wannabe GIJoe designer old vehicle drawings, sketches

In my sorting and organizing adventures today, I'm tossing things here and there.  Here's a selection of things that are coming out of pile of sketches that have just ended up in a spot.  Some of this is really on the old side, while some were some ideas I scribbled out while I had time (most likely Thanksgiving day a couple-to-few years ago).

Back in the day, everybody liked drawing I bet, doodling here and there.  I was no different.  I thought I would toss these up to share before I toss them out.

Here's an early drawing from likely 20 years ago that I did.  This is kind of like my first still life drawing (ever, ... maybe), where I had the Skyhawk sitting on the HQ landing pad in my room as I did this.

 Here's another old drawing, possibly the oldest of the doodles you see in this post.
It's just a top down view of more or less a jeep-style vehicle.  Two cannons stick off the front fenders, and the driver has a rear-facing gunner right behind him with a machine gun.  A rocket hangs off the rear left fender, but the big gun is some kind of cannon that takes up the whole right side of the vehicle.




 Another older drawing was an attempt at me to draw the profile of the HISS on old grid-paper (does anyone use grid-paper these days?)  I guess looking back it was a good thing to attempt at getting proportions down, hand-eye practice and all.

 At some point I wanted to create an updated Skyhawk.
The thing that kind of bugged me about the Skyhawk was I didn't feel like it would fly, so to "improve" the "II" version of the Skyhawk I incorporated more lift into the combination landing gear by making it a wing and adding an extra "take-off" engine in the nose.   The canopy is up-armored, and those side wings fold up for landing.





This VTOL sketch may have been done around the same time, I'm not sure.  The top is a VTOL style plane it seems, where the lower one is a flying platform of sorts with the rotor being inside the disk.

I'm not sure if this had any real purpose other than to use a gray marker and drying-out process black marker.

And here's a doodle that probably started out as an attempt to draw a camaro, but Dreadnok and Mad Max influences took over I think.

In my previous post, I mentioned some ideas I had about setting up a rather large GIJOE base layout.  This is a drawing I did a couple years back that kind of illustrates what I was thinking.  There are other drawings that had even more elaborate ideas, such as the whole thing on a castle-looking base, with an elevator system that would have lowered the vehicles to an entry at the front/ bottom of the thing.  This would have been built on contoured foam (2" think layers is what you see here.)  This one has a ramp, with the checkpoint at the front entry cave.



 At some point I was thinking of building a "battle in a box" box for the HQ.  That's as far as I got with that one.

I've also played with the idea of a "Tomahawk II."  It would have been a Super Tomahawk compared the '86 Tomahawk.

The Night Attack Chopper cockpit served me some inspirational imagination.  I kind of like that 3-person crew arrangement.  I added some gunship-style stations right behind the cockpit on either side, which there's actually kind of space for this on the '86 Tomahawk, I was thinking lowering the wings would put this space to good use. 
Also, if you think about WWII bombers, they usually had rear gunner stations, I thought a lie-flat station just under the rear rotor would provide cover fire for landing troops, or picking them up.  Or trying to deter any FANGs that might give chase.

You can see in the lower half of the sketch below I was thinking about the N.A.C..  I also kind of wanted to get a vehicle on board, much like a Chinook might have, so I was imagining pushing the sides out with gun stations on all four corners, room for 12 troops or a VAMP.

 A rear turning wheel combat bike, possibly an "Evader II." 

 These are from a whole bunch of ideas for the "Badger II."  I always liked how the Badger had an offset drivers seat, and I guess I like the asymmetrical style that could come from a potential Badger II.   The driver and passenger (or armament) eventually kind of ended up sitting between the wheels on the outer edges, with the motor in the middle.  (slide out figure pegs, too, on the sides.)

And then from there, if the motor was moved forward I started thinking about variable "mission boxes" that could go along with this arrangement.

 
 But then from there, I started liking a variety of low riding side spots with a center gunner seat.  A low center of gravity was probably a thought in there, too.

From there I started thinking Cobra could use a new jeep, instead of just along the lines of "Badger II."  And the thinking along the lines of the STUN, with it's 360* of action, I starting thinking about a rear-facing gunner station, and making the driving sit in the center with a high seat, sort of four-wheeler like, then having two passengers kind of sit out front to the side for gunners.

 The side seats between the wheels eventually became removable deploying gun turrets.  I also wanted flip-down panels off the back of either fender for troop platforms.

The rear gunner could stand up and swing the gun around off the top roll cage and shoot forward to assist the assault phase for this vehicle.

 A spare tire (actually changeable!) would add to the fun of the toy as it sits up on the front end.

Simplified version, almost more Ferret like, with a single seat ATV style, no rear gunner, but flip-down rear troop fenders.  Gunner stations on either side still.

