Twin Battle Gun (Whirlwind)
I am a sucker for the towed artillery that peppered the early years of the Real American Hero line. These weapons bring a variety to the battlefield beyond tanks and fast-attack wheeled attack vehicles. It’s a shame the trend didn’t continue into the later 80s and 90s. I suppose Hasbro figured cannons just weren’t as interesting as variations on tanks and Jeeps.
The Whirlwind doesn’t show up much in the Sunbow series, and that’s a shame. It was a nice follow-up to manned gun emplacements like the FLAK and HAL. I think its rotating and elevating feature along with the two wickedly spinning cannons would have made for great animated action. Put a 1984 Roadblock in the operator’s seat and you’d have a winner.
I wonder how many vehicle packages have the operator/driver facing away from camera? Maybe someone can check it out and report back. I’m curious to know–were the guys in the Road Toad and Coastal Defender too embarrassed to show their faces?
Image via 3DJoes.com
Coastal Defender is Falcon visibly manning the chair….that’s what green berets do…defend the coasts on trailers. (Where was Rampart when he was needed?)
Whirlwind seemed unfair, almost cruel…what did Cobra have in 1983…infantry and HISS tanks…the tanks might be okay, but the whirlwind will turn the troops into ground beef. Also, it would be a menace to FANGs and those gliders. The plus side for Cobra is that the whirlwind probably had 2 minutes of ammo, if that.
”Rock N’Roll manning the Twin Battle Gun Whirlwind.The H.A.L. w/Grand Slam was about the only item that interested me , Until…”The 1986 Cobra Night Raven S3P Black Jet Spy Plane Vehicle ,from Hasbro , being introduced in the 1986 movie,..”Arise.. Serpentor Arise!”
The whirlwind really embodied the best of early gi joe joe. It was a set piece, it was functional, it could be towed or dropped off. It fit the characters and had alot of detail. The coastal defender was a cool bit of work too. the road toad wasnt exciting in the least, but what kid wouldnt take it as a gift or for free if they had something to attach it too? cant remember how many times i played that a vehicle was getting towed because it was damaged by cobra.
I remember the Whirlwind being towed behind the APC with Rock’n Roll shooting down some Cobra’s. It was a classic issue. This is a good piece of gear.