a. An electrostatic discharge caused by friction between particles in a cloud.
b. An Aerospace fighter/bomber used by Earth Force in the 2260s to replace the Star Fury, differences include Airfoils for atmospheric manuvering. elongated hull with&a second seat and bomb racks below the lower engine strut.
a 'Mech from Battletech that has a reputation for being very resilient. many players will chose this weathered design over 'Mechs that have more advanced technology because of the psychological advantage that piloting a Thunderbolt caries.



compiled overview of the 65ton Thunderbolt 'mech, from various BattleTech novels and game sourcebooks:



The TDR-5S Thunderbolt is a familiar 'Mech throughout the Successor States. First produced in 2491, it was used extensively in assault lances of the era. Known for its heavy armament and hard-hitting assault capability, the Thunderbolt remains a favorite of many MechWarriors.
The TDR-5S Thunderbolt was one of the first 'Mechs designed for planetary assault. In its early years, it was also one of the heaviest assault 'Mechs possible to produce. As technology advanced, the Thunderbolt was inevitably superseded by larger, more advanced heavy 'Mechs. Because of its excellent design, however, the Thunderbolt remained in production, and some of the newer technology was added to its sub-assemblies. The Thunderbolt is respected as a tough opponent all across the Successor States.
The Thunderbolt remains one of the best-armed 'Mechs in existence. Its standard Sunglow Type 2 large laser packs a punch that few 'Mechs of any type can withstand. Combined with its three Diverse Optics Type 18 medium lasers and its drum-mounted Delta Dart LRM 15-rack, the Thunderbolt has more than ample firepower at long and medium ranges. For close-in combat, the 'Mech also carries a Bical short-range missile twin rack and two Voelkers 200 machine guns. There are very few opponent 'Mechs that can match this kind of firepower.
The Thunderbolt's armor is another of the 'Mech's impressive features. Though not the heaviest armor known today, it is still considered substantial, and many newer heavy 'Mechs have considerably less.
With all its heavy weaponry, however, the Thunderbolt is more susceptible to heat buildup than many other 'Mechs. Careful salvo firing of the Thunderbolt's weapons is a must if the vehicle is to avoid heat overload and shutdown. In many battles, commanders order their Thunderbolts into bodies of water early on, which allows them to fire more of their weapons than normal. Water holes in combat areas are always of great tactical value, but for the Thunderbolt, they are desperately needed to utilize its entire armament.
In a raid on the planet Damian in 2902, 'Mech lances of Heimar Valasek, Bandit King of Santander V, engaged elements of Kurita's 9th Sun Zhang Academy Cadre, which were on the planet for maneuvers. In six hours of pitched battle, three old Thunderbolts standing in the middle of Lake Omenshoufter withstood an assault by at least ten 'Mechs of various types sent against them by the pirate commander. The raiders finally withdrew when reinforcements from Damian's capital arrived on the scene. Forced to their DropShips, they left the planet empty-handed.
In the year 3000, a reconnaissance in force by the Eridani Light Horse on the Kurita planet Benet led to a costly surprise for that unit. Scouting for a reported secret supply dump, two recon lances supported by four jump-capable Thunderbolts were ambushed by the better part of the First Pesht Regulars. The Eridani commander saw no recourse but to withdraw, and ordered the four Thunderbolts to cover the lighter 'Mechs' retreat. Dodging the traps and enfilades that the Kurita 'Mechs tried to create, the Thunderbolts successfully covered the retreat, but absorbed a tremendous amount of damage doing so. Only one of the four 'Mechs was able to make it to the last DropShip before it lifted off.



Note: Information used here was the domain of FASA before they split the rights between Wizkids LLC and Microsoft (table-top gaming and video games respectively). Copyright of the fluff text is in limbo, but names of persons, places, & things are without any doubt the property of Wizkids LLC. Use of any terms here related to the BattleTech trademark are not meant as a challenge to Wizkids LLC's rights.
There are five roller coasters around the world that bear the name Thunderbolt - three on the east coast of the United States, one in Australia, and one in the Middle East.