 I had a bunch of HISS sketches around here, too, but this is all that was in this pile.   I was thinking of widening the HISS body where the treads come down, and adding some IFV-style turrets there.  

spaces for play, what's the mission?

All day off with only a little bit of organizing/ sorting planned.  Today would be about that perfect day for busting out my rather small collection to set up.  So far, I just don't feel like it, but that may change, there's still a lot of day left!

As much as I've strayed from the "big" sizes of vehicles, as well as bases, in some ways I still would like to have that big space kind of set up for, well..., setting stuff up.   It's like at one time, I was considering setting up my old '83 HQ on a very large board, or series of boards, in a manner similar to a model train layout.   Getting the HQ laid out on the board was easy, but then it came to thinking about situating it for a fun, usable position.

The '83 HQ almost seems like a two-person play set, a very GIJOE vs COBRA thing.  It's not a mobile attack base, more of a defensible station.   So, setting this arrangement up, I was a  person behind the HQ defending against a Cobra attack, or being the Cobra attacker.  Being both was going to be harder, since I would almost have to have the large board set up so I could turn it around or at the very least access it from all sides.

I considered adding in my former checkpoint alpha and the LAW, and I definitely wanted enough space around the edges to drive my largest vehicles (at the time, Night Rhino and Equalizer) around from the back to go out on missions or on the offensive.   (in addition, I was thinking I wanted/ needed to get all those tow-ables back that fit on the HQ's elevator!)

I also wanted some space on the back side so I could have the landing pad in the back, with the big twin Air Defense Defense turret nearby, as well as ammo and fuel stockpiles.


All of this was going to be on some model train style turf.   And the thought of a runway for the X-30 started creeping into the plans a little, too.

It would have been a sizable layout, as well as being away from the wall so I could around it, the whole thing would have really taken up some space if all the ideas were put into action.  

You guessed right if you said it never happened, though.   I abandoned that home base layout in favor of a rather usable small, truly mobile sized collection.


Like right now, it's almost like, where do I mobilize my force to today?   Heck yeah, lets load up the Tomahawk and Retaliator and drop the AWE Striker and Desert Fox......., somewhere.  

 I guess I need a mission objective.   Perhaps instead of attempting a mission to nowhere, I should focus on Cobra today?    I mean, for the most part, that is the big reason why I have a GIJoe force at all, stop Cobra, more or less.

Maybe, although I'm focusing on a small GIJoe team, maybe I need to think a little bigger for Cobra?  While my independent mobile strike force operates on slim lines, maybe Cobra should have a large nest? 

Maybe a Terrordrome?  Or, at least a base of some kind?  I suppose Cobra Commander could just as well be mobile and all like the 'Joes, but maybe that one big launch point of Cobras evil plans is needed?

Now that I'm writing out some thoughts on it, I start to think of how I liked the GIJOE: RENEGADES take on Cobra as a more or less legit company.   I liked that angle, and maybe that could be my own Cobra's thing, too.  Maybe with my Cobra, the ARBCO or Extensive Enterprises front companies are the unprovable network through which all the bad plans are moving?  Cobra could be a legit security force for them?  

Maybe a Terrordrome should be something I should consider?  Maybe Cobra is powerful enough where only a small, truly covert team can do anything without controversy against such a hidden and undefined enemy?   With the Terrordrome being the ultimate location to battle to, to discover and foil sinister plans?

Does this make sense?  :p

And it brings me back to the original mission space question, where am I going?

gi joe retaliator

 

I bought a Retaliator, I have been interested in increasing my GIJoe teams mobility, and while the purchase was a tad on the impulsive side, I'm going to give this bird a try.  (I like helicopters quite a bit, too!)

The Retaliator is one of those rarely discussed vehicles, or at least it seems that way to me.   The Tomahawk and Dragonfly seem to reign supreme in discussions.  And justly, they are both great.  The Tomahawk actually being what could be considered the very core vehicle of my GIJoe team.  With it's twin rotors, the Tomahawk has great lift capability.  But, there is only one Tomahawk, and I feel like it needs a wing-mate.


Searching the internet, the images that "sold" me  on the wanting (sort of impulse buy...) of this helicopter were among these  forever-awesome pictures (the Retaliator) found here.   There is something about that front view angle shot that really appeals to me.  GIJoe Portugal also has a very nice head-on picture of the Retaliator, as well as an open canopy picture that reveals some intricate interior detail.  (areas often neglected in toy design, among others....)

But what also helped "sell" me on the Retaliator was a picture here showcasing the potential versatility and utility of this helicopter.


Here is a link to coroflot showcasing a gray model of the Retaliator .   (Also view the other work at coroflot, too, good stuff!)




 Let's take a walk around this craft, it is a good sized helicopter.   The Retaliator is from 1990, and you can read about more on this aspect of the history at YOJOE.coms Retaliator page.

