myk Posted April 9, 2011 Posted April 9, 2011 See, I told you. All this talk about the Sky Striker really did make me bust this old bird out of mothballs : Curious-what type of landing gear lever do you have? My first X-19 had a lever that went in and out of the plane body. My newer X-19 has a lever that almost looks like a giant tail hook... Quote
Uxi Posted April 9, 2011 Posted April 9, 2011 I still have my ghostrider fig. Really wish I hadn't let my parents give away my X-19, though. Quote
Mog Posted April 9, 2011 Posted April 9, 2011 Curious-what type of landing gear lever do you have? My first X-19 had a lever that went in and out of the plane body. My newer X-19 has a lever that almost looks like a giant tail hook... I have the old-fashioned one that goes in and out of the plane body. Definitely doesn't look like a tail hook at all. Quote
Shaorin Posted April 9, 2011 Posted April 9, 2011 (edited) Wake me up when they release a new . http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/87/defiant/ my parents bought me that SOB back in the day, about $130.00 or so at the TOYS-R-US in CLACKAMAS, OR. back then, about 1988/89ish. i remember my father bringing the box into the house, and it was a damned big mother!! my parents both assembled the thing together in the living room. there were scads and scads of model kit-like parts frames, and the pre-assembled primary sub-components of the DEFIANT space shuttle, booster shuttle and transport/launch complex, all neatly contained in several cardboard sub-boxes. i think my parents were attempting to vicariously live a second-childhood through me, as they were excited as all hell about this thing, rather much like those other lucky kids out there that had received one. all that, and yet i distinctly remember NOT being overly turned on by it. not really at all, actually. i mean, i had LOTS of G.I. JOE toys, but even as a little kid back then, i think i realized that japanese mecha toys were where it really was at for me, and while was a bit too young at the time to have had an opportunity to experience the golden years of TRANS-FORMERS and the like, i DID own some of the latter-year TF offerings, and i recall enjoying them immensely, despite their crappiness. actually, i think i was something of a frustrated, budding Anime-Mecha nerd at the time that didn't quite fully realize it. too young yet for COMICS/COLLECTIBLES shops and their expensive IMPORT MECHA TOYS, and all primed and ready for the golden-age of U.S. localized mecha toys, about five years past their day. to compound matters, when my mother gave my father the go-ahead to express his opinion on what toys he thought his son should have, it was always G.I.JOE all the way. on top of all that, i was a rather strangely shy child. i never really make my desires terribly obvious all that often, and as such, i tended to sit back while my rather generous parents wasted lots of money on me. in all, my mother was responsible for all the "cool, intelligent toys" that really stuck with me in the end, and my father was responsible for G.I.JOE and everything else. hell, feel free to kill me (softly, please) but the most fun i remember having with that DEFIANT set was letting my many pet guinea pigs wander about (and yes, piss and drop beans all over) the thing. kids'll be kids, i 'spose. in sum, i think i had more of an engineer's mindset as a boy, as i recall having MUCH more fun with my LEGO TECHNICs back then than i ever had with any of my old large G.I. JOE collection, which i ended up taking over to a collector's shop (including what was left of the DEFIANT) around 2000ish, and trading it all for my very first transformable VF-1 Valkyrie toy, a TRANS-FORMERS JETFIRE... Edited April 9, 2011 by Shaorin Quote
myk Posted April 10, 2011 Posted April 10, 2011 I have the old-fashioned one that goes in and out of the plane body. Definitely doesn't look like a tail hook at all. I'm pretty sure both versions were released at the same time. If anything, I'm guessing the tail-hook setup was an earlier version that was replaced with the sliding lever; most of the X-19's that I know of have the sliding lever, including the very first one I bought back in....when the hell was that? lol... Quote
Mog Posted April 13, 2011 Posted April 13, 2011 Now I remember why I stopped making GI Joe customs (other than lack of inspiration and motivation): Getting the appropriate custom fodder/parts/figures gets expensive after awhile. With the Cover Girl figure I did awhile back, I started with a Lady Jaye torso and then had to buy four additional figures just to get the parts I needed to make the figure. Even with some of the extra fodder I have lying around, Ghostrider's looking to be just as expensive. Even tried to make a couple of trades for the parts I needed, but both deals fell through. Oh well, I already purchased the last few parts I'll need. So hopefully, everything comes together nicely. Quote
danth Posted April 15, 2011 Posted April 15, 2011 (edited) Shaorin, I was one of those kids who loved Japanese mecha toys as well as GI Joes! Loving transforming robots didn't take away at all from my love of action figures. However, I'm with you on the Defiant. I didn't see how a space shuttle had anything to do with GI Joe. It always seemed big and boring to me. Edited April 15, 2011 by danth Quote
VT 1010 Posted April 15, 2011 Posted April 15, 2011 I always wanted the Defiant. When I was little, I had most of the big vehicles and all of the major playsets--Both HQs, the Mobile Command Center, the Terrordrome, the Tactical Battle Platform, and the Flagg--except for the Defiant. That was the one I never had. The one that always eluded me. But someday, I will have one... Quote