Easily one of the most famous wooden coasters along with the nearby Cyclone, the Thunderbolt at Astroland along Coney Island operated for nearly sixty years. During the Roaring Twenties, roller coasters became quite popular and the Ridbak Amusement Corporation hired coaster designer John Miller to create a new ride. When it opened in 1925, the Thunderbolt was taller than any other coaster along the boardwalk and was the first to use steel supports. Another supporting element was the Kensington Hotel, a small house under the first and third turns of the coaster. George Moran and his son Fred lived in the house and were the coaster's operators for many years; George's wife Mae Timpano recalled finding a number of personal objects that had fallen from thrillseekers' pockets into her backyard during the 77-second ride. The house itself became famous when it was featured in Woody Allen's movie Annie Hall. The Astroland park opened in the mid-sixties, but in the 1970s the Cyclone closed and the nearby Tornado coaster burned down. The area no longer drew the crowds it had, and by the end of the 1982 season the Morans could no longer afford to operate the 87-foot-high coaster and closed it down. It remained SBNO for a number of years, through a 1985 change of ownership and all of the 1990s. On 1 September 2000, building inspectors for New York City examined the Thunderbolt and found it unsound; an emergency declaration was issued recommending the coaster's demolition unless repaired by its owner. Just a few months later, on 17 November, a wrecking ball struck the historic coaster and it was destroyed.

Another historic wooden Thunderbolt can still be found at Kennywood in Pennsylvania. Also designed by John Miller, it opened as the Pippin in 1924. In 1968, Andy Vettel rebuilt the coaster and called it the Thunderbolt, creating a 2,887-foot track. The ride itself is 95 feet high, and the greatest drop is 90 feet; a popular feature is the "spaghetti bowl," a large helix that creates strong lateral pull - no single riders are allowed in each two-person seat. The ride time is somewhere between ninety seconds and two minutes; the coaster's top speed is 55mph. It originally had three trains designed by National Amusement Devices, but today no more than two are allowed to run at any one time. Kennywood's Thunderbolt has been designated an ACE Coaster Classic by American Coaster Enthusiasts.

A bit younger than the last two, the wooden Thunderbolt at Six Flags New England opened in 1941 at what was then the Riverside Amusement Park. Joseph E. Drambour designed the ride in a figure eight shape, with a track length of 2,600 feet and a height of 70 feet. The top speed is 40mph and the ride takes about one minute; both trains were designed by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.

On the other side of the world, a steel Thunderbolt resides at Dreamworld in Australia. Designed by Meisho, it opened in 1982 and has carried more than 15 million passengers since then. The track is 3,960 feet long and 102 feet high; the two inversions are loops nearly 70 feet tall. It reaches a top speed of 54mph and the two trains carry 24 riders each under horsecollar restraints.

The newest Thunderbolt is in perhaps the least expected location: at the Aladdin's Kingdom theme park in Qatar along the Persian Gulf. A standard steel Vekoma boomerang design (as seen in RollerCoaster Tycoon), the 875-foot track includes three inversions. The coaster is 125 feet high and runs up to 48mph; because only one train can be used on this type of ride and it takes one minute and forty-eight seconds for the whole run, the hourly capacity is 750 riders.

Sources
http://www.rcdb.com/result.htm?searchtype=coasterquick&name=thunderbolt
http://history.amusement-parks.com/users/adamsandy/cithunderbolt.htm
http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/yellowpages/coasters/thunderbolt_kenny.shtml
http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/yellowpages/coasters/thunderbolt_sfne.shtml

Thun"der*bolt` (?), n.

1.

A shaft of lightning; a brilliant stream of electricity passing from one part of the heavens to another, or from the clouds to the earth.

2.

Something resembling lightning in suddenness and effectiveness.

The Scipios' worth, those thunderbolts of war. Dryden.

3.

Vehement threatening or censure; especially, ecclesiastical denunciation; fulmination.

He severely threatens such with the thunderbolt of excommunication. Hakewill.

4. Paleon.

A belemnite, or thunderstone.

Thunderbolt beetle Zool., a long-horned beetle (Arhopalus fulminans) whose larva bores in the trunk of oak and chestnut trees. It is brownish and bluish-black, with W-shaped whitish or silvery markings on the elytra.

 

© Webster 1913.

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