Thunderbird was the operational result of the "
Red Shoes" development programme to meet the Stage 1 requirement. A mobile SAM for the British Army, Thunderbird was boosted by a quartet of Gosling boost rocket motors, with an IMI Albatross solid sustainer motor. Thunderbird I entered Army Service in 1959, being superceded by Thunderbird II in 1963. Thunderbird II to meet Stage 1 1/2 was developed under the project name " Green Flax". Green Flax was renamed " Yellow Temple" after all the paperwork was lost. Yellow Temple featured Continuous Wave (CW) homing with a Type 86 Indigo Corkscrew providing guidance.
A further improved version using the
Green Ginger system that was a combination of two radars: the Marconi S303 (AMES Type 89 Tactical Control Radar) and Marconi S404 (Type 88 height finder radar) ultimately became Thunderbird II. In army service these radars were called AD.10 and AD.11 respectively.The Army retained the SAM in service in its Thunderbird II variants until 1976, when it was. Apparently the troops referred to the Green Ginger radars as "Noddy and Big Ears".
A version with an improved sustainer motor was designated Thunderbird II, but didn't enter service.
The example shown is on display at the Museum of Flight at East Fortune and lacks the lower forward fin.
The early work on Thunderbird (or rather Red Shoes) used a flight test vehicle called LTV "
Luton Test Vehicle"