the Falcon Glider
The Falcon Glider is a simple, basic glider that was adopted by the Joe team for use in missions where air support is required, but powered vehicles are simply not available - or not an option. Of course, the Falcon can also be utilized for emergency air insertions or other missions where stealth is key. The Falcon Glider can move at up to ninety miles per hour (intensity 3 gliding), and has an effective material strength of 4.
As a glider, it will lose one story of altitude every exchange it is in use, unless the pilot can pass an average difficulty Agility action while gliding; this allows him or her to maintain his present altitude. In fact, skilled gliders can actually increase their altitude (with thermals and such) by passing a daunting difficulty Agility action; it's tricky, but not necessarily impossible to pull off.
The glider itself is a short, wide affair, covered in the standard Joe camouflage pattern - if green and blue - and marked with a bold, powerful GI Joe logo across the back. Also, like its Cobra counterpart, the Falcon is equipped with two rapid-fire, 30mm cannons in the control rig that can be fired to inflict damage per a +5 weapon with each deadly burst - but have only a few exchanges worth of ammunition.
Furthermore, the glider's harness is built so that the pilot can fly it one handed, and fire a personal weapon with his other hand; this causes the pilot to control the glider at an increased difficulty level. Usually, the highly trained pilots of these attack gliders don't bother with this maneuver until they've expended the ammunition contained within the glider's inherent weapons, in that it's easier to attack a foe with those first.
1983 Variations
the Viper Glider
As indicated above, Cobra has its own version of the Falcon glider, which it has named the Viper glider. Built from stolen GI Joe technical data, the Viper glider is functionally identical. However, it is covered in a blue and black camouflage pattern instead of GI Joe's blue and green, and has two large Cobra logos painted onto the top. This sort of defeats the purpose of camouflage, but it at least looks impressive!
1991 Variations
the Air Commandos Glider
When GI Joe resumed the use of gliders in its operations, it engaged in a considerable redesign of their Falcon gliders. While mechanically the same, GI Joe's new Air Commandos gliders appear considerably different from their predecessors, in both shape and color. Cloudburst's glider featured a blue and purple digital camouflage pattern, while Skymate's was black, yellow, and red.
the Night Vultures Glider
As Cobra is wont to do, it updated its own glider technology after GI Joe modernized theirs. They spend enough on research and development, after all, so why not just steal an idea now and then, and just run with it? Like GI Joe's gliders, Cobra customizes theirs somewhat, with Night Vultures getting a blue and black glider, while Sky Creeper's is black, purple, and red.
1992 Variations
the Air Commandos Glider
Just one year later, GI Joe again modified their glider technology, re-engineering them to sail the skies even better than before when piloted by a skilled operator. Primarily built with Spirit in mind, the '92 Air Commandos glider possesses a patriotic red, white, and blue color scheme. While almost any GI Joe operative can use this thing, they all know who can use it like an extension of their own body!
the Air Devils Glider
Shamelessly copying GI Joe technology, as they so often do, Cobra indeed stole the further advancements to glider technology that the Joes fielded beginning in 1992. Whether from stolen files or just photographs, Cobra devised an effective clone of the '92 Air Commandos glider for their so-called Air Devils, which sports a black, yellow, and red color scheme.
Extra Goodies:
GI Joe directories featuring a version of the Falcon Glider:
| 1983 | 1991 | 1992 |
Cobra directories featuring a version of the Falcon Glider:
| 1983 | 1991 | 1992 |
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