Gerry Anderson Encyclopedia
Gerry Anderson Encyclopedia
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Sidewinder
Details
Length: 300 feet
Width 30 feet
Height: 100 feet
Weight 500 tons
Max Speed: 50mph
Crew  20, 3 minimum.
Armament 16 Energy Pulse Cannons, 2 Mssile Launchers , 2 Grasping Arms.
Affiliation World Army Airforce, US division.

The Sidewinder is an all-terrain vehicle from the Thunderbirds episode Pit Of Peril.

Details[]

An all terrain armoured transport designed to combat the brushfire wars that kept springing up in remote areas. The Sidewinder was capable of traversing quickly through jungle environments and clearing areas of trees to create landing sites for troop carrying aircraft. The vehicle was very well armed and incredibly durable with one of the prototypes surviving a 300ft fall and temperatures of 265 Fahrenheit for several hours without sustaining any significant damage.

Rescue involvement[]

After concluding the testing of one of the prototypes it fell into an old landfill of second world war military equipment. Due to the high amount of combustibles in the pit a fire had started and the crew of the Sidewinder were unable to escape. The army were unable to get the necessary lifting gear to the area in time to save the crew, so International Rescue were called in. They were able to save both the crew and the Sidewinder before the heat destroyed the vehicle.

Trivia[]

  • The Sidewinder may have some kind of artificial gravity installed as the crew were able to stand on the floor in the pit despite it being upside down.
  • The Sidewinder was able to climb out of pits up to 300ft deep if it was upright.
  • After the initial tests vertical thrust hover combines were added to the Sidewinder to prevent a repeat of the disaster involving one of the prototypes. This also increased it's all terrain capability enabling it to cross swamps and even water.
  • The Sidewinder is manufactured by Universal Engineering Incorporated.
  • The Sidewinder has four searchlights.
  • Force field generators were also added after the initial tests increasing the Sidewinder's already impressive durability.
  • The Sidewinder was also known as the Jungle Cat.
  • The Sidewinder is 295 feet long, 100 feet, has a top speed of 50 mph, and can carry up to 300 crew members.
  • For armaments. the Sidewinder has energy pulse cannons, some rear guns, and pods which house missiles.
  • The Sidewinder is powered by an atomic reactor.

Read More[]

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