The RTL 2s are stationed at Matthews Field Air Base, and are stored in massive hangars.Thunderbirds are immense avian creatures, typically resembling birds of prey, with a connection to or control over storms and lightning. Each nacelle contains three VEI turbofan jet engines.Īdditionally, there is an electronic countermeasures antenna attached to the tail section of the craft. A ramp at the end of the RTL 2 allows the loading of cargo.Īttached to each wing is a triple jet engine nacelle. Past this point, separated from the weapons bay by a bulkhead and firewall is a cargo bay (which contains cargo clamps and is divided into two sections) that can accommodate vehicles, humanitarian supplies, and military equipment. Around this area are some fuselage-mounted underfloor fuel cells. After these are two personnel/troop transportation cabins (one on port side, and one on starboard side) in addition to a personnel seating area and a personnel equipment storage area.Įven further down the RTL 2 is a weapons bay with underside deployment/access doors. Behind the cockpit and the communications station is a life-support systems bay and a personal hygiene station.įurther down the craft is an equipment storage bay as well as a conference and strategic command area. Poseidon missiles aboard the RTL 2 Design Īt the front of the aircraft, forward of the nose wheel storage well, is a radar scanner dish and an avionics bay. However, due to the help of International Rescue, the fourth RTL 2 managed to reach its destination. Despite this, the third RTL 2 was still shot down - and by the same unidentified fighter jets. One new precaution was that the crew were not to call Control, except in the event of an emergency. The third aircraft had been tasked with delivering two large missiles to Europe and this time, the security was far tighter than had been the case with the previous two attempts. The same series of disastrous events played out with the second RTL 2. But the plane was shot down by enemy fighter aircraft before it could deliver its cargo. In The Cham-Cham, the first RTL 2 aircraft was tasked with carrying an unknown cargo to an undisclosed location.

Since then, the aircraft have been adapted for use as a strategic bomber (designated the V-17) and as a passenger airliner. Originally, the RTL 2 was designed to transport military rockets (which were produced by the Maxwell Rocket Corporation.

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