myk Posted April 16, 2011 Posted April 16, 2011 Funny, the only big Joe thing I've ever owned is the Defiant. I had a chance to buy a boxed FLAGG but....a friend of mine told me it wasn't a complete hull, that it was a cut-away so as to give play options for the interior of the ship; I was disappointed and passed. I still maintain that the Defiant is on my top list for GI Joe or toy anything... Quote
bluemax151 Posted April 16, 2011 Posted April 16, 2011 In my experience the Defiant complex was a huge POS. The concept is great, it's a vehicle and a playset but the execution was very poor. I'm not sure if they didn't know as much about plastics back then or they just didn't care but mine eventually become so brittle it literally started disintegrating from just sitting in my room (the wheels would just "pop" off too). Not to mention that the elevation mechanism never worked right on mine to begin with Of course now a lot of what's left is yellow Quote
myk Posted April 16, 2011 Posted April 16, 2011 In my experience the Defiant complex was a huge POS. The concept is great, it's a vehicle and a playset but the execution was very poor. I'm not sure if they didn't know as much about plastics back then or they just didn't care but mine eventually become so brittle it literally started disintegrating from just sitting in my room (the wheels would just "pop" off too). Not to mention that the elevation mechanism never worked right on mine to begin with Of course now a lot of what's left is yellow I can't argue with those points. My lift mechanism never functioned properly either-did it work for anyone? As for the wheel situation, you can see that the crawler's wheel assemblies have about a 1/8" thick piece of plastic holding them to the chassis to support all that weight, lol. I have my Defiant sitting on an upside down food service pan that is well concealed beneath the undercarriage of the crawler because those wheels would snap over time, for sure. Honestly, many of the 'Joe toys are great ideas with poor execution. The Tomahawk, WHALE, Rattler, and countless other vehicles are great designs but are grossly under-engineered. Nevertheless, if you can find clean examples of the Defiant and these other weak-structured toys they can be enjoyed as long as their faults are known and treated accordingly... Quote
bluemax151 Posted April 16, 2011 Posted April 16, 2011 As for the wheel situation, you can see that the crawler's wheel assemblies have about a 1/8" thick piece of plastic holding them to the chassis to support all that weight, lol. Ironically they didn't break off where the simulated suspension bracket connects to the body. The wheels would individually just pop off from the bracket when it was just sitting in my room on the carpet. It would honestly have made more sense if the whole bracket broke off but either way the result is basically the same.The WHALE is another great example of bad plastics and engineering. The Plastic for the fan assembly on mine has also basically disintegrated from just being old like me All that said they were some great toys for back then. Quote
Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Posted April 17, 2011 Author Posted April 17, 2011 I can't argue with those points. My lift mechanism never functioned properly either-did it work for anyone? As for the wheel situation, you can see that the crawler's wheel assemblies have about a 1/8" thick piece of plastic holding them to the chassis to support all that weight, lol. I have my Defiant sitting on an upside down food service pan that is well concealed beneath the undercarriage of the crawler because those wheels would snap over time, for sure. Honestly, many of the 'Joe toys are great ideas with poor execution. The Tomahawk, WHALE, Rattler, and countless other vehicles are great designs but are grossly under-engineered. Nevertheless, if you can find clean examples of the Defiant and these other weak-structured toys they can be enjoyed as long as their faults are known and treated accordingly... The good thing is that the 25th anniversary rattler and tiger rat were retooled not just on the cockpits but with the landing gear. The landing gear especially the rear are reinforced. Much more sturdy than before. Also the sky striker coming in fall is an all new mold but structurally reinforced. Splits aft of the canopy and the wings look very very durable there are braces underneath. Quote
VT 1010 Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 The reinforced landing gear was the main reason I picked up the 25th version. Both my original and '97 Rattlers have broken gear. I think they were made from tissue paper. Quote
David Hingtgen Posted April 17, 2011 Posted April 17, 2011 My reissue Rattler still collapses the starboard gear all the time. Nail polish at the joint doesn't help at all. Quote
Scream Man Posted April 18, 2011 Posted April 18, 2011 Im rebuilding a couple of Whales right now. one is basically fine, the other is in poor shape, and I have had to get ALOT of replacement parts for her. The brittle plastic is definitely the problem, as is the poor condition of toys that old sadly. Quote
Chronocidal Posted April 18, 2011 Posted April 18, 2011 I'm guessing the problems had with the Defiant were mostly with the launch complex and booster then? (I think it was a booster ). I still have my Crusader shuttle, and aside from the plastic turning a nice shade of yellow, it's still pretty much in one piece... well.. ok, a lot of pieces, but I took the entire thing apart to attempt to restore it a little. I'm kind of considering just spraying the entire thing flat white with some indoor/outdoor paint, since the body is way too huge to use any of the plastic whitening methods I've seen. Funny, the shuttle body is extremely yellowed, but the scout ship in the bay stayed nice and white. Quote
