Skystriker XP-14F

Against the never ending battle against COBRA―G.I. Joe needs a machine that can dominate the skies against their nefarious foes! And they don't come more dominating than ... the Skystriker!

Overview[]

When G.I. Joe was first assembled, it was intended to be a self-contained and highly responsive military unit that could deploy anywhere and at any given time; be it land, sea, or in the air. For that reason, the Joes felt that the various available aircrafts were lacking and that they needed their own highly flexible air combat fighter.

The response to the Joes' technical challenges was a high-responsive experimental fighter craft based on the proven and tested Naval Fighter F-14 airframe. Intended to be the Joes' "Master of the Air", it's official designation is the XP-14F model―but everyone else calls it ... the Skystriker!

Technical Specifications[]

• MODEL: Supersonic Variable-Sweep Wing Fighter Aircraft

• TYPE: Multi-Role Air Combat/Patrol Jet

• OVERALL LENGTH: 19.1 meters (62 feet)

• OVERALL BEAM: 19.6 meters (64 feet)

• OVERALL DRAFT: 4.9 meters (16 feet)

• MASS:  36 tons

• CREW COMPLEMENT: 1 Pilot, 1 Radar Intercept Officer

• MAXIMUM SPEED: 1,544 mph (miles per hour) or Mach 2.3

• PRIMARY MANUFACTURER: U.S. Air Force

Design Features[]

The sleek XP-14F Skystriker is a multi-role two-seat twin-tail supersonic-capable variable-sweep wing jet fighter. It is constructed out of a high-strength titanium/boron epoxy composite that grants it enormous toughness and durability with the ability to withstand high-speed aerial maneuvers and g-forces and even keep flying despite extreme weather conditions and hold up against multiple strikes from enemy fire. A Skystriker is legendary for not only surviving dogfights that would cripple another jet fighter, it can still remain in the air and keep flying ... and fighting.

The Skystriker is a very large aircraft that measures 19.1 meters (62 feet) long and 4.9 meters (16 feet) tall. It's most striking feature however is it's variable-geometry sweep wings that extend out to a maximum wingspan of 19.6 meters (64 feet) or fold up to a mere 11.6 meters (38 feet). This drastically alters the profile and characteristics of the fighter giving it impressive maneuverability and aerial agility in the hands of a skilled pilot.

It's massive twin Pratt and Witney TF30 afterburners propel the Skystriker through the air and allow to attain a maximum altitude ceiling of 60,000 feet and cruising speeds of Mach 1.36 (1,043 mph). It has a maximum speed of Mach 2.3 (1,764 mph) and an effective range of approximately 2,500 miles. The Skystriker is capable of refueling in midair with external supporting aircraft which greatly extends its flight range.

Armaments[]

nose-mounted E-81 Aero Vulcan 20mm gatling cannon with 950 rounds of ammunition

hardpoints that allow it to carry up to 6 missiles; 2 Phoenix (long range, air-to-air missile), 2 AIM-7 Mk II Sparrow (medium-range, air-to-surface missile), and 2 x AIM-9 Mk III Sidewinder (short-range air-to-air missile)

History[]

Production Notes[]

In 1982, Hasbro began the relaunch of the G.I. Joe action figures accompanied by various playsets and vehicles.  The new concept sparked unprecedented levels of popularity, producing over 500 action figures with 250 vehicles and sets.

The Skystriker XP-14F was part of the second wave of G.I. Joe vehicles and was released in 1983 in a boxed set with its exclusive pilot, Ace and was concurrently produced over the next few years before it was finally discontinued in 1986.

The Skystriker was directly inspired and based on the real-life legendary Grumman F-14 Naval Fighter better known as the "Tomcat". The Tomcat was a fourth-generation fighter craft and was the U.S. Navy's primary air superiority, interceptor, and aerial reconnaissance jet fighter for over a quarter of a century; serving from 1974 to 2006 when it was supplanted by the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. It's very designation; the XP-14F is directly derived from the F-14 Tomcat with presumably, the X comes from Experimental and P was a common WWII designation for jets standing for "pursuit" which has shifted to the more modern terminology F standing for "fighter".

The Tomcat was well known for its most distinguishing feature; its variable sweep wings that shifted position and thus, altered the flight characteristics of the plane itself, allowing it slow abruptly for landings on the short runway of a naval carrier, extend for maximum uplift capacity for take-offs, shift for more aerodynamic configurations for supersonic pursuit speeds, and also close up for greater onboard storage room on the tight internal compartments of the carrier itself.

It's legendary service and lineage has caused it to be a major part of naval history as it covered American withdrawal from Saigon in 1974; had several incursions against Russian forces in the 1980's and 90's; assisted in the 1983 invasion of Grenada; performed in the Persian Gulf War in 1990 and sortied all the way to the Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2001 to 2003.

The pinnacle of the Tomcat's enduring legend was further cemented by the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun starring Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, and Anthony Edwards with the Tomcat serving as the primary aircraft of the U.S. Navy. The film not only inspired a sequel in 2022; Top Gun: Maverick but also saw the now retired F-14's return to the silver screen for the climatic finale in a duel against a fifth-generation enemy fighter craft.

Despite having been supplanted in the G.I. Joe lineup of aircraft with the simpler and less-complex Conquest X-30 model, the popularity of the Skystriker led to its reissue as a recolored model in 1989 as part of a G.I. Joe "Night Force" subteam and rebranded as "The Night Boomer" but did not come with an accompanying pilot/action figure.

A retooled version was released in 2011 exclusively at the San Diego Comic Con International as the "Starscream Sky Striker". It was intended as part of a 25th Annual Celebration of the G.I. Joe and Transformers Crossover Series and the toy featured the Deception Starscream as the model of the Skystriker and came packaged with Cobra Commander and a pistol accessory intended to represent Megatron, the Deception Leader in his alternate mode form. The same model was re-issued that same year that came packaged with a modernized action figure version of Ace.

A recolored version was released in 2015 as part of the 50th Anniversary Collectible Line which featured the "Silent Strike" collection box set which came with the Skystriker and a H.I.S.S. Tank with four accompanying action figures; Ace, Sightline, the H.I.S.S. Driver and the H.I.S.S. Gunner. A repainted version was also released in 2016 as part of the Official G.I. Joe Collectors' Club for the G.I. Joe Convention as the Sky Patrol Skystriker.

Likewise, the Skystriker has long been considered one of the more iconic G.I. Joe vehicles and has remained part of its distinguished line-up. It's popularity debuting in the first episode "The Cobra Strikes" of Sunbow's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero cartoon mini-series and continued to be a regular part of the G.I. Joe stable of vehicles throughout the majority of the series. By the fourth season however, the Skystriker appears that it was phased out for the more recent issued G.I. Joe vehicles such as the X-30 Conquest.