Some of the greatest Joe vehicles are those that are multiple things in one. Nothing adds fun and play value like a little versatility. Vehicles like the Bugg, Rolling Thunder, Mean Dog, and Raider that have multiple uses and hidden features are some of the most well-known and beloved Joe vehicles. Of course, those are also some of the larger vehicles as well. But there’s one vehicle out there that is amazingly versatile and perfectly sized, too.
That vehicle is the Cobra Sea Ray. The Sea Ray derives its name from its stingray-like shape (in fact, its logo is that of a stingray). I mentioned that the Sea Ray is perfectly sized. It’s about a foot in length, and features three main colors…the main color of the body is blueish gray, the engine cover and tail are black, and the missiles and guns are bright red. The canopy is reddish-pink. There are three large exhaust nozzles on the rear of the main body, under the tail.
The Sea Ray is pretty heavily armed for a vehicle its size. There are two cannons on either side of the cockpit, on the lower front of the vehicle. There are also 8 missiles, three on each wing and one on either side of the main body, just underneath the engine cover. The engine cover is removable and reveals a fairly deep and detailed engine compartment. The cockpit is not as detailed as a lot of other Joe vehicles’ but it does contain a few switches and dual control sticks. The cockpit is fairly large and will easily hold even the larger 25th Anniversary and RoC figures.
The Sea Ray, as mentioned before, is more than just a flying, well-armed vehicle. It’s a flying, well-armed vehicle that can split in two. The cockpit section separates from the wings and the tail and becomes a small submarine. In this mode it is armed with the dual cannons and two of the missiles. There is a post on the underside of the cockpit section that is perfect for attaching a figure using its “backpack” hole. Using the Sea Ray’s sub section like this would be the perfect way to insert an Eel on a clandestine mission.
The rear section (wings and tail) also has a post on its underside for attaching a figure. There are also radar displays and control sticks as well. Attaching a figure like this turns the rear section of the Sea Ray into a manned, powered glider. The rear, winged section is armed with the six missiles attached to the wings. The black tail section can easily be removed from the rest of the rear section…though I’m not sure why you would do that. Seems like it would make that rear section pretty aerodynamically unstable.
On to the complaints section. I’m not too fond of the bright red weaponry or the pink canopy. The panel lines on the cockpit section are not symmetrical, which makes sticker placement a pain. And maybe the glider section should be UNpowered when manned, because if the exhaust thrusters fire when someone’s flying it, the pilot’s gonna get a singed rear end pretty quickly. I’m also afraid that over time the attachment points could wear out or break, making for a floppy Sea Ray. Finally, the figure attachment points underneath the vehicle won’t work with 25th or RoC figures, though o-ring loving fans won’t have a problem with this.
If you want a Sea Ray you’re in luck, because it won’t cost you a lot of dough. Complete examples can be found online for anywhere from $15-25. J Ruben makes repro stickers for it too, so you can restore your new Sea Ray to perfect shape. The Sea Ray is a neat little double vehicle, and definitely worth the minimal investment required to pick one up.
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