I had a Cobra Sea Ray way back in the day. I thought I would try one out again 26 or some odd years later, only adding this one into my collection this very last week.
I am really trying to remember many details about my Sea Ray from back in the day. Being a 1987 vehicle, and at the time, me being in the middle of nowhere in Upper Michigan, and us moving by '91, I would guess I got my original Sea Ray for Christmas in 1987, or a birthday in 1988, or Christmas 1988. And it was discarded by me at least sometime before winter of 1990-91. In all, one of the rare things that broke and I didn't like playing with anymore.
I always thought it would be great to have the Sea Ray take on the S.H.A.R.C., two flying submarines against each other! Back in the day with my original Sea Ray, the only S.H.A.R.C. was the one my best bud at the time had. I can't remember if we did this or not, though. We did have some "big battles" in that old U.P. basement. I think I ended up with this S.H.A.R.C., but I am not sure what I did with that, however, I do know I had his Deep Six. And I did have a mail-in S.H.A.R.C. after we moved from the U.P., and somewhere along the lines I discovered that mail-in version had no styrofoam, while my best buds (an original retail) did have styrofoam. Bugs me that I can't remember what I did with that S.H.A.R.C. if I did have it now.... anyhoo....
What ultimately happened with my Sea Ray was that a tab that held the two parts of the vehicle together broke resulting in a toy that just wasn't as fun for me. The canopy hinge as well as the tab broke, as well. I think I put it under the back stairs at our old house outside, and that's where it was last seen. I did save all the rockets, I think I figured I could use these on other vehicles. These rockets were around for awhile until finally traded away.
The Sea Ray is really interesting, I think it takes on that organic sea creature form rather well. It fits in with 1987 vehicles and their ability to have as many play functions built in, namely the multiple vehicles in one angle. Consider the Maggot and Mamba.
They are headlights on the box, but the two tabs really take on the look of eyes and the smooth flaring form with almost a hanging whiskers look, really says "sea ray" to me. A vehicle that sits on the bottom until ready to strike?
The overall form is very front heavy and tapers back into a very thin tail.
Three thrusters propel this craft, but does just the top one work until the glider is launched? I guess I have had that imagination that kind of wanted answers on how things worked; how it was believable.
This is the canopy hinge that snapped on my original Sea Ray. The canopy has no "snap-in" or open position that it can hold. It flops down as soon as one lets go of it.
That little tab also broke on my original Sea Ray. Not having a canopy that was solid made my old one not as much fun.
After not having a Sea Ray in my hand for 26 years, I wasn't surprised at the sparse interior of the Sea Ray cockpit. I didn't remember it this sparse, though, either. Maybe that's why my memory didn't remember much of it?
Well, since the canopy came loose during the above shot, below, the hinge does have some bow to it. Is this common, or is this Sea Ray just a showing play wear?
The Sea Ray does have a pair of big guns. Do they fire underwater? Are they more powerful than a Cobra H.I.S.S. cannon? I sort of remember having this craft sitting on the bottom of an imaginary lake, shooting upward at the over passing W.H.A.L.E. or Tiger Shark.
Now, I had a Conquest and a Night Raven in my classic young days collection, both sleek, fast craft. I think that the Sea Ray's less than slippery fighter jet looking form led me to not use it as much in aerial combat.
I suppose in 1988, or about this time that I got this vehicle, I was a little older. I do remember questioning in my head how this craft operated, even as I do at this very moment.
No landing gear, not even really skids. No visible VTOL jets (like a Sky Hawk, or Flight Pod).
My imaginations solution: the two square shapes were where there were lifting thrusters to get it off the ground were.
While we're down here, lets take a look at the glider portion of the Sea Ray.
Sea Slug and other figures really fit fine, and I really like that the backpack peg holds the figures on well and that there are well placed figure hand hold posts.
Can't forget to showcase the other backpack peg hole holder on the forward "sub" section of the Sea Ray. I never had any Cobra Eels until closer to 1993, and I while I always wanted some cobra divers...., what would an '85 Eel have done with this backpack on the sub section? Also no figure hand holds up front. Either way, I still had fun putting these figures on this craft today, it adds some weight and..., I don't know... some fun.
That bottom wide tab that slides on to connect the two parts of the Sea Ray together. I only separated this Sea Ray once, and I am not sure how many times it was separated prior to me buying it, but coming apart it made a distinct snap sound. I don't see anything broken, but I didn't expect that sound. It went back together with a snap that wasn't anywhere near as obvious.
I think I have some fear of this one breaking like my original one did.
Very machine like detail, but also some very organic styling throughout.
The three connection tabs.
The Sea Ray has an engine cover, I always liked this, one of my favorite features on vehicles. This engine compartment is especially deep. On my original Sea Ray I used it as a weapon storage compartment.
The Sub section is kind of neat. I may have had this as a space ship back in the day, when play was not strictly limited to realistic military battles.
And it floats? Well, I do remember floating my old one, and I may have to float this one.
As a powered glider, even back in my younger days, this just looks heavy for a figure. Perhaps this is why Sea Slug is such a muscular character? As I think about it now, Sea Slug has a nice glider uniform design. the helmet and eye protection make sense here. Less so as an underwater submarine operator, where, for an example, the Secto-Viper would look more in place.
Of course, Sea Slug is another layer of elite on top of Eels, perhaps on par or more trained than Snow Serpents.
This big open front area on the glider never said sleek to me, and some things never change.
This is just the tail of the Sea Ray. I may have gotten more play out of this part when it came to my original Sea Ray. This was just a little space ship that was zooming around back in the day. I had a multi-vehicle diaclone robot, plastic model aircraft carrier jets, and other things that got in on these battles, too.
Sea Slug was a bruiser of a character, one of the main bad guy's in my early collection, often Serpentors right hand tough guy. Check out my old HQ's weapons tray to see how my early collection was armed.
I was never a big fan of pistols, and Sea Slugs was no exception. It's funky its own way, but I never liked using it.
I think having other vehicles for size comparison is important.
I was fortunate to get a box with this Sea Ray, which was part of the appeal to me. I really like to read the mission statements and other things on the boxes that are not often as easy to see on pictures of boxes. I think little things like that add more to the imagination behind the design. Being my original Sea Ray was an early vehicle in my original collection, saving paperwork or boxes were not even thought of then.
Now, how is that glider being propelled?
