Back in 2009 when Hasbro originally released the Sky Sweeper, they included a pilot carrying the name Air Raid. However, one look at the filecard for that pilot, and it was easy to tell that the pilot was actually supposed to be Airborne, not Air Raid (Franklin Talltree is a pretty unique file name, after all…). So now with Sky Patrol front and center, and a new pilot being needed, the Collectors Club has provided us with a brand new Air Raid, only one look at the figure tells us this is not Franklin Talltree.
It’s pretty widely accepted that at least one character in the G.I. Joe Convention set will be a new one, and for 2016, Air Raid is it. As the free attendee figure this year, he was included for anyone who purchased a boxed set and in the comic serves as Sky Patrol’s main test pilot for the Skystriker.
The figure itself is pretty good. He uses more or less the same formula as previous versions of Ace (and COBRA Commander) so he definitely looks the part of pilot. His head is repurposed from Resolute Duke, only in an African American skin tone.
I do like the parts, with a nice mixture of Resolute and Pursuit of COBRA, providing great articulation and nicely sculpted elements. He moves pretty well, even though his limbs are pretty thick, and I like the sense of cohesion we’ve got going on with past pilot figures in the line.
One place that Air Raid could use some improvements is with his paint scheme. Granted, as a “free” figure, you can understand where some paint apps had to be trimmed, but the somewhat bland blue of the base uniform lacks some of the necessary detail to really accentuate the nicely detailed mold underneath.
That being said, it’s nice to get another new character, and a new addition to the Sky Patrol after twenty-six years.
Accessories
Air Raid comes with the large, bulky vest from Pursuit of COBRA Skydive (and canceled Rise of COBRA Ripcord) as well as the helmet with twin hoses. The two removable engines on the back are the same that came with the previous figure as well, as is his included pistol.
That’s really all that comes with the figure, but as an fighter jet pilot, he probably doesn’t need a whole lot else.
Air Raid is a decent figure with an interesting build, but a somewhat bland color scheme.
Sky Patrol Air Raid
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Character
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Sculpt
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Articulation
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Paint Deco
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Accessories
Summary
The same name, but a clearly different character than the 2009 iteration, Air Raid comes to Sky Patrol as a pilot of the Skystriker. He uses the familiar parts of recent G.I. Joe themed pilots, and those parts are great, but a pretty bland color scheme does the figure no favors.
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I think they could have improved this figure by using the vest and legs from ROC Will Bill and the arms they used for Freefall. It’s unfortunate that the two best pilot helmets (Pilot Firefly and 30th Ace) don’t fit most post-25th heads. This was also a missed opportunity to officially add a Navy/Marine Corps Aviator to the ranks.