I've had Updraft for some time now, originally I really wanted him since I was short on pilots back when I had a lot, lot, lot more vehicles.  Since then, updraft has become a member of my own small GIJoe team and begun to stand out more to me.  Next to the Retaliator, one can see that the Retaliator has some size to it as Updraft poses at the side.

 I was slightly surprised to find seat belts in the Retaliator.  If I recall, many 1988 and 1989 series vehicles had these, where 1990 series vehicles seemed to use the seat clips more.   Is the Retaliator the only 1990 vehicle to have seat belts?

Inside is a fairly detailed cockpit, for sure.  The only detail that isn't there is a cyclic, but I'm happy with the rest of the cockpit.  The rear seat sits higher up, just like in a modern helicopter gunship, leaving the front seat for the co-pilot/ gunner.   The canopy is also very contoured, a very cool and complex shape, indeed.

 

 

 

  

The rotor hub may be the most detailed GIJOE helicopter rotor hub out there.   Just compare to the "real" higher detail of this 1/18th scale KIOWA:

 

Above you can see one of my favorite aspects of this rotor, the folding ability!    I did not know the Retaliator had this after years of looking at pictures of this craft, but so far, I think this should almost be the standard to which GIJOE helicopter rotors should aim for.   I think we can all agree that this would be a good feature on the Tomahawk?

 Another thing that was never apparent in pictures is that the big side vents here are turning knobs to spin those rotors.  Definitely a cleverly hidden button design for an action feature.

There are no removable engine covers, though (a favorite vehicle feature of mine).  There is a fairly big engine detail available, however, just aft of the hub.

 And this power heads back to a two big tail rotors, one on each side, which freely spin with easy hand activation via the 'nosecone' like edges.  (Another cleverly hidden action gimmick control knob!)

  What's a gunship without an armament, though?  Well, the Retaliator may not be all gunship, as it comes fairly light on the weapons side.  Two dual rocket pods flank each side with some refined looking rockets. 

The rockets are fairly well sized, and I think the detail piece on the "built-in" pod really adds character to this unique helicopter.

There is also a chin gun.   In the picture below, it shows my Retaliator sitting on a flat surface.  One can see the back of the chin gun doing most of the supporting of the Retaliator here, the skids doing more balancing, if anything.

Unlike the Dragonfly or Tomahawk, the Retaliators chin gun does not pivot.  There is plenty of up and down range, though, and the gun is a great size.  I kind of would like that pivot ability, though, so the gunner can operate more independently and effectively.  So, this is definitely a drawback for me here.

 Perhaps this was never intended to be a dedicated gunship, though, perhaps it is more of a bomber gunship?  The Retaliator has a neat action feature weapon just aft of the chin gun, the bomb slide!    Unlike many of the more modern vehicle designs that leave bottoms of the toys with flat, screw-exposed surfaces, this bomb slide has all sorts of details on it.

  

Open it up and there are nine bombs ready to slide out.

A little gravity activates this simply play feature, remember this is 1990, before the spring-fired action gimmicks really took off, and I think this simple method of bombing Cobra works just fine. (although there are several spring-fire features on vehicles I really like a lot)

 The tail section has the biggest action feature, though, and this is the one that always was apparent from pictures I've looked at over the years.   There is the single cable hook that can be "thumb-wheeled" from the rear, it is a similar sized hook to what the Dragonfly or Tomahawk have.

The Retaliator brings its own grappling crane claw, though.   This is the one thing that helped dissuade my interest over the years, but it isn't too obtrusive and rather effectively hides in the tail section.

The claw swings down, and this is where play and reality start to fight in mind, mostly due to the visual weight vs. perceived lift issue.  Then again, this helicopter may be using a super light weight material in that whole tail section that makes that issue null and void?

Even with "grown-up" sized hands, this is actually very comfortable to hold, and the "upside down" rudder on the tail actually makes the Retaliator fun to "fly."   The other hand is free to spin the rotors using those large, easy to grasp rotor spinners, as well as activating the bomb slide!

Compared to the AH74 Apache, and the Night Attack Chopper, I think this handle is more fun, and much better designed than either of those two helicopters.

This next picture is possibly the last time you will see this particular Retaliator do this:

 This is one movement that I don't get.  I guess I can see if one wanted to extend the range of the claw, but there's no good spot to hold both hands on to to make this a seamless play movement.  One had to hold it like it is going to be a "snap" in half, and then there's two loose parts on a joint left over, if you know what I mean?






 Nose to nose, I'm going to be spending some time with the Retaliator.  Will it hold up?

Next to the Tomahawk, it will never replace it, but as a companion craft, we'll see!

 

 

Surprisingly, the Locust carries more people with 1/8th the size. ;)

NF Spearhead and other new toys

 I got some new toys.  I got a helicopter that I'll talk about completely separate another time.  I also got 3 more Rock "Range" Vipers, a Wild Bill (2000), and Night Force Spearhead.

