 One of Meddings ' first tasks was to shoot stock footage of the Thunderbird machines and the series ' main locations , Tracy Island and Creighton @-@ Ward Mansion . The finished island model was a composite of more than a dozen smaller sets that could be detached from the whole and filmed separately . The architecture of the mansion was based on that of Stourhead House , located on the Stourhead Estate in Wiltshire . In the absence of head designer Reg Hill , who was serving as associate producer , Meddings was further tasked with designing the Thunderbird fleet and FAB 1 . Scale models for the six main vehicles were built by a contractor , Master Models of Middlesex . Models and puppet sets combined , more than 200 versions of the Thunderbird machines were created for the series . 
 One of Meddings <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'</mark></a>first tasks was to shoot stock footage of the Thunderbird machines and the series <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'</mark></a>main locations , Tracy Island and Creighton @-@ Ward Mansion . The finished island model was a composite of more than a dozen smaller sets <a href='null_relcl' title='3'><mark>that</mark></a>could be detached from the whole and filmed separately . The architecture of the mansion was based on that of Stourhead House , located on the Stourhead Estate in Wiltshire . In the absence of head designer Reg Hill , <a href='null_relcl' title='4'><mark>who</mark></a>was serving as associate producer , Meddings was further tasked with designing the Thunderbird fleet and FAB 1 . Scale models for the six main vehicles <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> built by a contractor , Master Models of Middlesex . Models and puppet sets combined , more than 200 versions of the Thunderbird machines <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>were</mark></a> created for the series . 
One of Meddings  first tasks was to shoot stock footage of da Thunderbird machines and the series  main locations , Tracy Island and Creighton @-@ Ward Mansion . Tdafinished island model was a composite of more than a dozen smaller sets could be detached from thdahole and filmed separately . Thedachitecture of the mansion was based on dat of Stourhead House , located on the daurhead Estate in Wiltshire . In the absence of head designer Reg Hill , was serving as associate producer , Meddings was further tasked with designing the Thunderbird fleet and FAB 1 . Scale models for the six main vehicles was built by a contractor , Master Models of Middlesex . Models and puppet sets combined , more den 200 versions of the Thunderbird machines was created for the series .