I have a ROC Night Raven in the States that I'm trying to decide if it's cool enough to ship over to me here or if it should be possible trade fodder. Any good reviews/pics of it around?

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I think it's a cool plane. It could stand to be a little bigger, but I've grown to take most of the stuff as it is and try to come up with reasons for why it's smaller than it should be. But here's some reviews to go by:

http://www.theterrordrome.com/forums/vi ... 194&t=3668

http://www.oafe.net/artemis/gijmnrav.php

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This is the most 'swoosh-able' plane Hasbro has made in a long time. It's impossible for me to put it down, esp once I put batteries in.

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It's a pretty cool plane, I personally like the anime-esque update to the design. It has plenty of play value, and the action and lights/sound features are well done. I actually thought to myself the first time I goofed around with it, "THAT is how sound attack should nave been done." The only thing missing from the sound feature is a climbing/diving differential, like the old MB Starbird or FP Space Shuttle. The cockpit raises and lowers with a lever gimmick where the upper gun was on the original.

It's about 1/3 smaller than the original



but I find that I don't mind that that much. It's not as heinously undersized as the Dragonhawk or Airship are.

The only things that I can honestly say that I DO NOT like about this plane are:
-one piece, molded-non rolling landing gear, but then I can see where that may be too much to ask from hasbro's point of view
- the copious amount of stickers are on opaque paper colored to match the plastic of the plane instead of clear paper, which will make painting harder for those so inclned, and several of them aren't very good images to begin with.

It's absolutely worth it. It's a ton of fun to fly around and the shotgun "cocking" action is a blast. It's smaller than the original (Which though cool is too big to play with anyway) but bigger than it looks in pictures.

But the Strato-Viper that comes with it is crap. You should totally trade him to me

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I haven't bought one yet, no room for it, but I plan to get it. I think I might it on my Christmas list actually.


Got the chance to play with it at Canadian Joe Con and it IS fun. I do believe it's worth having it shipped over to you. It's a sleek update and it's just smaller enough than the original that it's less cumbersome but just as keen IMO.

Glad to hear it's worth the money, I've been curious about buying one myself.

Think somebody could take a picture of it next to a Rattler? I don't own a vintage Night Raven so I'm not quite sure on the scale.

Upon seeing the desert repaint at the con, I have a new found respect for it. However I don't think I'll buy one til I find it on sale.

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This is my sentiment exactly.

I like this plane enough that I could see buying a couple and making it Cobra's standard MIG-esque dogfighter, but at the $40 price point there's just no way.

A decent TRU or HTS sale, though, and I'll snag a couple.

I like it enough that I bought one at full price, but wouldn't get a second one 'til a good sale.

Hey, ThMick, thanks for the pics AND the details. I've been considering this plane myself. It's bigger than I expected it to be -- the original Night Raven is a huge plane, and all the pics I've seen of the new one made it look puny.

I can't say that I'm happy about the landing gear situation you report (do they at least RETRACT!?) and the paper labels situation really bothers me. I HATE colored paper labels, but -- I'll live with it. The plane does look cooler than I thought.

And there was a DESERT repaint at the Con? Is this actually in the works, or something done JUST for the Convention?

Yes, they do go up, but like a Rattler's gear. It's not automatic like the original, they just fold up. They are well sculpted one piece things, but after the surprise of the Steel Crusher's rubber tires, they were a little disappointing.

Also, the handle with the trigger for the firing action folds up beneath the plane. While folded, it looks like a secondary thruster.

it's a 2010 release. The pilot is a Star Viper.

Yeah I'm holding out for a sale too.

Yeah, I can see how after the superb work that is the Steel Crusher, certain elements of the Night Raven would be disappointing in comparison. For me, I think it's going to be the labels. I can't understand why they'd do them on PAPER. Thought we were past that nonsense. It hasn't cropped up in years.

At least the landing gear does fold up. I can deal with non rolling wheels. Also good to know the trigger folds up, too.

That desert version looks VERY impressive. Thanks for the pics, Night Force Cynic. Gotta say, as circumspect as I tend to be about the modern figure format, I love that Star-Viper's helmet design.