the Air Assault Glider
The Air Assault glider is the single most advanced glider in the GI Joe arsenal. It is a lightweight flying wing that can be transformed between its standard 'gliding' mode and its advanced, Cobra-mimicking jet pack mode.
When in the latter, the Air Assault shows Cobra colors and appears to be a piece of that organization's hardware. The 'jet' aspect is fully functional, and the Air Assault lives up to its name with multiple weapon systems. It has these vehicular characteristics:
| Handling RV 6 |
Velocity RV 10 |
Durability RV 6 |
Protection RV 0 |
Air-to-Air Missiles: the Air Assault has two lightweight, air-to-air missiles attached, with which it can duel with Cobra gliders or other small aircraft. These missiles can inflict +1 RS damage if both hit a single target at the same time:
| Handling RV 10 |
Velocity RV 50 |
Durability RV 10 |
Damage RV 20 Slashing (fragmentary) |
Air-to-Ground Missiles: the Air Assault also has four much smaller air-to-ground missiles attached, mostly to attack enemy vehicles or even fortifications in a pinch. These missiles can add +1 RS damage for each doubling of such that hit at once:
| Handling RV 10 |
Velocity RV 50 |
Durability RV 6 |
Damage RV 10 Slashing (fragmentary) |
Flight / Gliding: in its 'GI Joe' mode, the Air Assault can glide per a regular glider, maintaining altitude on a red ACTION and moving higher with a blue ACTION roll. In its 'Cobra' mode the Air Assault can fly at rank value 10 thanks to its built in jet (109.09 MPH).
Gatling Cannon: either mode of the Air Assault has access to a top-mounted Gatling cannon. This rotary-barreled weapon can fire a short burst of lead to inflict rank value 20 Piercing damage, raised to rank value 30 Piercing damage when it is fired continuously.
2004 Variations
Cobra's Air Assault Glider
Since GI Joe fielded an imitation version of Cobra's prototype Air Assault before they could, they turned the tables on their freedom-loving foes by copying the Joes' Air Assault modifications in turn, incorporating them into their own vehicle, which is functionally identical.
GI Joe's Air Assault Glider
Having proven its effectiveness after over a year of use in the field, GI Joe gave their Air Assaults a new paint job. Featuring a desert camouflage theme, instead of the usual steel coloration, these vehicles can easily hide from aircraft above them during desert missions.
2005 Variations
Cobra's second iteration of the Air Assault leaves no doubt which organization it belongs to. Colored in an intense blue hue, and featuring red rockets to match its massive faction emblem, Cobra's Air Assault is otherwise the same as the original, 2003 model.
2016 Variations
Replacing their old Air Commandos Gliders, Cloudburst and Skymate adopted the Air Assault Gliders as their own. Still functionally the same, Cloudburst's can be identified by its inexplicable, blue and purple camouflage scheme, and Skymate's features green camouflage, instead.
Extra Goodies:
GI Joe directories featuring a version of the Air Assault Glider:
| 2003 | 2004 | 2016 |
Cobra directories featuring a version of the Air Assault Glider:
| 2004 | 2005 |
Interested in using Technoholic content in your own project? Please read this beforehand!