Scream Man Posted April 19, 2011 Posted April 19, 2011 The one I just bought is apparently quite yellow as well, so my plan is too fix it with a chemical solution Like this. Quote
Mog Posted April 29, 2011 Posted April 29, 2011 Yeah. . . someone's ready to have a mock dogfight with the Skystriker. Quote
Scream Man Posted April 30, 2011 Posted April 30, 2011 Nice Ghost rider custom! What recipe and does he fit in the Phantom? Quote
Mog Posted April 30, 2011 Posted April 30, 2011 Just click the last link in my signature. It should answer all of your questions. It's a little tight, but yes, he does sit fine in the X-19. As far as head clearance is concerned, there's more than enough space between his head and the cockpit canopy. I also posted pics in the link that show how well this custom Ghostrider sits in the X-19. Quote
Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Posted April 30, 2011 Author Posted April 30, 2011 Sky Striker XP21F 1st Shot - GI Joe News Quote
BoBe-Patt Posted April 30, 2011 Posted April 30, 2011 Sky Striker XP21F 1st Shot - GI Joe News Aww thats kinda disappointing that they didnt change the position of the wings when the landing gears are out. I was hoping to have the wings folded in when the landing gear is out. And have the wings spread out when the landing gears are tucked away. Quote
David Hingtgen Posted April 30, 2011 Posted April 30, 2011 Though really, if you want wings back and gear down, you should go for the overswept (75 degrees) position which the toy can't do, not the "fully back in flight" (68 degrees) position. Quote
myk Posted April 30, 2011 Posted April 30, 2011 What's with the wingless Sand Serpent in the pictures, lol... Quote
Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) Got the 2nd round of Q&A Answers in with 30th anniversary stuff: Toyark: GI Joe 2011 Q&A Round 2 Answers HISS Tank: GI Joe 2011 Q&A Round 2 Answers - GI Joe News Edited June 7, 2011 by Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Quote
danth Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) Anyone know why it's hard as f*ck to buy new GI Joes for retail online? If I want new Legos or Valkyries or video games or DVDs, I just buy them online for retail price, no markup, no availability issues, no problems. But if I want some new Joes, I have to pay like 150% retail or more at specialty stores, because no major retail websites (Amazon, Target.com, Walmart.com, Toysrus.com) sell them. Hell, even CVS pharmacy sells these guys for $12 each. For the first time since the 90's Hasbro makes some Joes that don't look like sh*t, but I can't seem to get them online unless I want to get gouged. Edited June 7, 2011 by danth Quote
Mog Posted June 7, 2011 Posted June 7, 2011 ^^^This X 1000. I'm sure the Star Wars Vintage line fans and the Transformers Generations line fans will agree with us that these three lines have been getting the royal shaft this past year or so from Hasbro and/or their distributors. I have never seen POC Low-Light anywhere in my area and finally had to cave in to purchase one off eBay. Most of the nearby Walmarts don't even have any Joe stuff out on display anymore. And whenever I do see Joe stuff at a retailer, it's usually that freakin' Artic Destro or some other pegwarmer. Star Wars Vintage line? I consider myself lucky if I see anything from the Return of the Jedi wave or later. Transformers Generations? I guess someone at Hasbro thought Skullgrin would be a super-popular figure. Seriously, there's good demand for a lot of these figures, but where the hell is the supply? Hey Hasbro!! I really don't give a damn about your stupid movie tie-in toys. Is your business doing so great that you can afford to lose collectors who no longer wanna deal with all the headaches of trying to find your products? Fix the damn problem! Because, I'm sure you're company is not the one getting rich off of these higher mark-ups. Quote
Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Posted June 7, 2011 Author Posted June 7, 2011 Guys, we COULD get a 2 seater Sky Striker XP21F in the future. Discussed(and added a poll) here: Do You Want A 2 Seat Sky Striker XP21F? Quote
danth Posted June 8, 2011 Posted June 8, 2011 Thanks Mog, it's nice to see that someone understands. Speaking of Low Light, you can get him for $30 from Amazon sellers. Quote
Mog Posted June 8, 2011 Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) $30 Good gravy!! . . . And that's BEFORE shipping, right? Edited June 8, 2011 by Mog Quote
Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Posted June 8, 2011 Author Posted June 8, 2011 I feel your pain boys, I've never seen Low Light at retail. Quote
Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Posted July 11, 2011 Author Posted July 11, 2011 Sky Striker XP21F Sticker Sheet And More Quote
Golden Arms Posted July 11, 2011 Posted July 11, 2011 Damn, If I set that at target this summer, it will be near impossible to pass up. Is the Starscream Sky striker going to be a comic con exclusive? Quote
Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Posted July 11, 2011 Author Posted July 11, 2011 Damn, If I set that at target this summer, it will be near impossible to pass up. Is the Starscream Sky striker going to be a comic con exclusive? Starscream Skystriker is an SDCC exclusive. Regular Sky Striker is expected at Target on July 31st: July 31st Sky Striker Release Date Quote
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