Hello all, it's time for another Ol Yeller review again, and I've got a couple for ya. I recently picked up the Sky Sweeper Jet and was fortunate enough to find Night Adder. I'll give ya the scoop on both.
I'll start with the Sky Sweeper. Not to be confused with the SpyTroops F-117 style vehicle (which itself has been repainted in the RoC line as the Crimson Hydra) this is instead a repaint of the good ol' Firebat.
I should correct myself - it's a repaint and an upgrade. Well, maybe. Depends on how you feel about both the original Firebat and the modifications done to it to make it a Sky Sweeper.
First off is the most obvious change. Instead of being bright red, the Sky Sweeper is blue on top with white underneath. I didn't think I was going to like the color scheme, especially based on the pictures I saw of it online. I thought it was powder-blue. I was pleasantly surprised to actually get it and find that it's a light bluish-gray. Really I think that Hasbro was going for the same color scheme as a great white shark.
The other modifications are physical. There is a skid mounted under the cannons on the front underside of the nose, along with skids mounted with the rear stabilizers. Instead of the sleek rear stabilizers of the Firebat, the Sky Sweeper has two very large engines mounted on them. On top of the engines are two pieces, one for each side, that slide into the top part of the engine and give them the appearance of being connected to the main fuselage. The canopy is more detailed, with a slightly darker blue trim that goes around the canopy instead of the Firebat's clear plastic. The other modification is there are two spring-loaded missile launchers that mount in place of one of the pairs of small bombs on the Firebat.
The figure is, to me, the highlight of this little set and really the whole reason I got the vehicle. Air Raid is a repaint of Resolute 5-pack Duke. He's done in a dark navy blue flight suit, with black, navy, and gray camo patterns on the pants, a gray parachute pack, and the same helmet included with 5-pack Duke. He also comes with Resolute Duke's black and silver assault rifle and a good ol M1911 .45 pistol.
Evaluation? I figured that the vehicle was gonna be a "binner" for me...namely I'd get it, sticker it up, and then toss it in the storage bin never to see the light of day again. I was actually pleased and surprised by the Sky Sweeper. I'm also happy that Hasbro put a little effort into this one instead of throwing us a straight repaint...though a solid black Firebat would have been pretty cool.
I also really like Air Raid, and I don't mind that he's a straight repaint because he really looks good. I think he's going to by my new 25th style Phantom X-19 pilot.
One gripe though, and it's something that's actually potentially dangerous and if you get this vehicle for your kids you might want to be aware of it. The release button for the spring loaded missile launchers is right on the very spot you'll want to place your fingers to push the launcher onto the wing. I've already shot myself in the face twice. While you probably won't think about it, it's a great idea to attach the launchers FIRST and then add the missiles.
While how you feel about the Firebat obviously plays in to how much you'll like the Sky Sweeper, I do advise you not to simply dismiss it out of hand like I almost did. It's a decent vehicle that's worth a look.