The Locust has some neat features, and it really shines as a G.I.Joe vehicle. It's not a traditional looking combat helicopter that is a straight design copy from some current military craft, although it has design elements that definitely make it look military. Not unlike where a Dragonfly has some styling similarities with an AH-1 but then bumps its design into next generation awesome and uniqueness with the NOTAR design. The Locust still comes through as a little special operations chopper that can be used on fun imaginative missions.
When it comes to vehicles, I like loose vehicles, but they have to be in good condition for me to really like them, or want to keep them. In this case, the Locust has some limp side guns and a very floppy tail rotor. I don't know if this is how all Locust helicopters are or if I just happened to get one with the usual play wear conditions? But here, I like the above picture without the side guns, because below they just droop. A pair of solid side-mounted twin blasting guns with an ammo feed belt hanging from the rear would really make this picture below a little more serious looking.
Then again, maybe all Locusts have limp side guns, as they are meant to be utilized by the skid-riding G.I.Joe assault team members? The guns do have a pair of handles, after all. With the figures VERY securely and easily placed on the skids foot pegs, three figures really bring this little helicopter to life!
This is fun play feature for me, it's like, "lets, go!"
I also wonder if the guns were meant to have some hoses going from the fuselage to the handles at some point? Or maybe a second figure hand-hold point? Maybe even a figure weapon storage point?
With all three figures loaded up on the Locust, this helicopter really balances out, in actual balance on skids and visually. I think this is where the Locust really is a fun toy and really showcases its role as a "light scout and ground-support helicopter with limited stealth capability."
These side guns, though, if they were not flopping around when a figure isn't holding them in place, I would really enjoy having this helicopter more. The guns feel like they could fit on other vehicles, in a way. Like the more modern DTC or PoC, or whatever interchangeable weapon system popped in there. The Locust side guns remind me a lot of the Hammers guns as well as the Arctic Blasts figure guns. The posts where they attach into the Locust showed some stress of being pulled off prior to me getting this, obviously leading to more floppy gun stance. I can't recall, but do other vehicles have this type of post for mounting guns? I can't think of seeing any of this style?
The canopy can hold this "open" position, but, and this may just be this particular Locust, it doesn't take much to bump it out of position.
Wild Bills hat is too tall for a full canopy enclosure. I thought the seat clips were a neat idea for keeping figures in their seats during some active play, but inside an enclosed cockpit...., maybe not really needed? It's a large cockpit for a smaller vehicle, much more figure friendly than a (I would compare it to) 1984 Skyhawk. The seat clip, still a fine thing, though, and there really is nothing else for a figure to hold on to in there anyway.
The lower clear portion of the fuselage is really nice, too. At most it adds some detail to a relatively small craft when it really wasn't necessary..., but back in those days, design went a little farther.
A series of mission variable pylons would have really made this little copter stand out. Maybe a rescue litter, maybe spring fired rocket pods. A real utilitarian ground support copter potential.
With the guns off, two rockets, that look just like the two bombs. I feel like I have seen the twisted wire detail on those rockets on other vehicles.
I have to admit, for a bare bones little helicopter, the engine detail is really, really nice. The overall design, I think it is strong enough where it might actually be a thing someone could attempt to do in real life.
One spot that would have knocked the Locust up a notch would have been placement of the rotor directly over this detailed motor area....., or maybe just a little more detail on the top where a more believable mechanical connection/ rotor plate might be.
Are all Locust tail rotors as loose as the one I have here?
I like the option of play movement, but it takes no effort to swing this from side to side and I like the look of it in the straight position. There is a knob that enables the user to spin this tail rotor fan, too. Once again, another detail worked into such as small vehicle. Compare this to modern times where, as much as I seem to be complaining about the tail rotor part here, the modern vehicle would never have this range of parts or play built into it. A modern Locust off the assembly line today would have it all built as one solid brick of plastic....with metal screw holes on one side holding the two sides together.
The main rotor blades are pretty cool. There is some detail in there that equals that of the F.A.N.G., in my view. In fact, I have to take this point to ask if the Locust was perhaps a F.A.N.G. II design originally? Just the way the two rotor blades attach to the shaft hub reminds me of a Cobra F.A.N.G., not to mention the similar hub shape between the two.
Whether this is intentional or not, the Locust almost seems to have a nice hand hold area built into it. Unlike, say the N.A.C.'s rear tail handle, it's not an obvious handle. I like built in features, whether this is actually one or not here.
What makes me think it was an intentional design, is the location and activation of the bomb door. It feels very natural to hold the Locust with the one hand and pull the bomb door open here.
BOOM!
The bottom shot, with bomb bay detail.
Loaded.
Funky rotor blades, like the N.A.C., are kind of pushing it for me. I like the rotor blade tips, they seem like safety tips built into the toy, unlike perhaps the Dragonfly tips...., but then again, a person can really get the Dragonfly rotor spinning with some serious velocity in comparison....
"1989." I guess questions that maybe the Declassified guys or someone with more information in the background designs on G.I.Joe can elaborate on are what I have about this. The Locust, both versions, were 1990, perhaps there were both late 1989 or early 1990 series toys, but how often are the date stamps located away from the main body of a vehicle like this?
Also of question, if the General, released in 1990 series, was designed before the Rolling Thunder (1988), was the Locust also designed at that time and designed originally to be included with the General? Or was the Locust added in to the General package later?
And is this the only vehicle, albeit with different colors, to be sold individually and with a larger vehicle?
I really like the foot peg pads.
Not a very large footprint of a vehicle at all, that's something I like about the Locust, and it really does pack in some high play value within that footprint,
The Locust can fit in a C130 Hercules with a Desert Fox and a Hammer. Compare the Desert Fox turret gun handles with those on the Locust guns.
One on one, I would put money on the Fang II. Do you think these were potentially competing Fang II designs, both winning out in the end? Both date stamped 1989, on with a seat clip, one without a seat clip or seat belt (the one that really could use one!)
