I really like how you take the time to go over these vintage vehicles from the G.I. Joe line. I bought the Phantom X-19 Stealth Fighter a few years ago off of Ebay.
love the new action shots from other angles. always informative and we'll researched. ghost Rider is also the call sign of Maverick's plane in Topgun. Maverick also a Joe....
I grew up in Ohio. It looks like the target is on Columbus in the center of the state. Also, the map is upside down from Ghostrider's perspective. I had the opportunity to buy one of these mint in the box after College in 1999, but I thought I was too old to be buying toys. I regret that choice now. Great review.
Kevin, the X-19 Phantom was actually based off of what many aircraft enthusiasts were speculating the Aurora would look like. The Aurora is the theorized code name for the next generation spy jet of the USAF and what many believed was what replaced the SR-71 Blackbird. Like the Night Raven, itself inspired by the SR-71, it's labeled a "Stealth Fighter" in the Joe universe but the real world design was never intended for combat. But what kid is going to want a toy for his army that doesn't have any bombs or missiles?
Hasbro actually got the "Gambling with Death" symbol, as you called it, on the side of the aircraft from the real world squadron patch for the 310th Fighter Squadron in the United States Air Force. Known as "Mr Bones" the 310th has been using that symbol since 1943. Save for the Goggles on the Hasbro image, they are nearly identical.
I still have the shell of mine. To this day I can't figure out just how I managed to wreck it to such a degree. I even used up all the spare parts it came with (and it came with a lot).
I'm not familiar with how itt was portrayed in media, but to me the Phantom is not a fighter as it lacks an air-tp-air radar or any sort of tailplane/canard... I view it more of a deep-strike attack platform that targets certain types of static targets or performs reconnaissance
The F-19 makes an appearance in Red Storm Rising...as a recon aircraft. Since the X-19 is heavily based on the concept of the F-19 I would expect it would also be a reconnaissance/strike aircraft.
So they are frustrated that their big hands can’t use the features that were designed for kids with small hands? I had that jet as a kid. Still have most of it in a box lol. I had a younger brother that was always busting my toys lol. But it was easy to use and put back together. I had just about ever jet they made in the 80’s and really early 90’s a couple of the remakes like tiger patrol and stuff too. Always wanted the chrome raven but I had the original so I never bothered. But that one was one of the more basic ones to use and not much was fragile. That one took a huge beating. The phantom was probably the most durable out of all the jets with mechanical parts. The plastic was more durable and not as hard and brittle like most the other jets.
great review! a question if I may Kevin, would you happen to know why Hasbro didn't use back pegs in a lot of the vehicles? Especially aircraft like this one it would have better than the seat belts. thanks!
DUDE!! You, sir, are a total badass and awesome reviewer. I'm hooked to your vids. This sounds overly dorky but if I saw you at a Joe conference I'd want your pic and autograph 😂😷
Could the belt buckle be a horse head, like a knight chess piece. If so that and the cowboy six shooter rig might be a reference to paladin, have gun will travel. A 1950s western TV show.
Nice review as always. I was never a fan of this one, give me a Conquest any day. To this day I am glad my parents bought me a Hammerhead istead of the Phantom.
If you can take the figure apart, you can put floor polish or nail polish on the head's ball joint. If you can't take the figure apart, you can put a tiny drop of Krazy glue in the front and back neck seam. You'll have to constantly move the head while it dries so it doesn't lock the head in place.
The Phantom X-19 if it was real would have a lot lower radar signature and out performered than what our US stealth aircraft has. The F-21 was not picked because they didn't look futuristic enoug.
How did Hasbro not get Sued by Marvel Comics and Stan Lee over the Characters Name being Ghostrider. In the Marvel Comics things were portrayed right. With all the Reboots and other TV Series and the Movies things got F'd up. Same can be said for the Transformers. The Snake Eyes Origin story in the Marvel Comics was tough. The Cartoon got a bit outrageous with the Cobra Commander Origin story. The Original Cartoon basically told you nothing about Snake Eyes Origins.
Ace with his pressure suit would fit more with the F-19 than Ghostrider does considering that SR-71 pilots wore pressure suits. Ghostrider is dressed more for WWI combat than dogfighting at the edge of space.
