I'd hate to see the size of the pennicillin Needle that cured YOUR Thunderclap!

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well,.. your opinions convinced me to pick up one on Evilbay.

It was only 99 cents per component....

I dont know if that is a reflection of its scarcity, or crappiness....

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I like the Thunderclap as a toy, but it doesn't look like something that is practical for the Joes to really use. I see them as a mobile strike group that goes in fast and leaves fast. The Slugger is as big of a cannon the Joes should ever need. Something like the Thunderclap seems more suited for prolonged engagements and there really isn't a way to transport it effectively. I personally don't plan on ever owing one, but there does seem to be a lot of play-value in it. I've been tempted in the past to purchase the front and back vehicles, but the novelty of that idea wore off.

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I loved my Thunderclap. I'd set it up in the middle of the living room (biggest open space) with the main gun ready and the two smaller vehicles acting as defenders. Depending on my mood it either fired tactical nukes (ala "Atomic Annie", which it was based on) or high-explosive that would decimate Cobra ranks coming in from the kitchen; this was always a "last stand" type scenario, with my other Joes and their vehicles heading out to blunt the attack and ending up getting creamed by Cobra's superior, and more ruthless, numbers. The Thunderclap pretty well equalized that.

One issue I had with mine--not sure if anyone else had the same problem--the main gun liked to slide back in on itself from time to time, no matter how tight it felt when I extended it. Most times after it "fired" I'd just pull the gun out but once or twice (when I felt like letting Cobra win ) I'd pretend the barrel had cracked and shattered due to a flaw, leaving the Joes pretty much without heavy firepower to hold off the Cobra hordes.

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Great piece. The 'Clap was partially inspired by a German Rail Gun, and one of the brainchilds of designer Guy Cassaday. Guy worked on some of the most iconic, and some of the most disliked, vehicles of the vintage line. to his credit are the Rolling Thunder, The General, the Mobile command center (he designed all the big 'uns), the conquest, the Swampfire, the coastal defender, The desert Fox, and several others. His design for the thunderclap came from a visit to a military lab in VA or MD, I don't remember the name...Natick, maybe?

it's an awesome vex and I wish I had one. It would be perfect for nuking cobra

Intresting, I think that would be the Raytheon Lab, about 20 miles from Boston.

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Oops, meant MD, not MA.

Aberdeen Proving Ground, i'd wager. The Ordnance Corps Museum is there, as well.

That's where they keep Leopold, one of the K5 rail guns. One of the obvious inspirations for the Thunderclap.

I personally love the vehicle, but for the haters, I'd like to go ahead and give you a start:

"The Thunder<i>crap</i>". Continue on about your business.

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