My Cobra FANG was my first vehicle, or GIJOE anything for that matter. Plus, I had a blue cobra trooper or soldier at that same time for my first figure, however long since gone since living in Racine, WI, so many years ago.
My Dragonfly was around in my world well before any of the 1986 product year stuff made its way into my possession, so this could very well have been my 2nd GIJOE vehicle ever.
"Firsts" are always a little easier to remember, but when it comes to "second," that's a little harder for me. And it could be that the HQ, or the Killer WHALE, was my 2nd vehicle. I just can't say for sure right now. It's going to take some figuring out.
Now, in the picture above, I'm 99.9% sure that the fuselage of the Dragonfly here is my very original toy. However, I can say with most certainty that many of the parts are not. I do remember having a missing nose cone for the longest time back in the day, and I did lose the winch underneath. Yeah, the whole thing..., I took it out and was swinging the string and and spindle piece around while walking around town... and it came apart and parts went all over in the tall grass. The chin gun is definitely a replacement, as my original I distinctly remember it having a snapped off tab on the back so that the thing was always a little wobbly.
Never did find it all. But, it's all good, I found another Dragonfly around 2000 or so that I used to rebuild and make my Dragonfly just like new. Or, as like new it can get.
And even since getting the winch replaced and fully back in operation... I don't think I've really ever used it a whole lot....
But either way, using the thumb-slide switch that spins the rotors, I definitely had the Dragonfly take flight.
And Wild Bill WAS at the flight controls until I took him to school during 2nd or 3rd grade....
Yeah, I was playing with him, during class, and yeah... confiscated. Wild Bill was never to be seen again... (That was one teacher I didn't like... she got a couple other Joes, and Transformers "Skids" in those days. ALL never seen again. *sniff*
However, when I bought that 2nd Dragonfly that I mentioned above, it had a darn-tootin' nice Wild Bill figure with it. Of course, this figure has pretty much sat in that rear seat since I got him back! 1983 figures fit great with 1983 vehicles.
Now, in the picture above is the 2000 Tripwire, but back in the day it was Tiger Force Tripwire who was often in the Dragonfly. This arrangement was mostly due to the Tiger Force Tripwire file card giving him the secondary MOS of Tiger Fly co-pilot. And it worked good for me, since my Tripwire figure didn't have any guns. Back in the day, accessory packs and shared accessories were the way for me to get my battles on. Tripwire never really seemed like a front line solider to me, either, compared to say, Flint or Hawk with their more military colors and camo pants.
Until I got the replacement 1983 Wild Bill, I had aero scout Wild Bill. I traded this figure away around 2003 or 2004. But that was more due to that I had bought the 2000 Locust and had the figure from that Dragonfly repaint. I found the 2000 Wild Bill paint scheme much more appealing. And I like the removable hat, although I wouldn't mind getting the 1992/1993 figures accessories to go along with this one.
If Wild Bill hits the ground, it is this 2000 version that is almost always out. The 1983 figure has really just been a seat holder in the Dragonfly.
Of course, there are other pilots out there, and other helicopters. Back when I was really accumulating a lot of vehicles, I found that I was running out of pilots. That's when I really starting trying to acquire all the different pilots. An example is Updraft. I have never seen a Retaliator in person, nor plan on getting one, but Updraft was great to have around to hop into the seat of one of the various Dragonfly incarnations that I had. Although, as a 1990 figure, he's got more detail and more arm... so you can see how some figures just barely make the fit into the Dragonfly. Some other helicopters that needed pilots were the Apache, the Razorblade, etc.
If I've had any issues with figures and vehicles, it is that many early vehicles 1982-1983 are much better suited to being manned by the "green team" original 13 type figures that are a little more slim and less detailed.
