Brains is on his way to Thunderbird 1, he has MAX suit him up, similar to how Kayo is being suited up by robotic arms. Kayo’s helmet is lowered onto her head and the co-pilot seat is lowered in the Shadow Bike’s storage room. Kayo then gets out of the seat, jumps into the Shadow Bike, powers it in, and drives it along the launch tunnel. Once Brains is wearing his suit and is in the hangar, he makes his way to the back of the refuelling hangar to Thunderbird Shadow yellow turntable. At the end of the launch tunnel, Kayo stops the Shadow Bike so that it can be rotated 90° and raised out of the tunnel. Once the Shadow Bike reaches ground level, the canopy opens and Brains jumps into the passenger seat behind Kayo. The canopy then closes and the Shadow Bike is raised into Thunderbird Shadow. With the two locked in, the craft is carried backwards up a wall via a set of rails. Once Thunderbird Shadow is at the top of the rails, the wall section rotates 180° so that the craft is outside. Thunderbird Shadow is then rotated 180° so that it faces upwards, while Kayo unfolds the jet’s wings. Kayo launches Thunderbird Shadow using the primary thrusters to become airborne and the VTOL thrusters to move away from Tracy Island. The primary thrusters are cut off so that the jet falls towards the ocean upside down. Once horizontal, Kayo rotates Thunderbird Shadow so that it is the right way up and flies away from the island.
- Though it is never seen in the show, Brains did require Kayo to give him a ride to an accident site in Chain Of Command