G.I.Joe Gliders

[jman]

Here's the prototype for the Gliders I'll be doing. Everyone wanted display items more than something to fly, so that simplified things. I had been trying to find the styrofoam for flying.Still no real luck there, but these will be plastic. Technically they probably would fly, but they'd break on landing.

Anyway, this one is just the mock up. I did it to get the size correct. It's close to cartoon size, and will look good along side a Skystriker or Rattler. It's 12" across. It'll have a peg mounted to attach 25th style figures. Later I might do a plug to fit older style figures. But I will have an area that would allow a way to tie a figure on, or use a rubberband.

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[jman]

This shot shows the figure attached. I'll be launching with the G.I.Joe Falcon and the Cobra Viper. What I have decided however is to have the launch Viper be the one from the 1983 Commercial. That pattern of camo was never released. I figure what better way to launch than with something never offered.

There's also going to be a Crimson Guard version, Tiger Force, Night Force, and the Viper as we originally remember it. These will come out later.

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[jman]

Here's you can see the size with the figure attached. It'll allow for some neat poses.

There's a guy on Ebay doing some also. I think that's what changed people's ideas to want it as a display. I don't know what material he's using really, and I'm not doing these to step on his toes. It's more that people have been asking me for 2 years and now I've finally got something to offer.

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[jman]

The official one won't have just a small area for the figure to sit. It's better designed. The gun pods on top will also be cast so they're not just a flat picture. Plus of course they'll be in full color.

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[darkjedi]

YES!!!!

[Dark Horse]

Haha, you have to do a Red Shadow version mate. I can send you any logos or anything you might need

[jman]

Hmm, might be able to just use the Crimson Guard one and swap out logos. The design on that ome is the commercial prototype camo with the Cobra snake in a gray-ish silver. 2 Cobra logos underneath, Cobra Viper logo and Crimson Guard logo on fins. Just swap out the larger Cobra logo with a Red Shadow and the Crimson Guard logo with Red Shadow and It would probably look good.

[pluv]

Awesome.

[jman]

Thanks pluv! Yeah Dark Horse, I may need to hit you up for that logo. I thought I had a good one. I could make it but I'll takevthe time saver, hehe.bAlso, anyone have a Nightforce blueprint or box that can get a high resolution scan? While I'm at it I may as well ask for Sky Force scanned in high resolution too.

[jman]

... and the python patrol logo. Got requests on that... may as well get to work on it.

[darkjedi]

Sky Patrol seems like a no brainer.

[jman]

I haven't updated anything over here in a bit. I've been posting all over Twitter and the Facebook page, but haven't said anything here. The goal was to get the gliders started and on the page by the middle of this month. Due to running into the issue of finding the right plastic and a hard drive crash, I've moved the date. I'm aiming for the first of next month which isn't that far away. If all the ideas fall into place as I hope, I'll be set.

I'm having to redo the art on the gliders since I lost them in the crash. I already have the GI Joe and Cobra one ready which are the first ones. I had plenty others done or started, but they'll get back to the point of ready by the time I;m going to do them.

[jman]

The hold up on these is my supplier. Still waiting on them with info about the plastic. I'm pressing ahead with making the gun pod. I changed it up a bit and am having to cast the guns as their own piece. I'll glue them to the pod after everything is cast. They look neat and I think everyone will like these better than the original.

I'm hand cutting one out of spare plastic I have and putting it together. This will be the test to see how it'll look. So far it will work, if I can get my supplier to get me the information on the plastic. I'm looking to get everything figured out so that I can make them as quickly as possible.

[jman]

Thought I'd put an update here on those gliders. It fell through on getting the plastic I wanted to use. I had opted to switch over to styrene, but that's so dense that it's near impossible to cut in any easy way. We're talking about making a bunch of gliders at a time so I don't want to use a plastic that would cause me to take more than an hour just to do 1.

I'm putting it on hold until the convention is over. I'll be there and I'll have my prototype one to show. I'll get back on it and hope to iron it out. Maybe something will give me a lightbulb moment at the con.

[NFC]

Awww

[jman]

I'll officially say it here since this list isn't out there for all to see. I'm not ready to announce it. Since I typed that up the other day I figured things out. I basically needed to step away and stop over thinking. I'll even go as far as saying the plastic I used will even fly, but the glider doesn't hold up on landing, hehe. I tested one and the peg broke off in the figure's back. The cast guns that were glued on of course broke off. The fins are glued on and came off too. Being smaller it didn't get much distance anyway.

I'll have my 3 prototypes and at least one "production" version. I doubt I'll have time to pump out several to sell. But there will be enough to look at and then I'll set things up live on the site for orders.

I'll have 1 Cobra Base for hands on so people can see. 18 a 20 display backgrounds for show and sell. A Hall ofArmor to show.maybe a few other things. The glider stuff. Plus I'll be there to talk with people and answer question. Maybe discuss future ideas.

John with JoeArmory is letting me have a corner of his table to setup. So just find JoeCustoms and JoeArmory and I'll be right there. I'll be around all weekend and probably cut out Sunday. Haven't decided if I'll be set up at all Sunday or just around. I gotta start heading back eventually that day.

[Hawkeye]

Well, good luck sorting all of that out. Hopefully you'll be able to find something that works for you.

I still want to get one of those Hall Of Armors from you at some point. I'd love to have enough for all of my figures, but that would be quite expensive.

[jman]

I'll work a deal with you, plus I'm still going to give you the first 2 free. Yours to keep and review for General Geekery.

Yeah I have the gliders figured out now. They're not suppose to fly really. Everyone had pretty much said they wanted display items more than flying versions, so these are more for display. It's just a plus that they do fly, even though it destroys them to be thrown, hehe.

[Hawkeye]

Right on!

Yeah, we need to get you on the show when I get home.

[jman]

Sounds great. I'll be fresh back from the con by then probably. I'll slip it in that I'll be on an upcoming episode. Promo the General Geekery show while I'm talking with people.

[pluv]

If a prototype glider ends up being for sale, I'll gladly take it off your hands at the show.

[jman]

Hopefully I'll be able to make more than just one "production" gliders. I would like to at least have 4, 6, or 8. Just depends on what I can build between now and then and what I can cast.

[darkjedi]

I know I want at least one JOE one and one Cobra one. Not sure what color you are doing them in, but something that would fit right in with the og13 green and Cobra blue would be awesome.

I have WIP I created just to be the JOE Glider Trainer...