Spearhead is a figure that is on my small GIJoe team, already.  You can read some of my original thoughts on Spearhead here.  Of course, keeping my small team small is a goal of mine, as tempting, and easy as it would be, to add more of anything at this point.  Night Force Spearhead will be replacing Spearhead (1988), an easy choice.

Spearhead is still a mostly blank slate character, but still hasn't gotten a lot of use.  That's why I wanted to hunt down this Night Force version.   The figure you see above may very well be the MOST expensive figure I've ever bought.  Easily in the top five, and I can only think of two other figures that are even within $10 from what I paid for this (Skymate and Ambush) right now.  Of course, it was with the funds that come from selling off a huge portion of ones collection, so not as painful, but still it feels like trading 20 figures for 1.

Only thing I can really complain about is that there is some loose wobble on the figures head (is this possibly a normal thing on this figure?).   Otherwise, I'm really happy to add the more subdued colors of Night Force Spearhead to my small team.  With his new uniform, Spearhead will really fit in next to my teams other members like Low Light and Beachhead.

The accessory compliment is the same as his original 1988 version, except all in black mostly.  The helmet surprised me in hand for the Night Force version as it has the camo paint still present instead of all one gray solid color, something that I was not expecting.   The Night Force machete also feels a little more thin, more flexible than the 1988 machete.

There is just a slight difference in the hair color from each figure, too.  The Night Force helmet doesn't feel like it has as tight of a snap-on fit as the 1988 helmet, and I also really dig the darker brown vest, and the black detail on the ammo belt.  This detail really stands out.

I never disliked the 1988 figures orange, but I am glad that there is some green-ish color on the Night Force Spearhead.  The belt detail really stands out, where it rather blended into the overall figure on the 1988 version.

Coming soon.

 

The weak links?

With my small GIJoe team of only 28 members (a self-imposed rule), the picks that resulted were made from a combination of decisions.  The figure sculpt itself, accessories, the character, the primary and secondary specialties, my own personal history and experience with the figure/ characters, certain "real-life" military aspects represented over the years of ARAH, and other things among it all.

One part of that "real-life" aspect that was part of the GIJoe team was that the only Coast Guard member on the GIJoe team was Cutter.  (I wanted to have Marine, Navy, Air Force each represented.)  Originally, Cutter did not make my team..., well, he made my "B" team.  In the end at that time, some figures were swapped into my 28-man "A" team selections, but Cutter did not make it (it was close).  I think it was the removal of the WHALE  that led me to let Cutter go at that time.  Plus, my "security forces" were no longer, and the D.E.F. was more or less broken up in the process, but most importantly my "sea squad" was all but wholly decimated.

However, Cutter is a figure/ character from my original back-in-the-day days, as well as still being the only Coast Guard originating GIJoe member.  Those are two criteria that weigh strong with me, but this figure of Cutter is going to be a little altered so he isn't stuck in his PFD and can more effectively fit in.    So, Cutter is back, .... but someone has to leave.

And that someone is going to be Steamroller.  I lose my "local" character in a sense, but since I am not using "big" armor in my motor pool any more, I think a "heavy equipment operator" and "armor" character is not going to be a versatile character figure for the team (despite it being a good figure). I think Heavy Duty and Wild Card can supplant these skills.

Plus,  I'm going to reverse on my no water adventures decision just a little, but on a smaller scale.  No WHALE, but the smaller craft, the Devilfish will fit alongside my other smaller vehicles.  It can actually be towed by them, too.  (And it can be deployed anywhere via my imaginary C-130.)



I am also considering  bringing back some other characters as I've re-evaluated my motor pool.  This is why the post is called the "weak links." 

Right now, and this can all change, these are the three figures I feel are the weakest.

Repeater is decent figure, but sentiment may be the thing keeping him enlisted.  I have my Roadblock figure that I totally dig, as well as my Rock & Roll figure that originally moved Repeater to a side seat back in the day.    I've already questioned whether I need three machine gunners, too.


Hit & Run is a GIJoe figure I got from my "best bud" back in the day.  I think the "need" of an infantry trooper is possibly ably filled by Recoil and Big Ben.  Even with the small team approach, Hit & Run just hasn't been a "go-to" guy.


Downtown is there, too.  In some ways, I wanted to emulate that whole "original 13" GIJoe team line up in my picks.   Like Infantry, Commando, Ranger, Machine Gunner, etc.    Well, Downtown IS Mortar Soldier.  Downtown has a great sculpt form, it is a really solid figure, too.  I just haven't used the guy, but I do think he might be the stronger of the three in that he IS the mortar guy.   Since my team isn't using big artillery these days, I think Downtown can bring in some extra help in that respect, but he is on the "weak links" list here because I haven't felt him shine in many other ways as a character.



Who would you pick to leave out of these three as the weakest link?