1988 Phantom X-19

Did anyone else that grew up in the late 80s/early 90s ever participate in an annual school Christmas fund raising event selling wrapping paper? If so, do you recall the catalog of potential prizes you could claim depending on the amount of wrapping paper sold? Odd questions to be asked but this is where I got my first exposure for the topic of this writeup - the Phantom X-19. I came across it as one of the potential prizes and was very much enamored with it, not enough to go out and sell wrapping paper but it certainly caught my eye, imagination and left a lasting memory for me to seek out as an adult collector. The Phantom X-19 was one of those vehicles that floated around in my subconscious toy collector mind for decades despite never seeing it outside of a wrapping paper catalog and the internet.

When it comes to collecting over the past 10 years I cannot always recollect the exact time I acquired something for my collection. Acquisitions during collecting do not unlock those same core memories or nostalgia like those from childhood or even my late teens/early 20s era but I can confidently say that the Phantom X-19 has come into my collection at some point over the last 10 years. I would say it lived up to the expectations I had for it as a child.  The design even today nearly 40 years later still feels very modern. When watching Top Gun: Maverick a few years ago and the Darkstar experimental jet was shown my mind went immediately to the Phantom X-19. The jet is based on the F-19 (credit to Formbx257), the fighter everyone anticipated would be the Stealth Fighter during the 1980s prior to the F-117 Nighthawk being unleashed onto the world in Operation Desert Storm. ERTL Force One (a very cool not often discussed toy line in it's own right) released a version of the F-19 in the 1980s. My older brother received for his birthday at some point in the late 80s and I remember using it heavily in our plastic army men battles at my grandmother's house over the years through the mid 90s. It's very obvious Hasbro used the F-19 as the basis for the Phantom X-19 and did a great job combining military realism, experimental aircraft design into a great toy. It honestly looks like it could have been a Skunk Works prototype.

The size, features, colors and design of the aircraft really work well together. The sleek aerodynamic profile of the Phantom X-19 along with it's size, being 28" long which is the longest aircraft in the ARAH run (credit Formbx257) gives off a very different look than it's predecessors the Skystriker and Conquest X-30. Where those look much more like standard fighter jets of the era, the Phantom X-19 has always been more of a stealth spy plane used for reconnaissance or a high altitude bomber with it's two guided missiles (or bombs). To me it is the GI Joe equivalent to the Night Raven (not the Condor). The black and grey base being broken up by the bright neon yellow actually works pretty well, it's not a garish use of neon. The wing mounted guns are probably the weakest point just because the pop out feature does not work reliably and the guns would have been better served in a grey or silver color. The sliding rail canopy is a unique feature much like the Night Raven's lowering and raising cockpit. It gives a nice view of both the pilot/co-pilot with the nice tinted blue glass. My favorite features are the airbrake and the landing gear. It's an odd thing to appreciate but I think those small features are fantastic, the attention to detail just makes me appreciate what Hasbro was doing when GI Joe was king of the toy aisle and their creative department was running on all cylinders.

As mentioned above the Phantom X-19 is almost more of a world building piece to me. It plays a role when called upon, it serves as a nice backdrop to the Skystriker and Conquest logjam on an airfield but it's not a jet that I would deem necessary to have more than one of. Need recon photos of a Cobra island or a guided bomb dropped then it is perfect. It's hard to envision it ever being in a dogfight and even as a kid when I first came across it I felt similarly when I would daydream about it and how it would have fit into my adventures. The Phantom X-19 also comes with a pilot, Ghostrider. His design is a good match in terms of colors used although a jet capable of Mach 3 would probably make more sense to have a pilot in a suit like Ace's v1 design. I'll delve into Ghostrider more in a different write-up if I get to it.

Not sure what the popularity of the Phantom X-19 was in it's heyday. I cannot recall ever coming across one "in the wild" as a kid. My only experience was seeing it in the wrapping paper catalog as a prize/reward as mentioned earlier.  Even in the present day collecting climate it does not seem to move the needle like the Skystriker, Conquest, Rattler or Night Raven. In the Joe aircraft hierarchy those are all the top echelon/most iconic jets of the line and the Phantom X-19 and anything release after 1986 doesn't have the same level of popularity. It's release year of 1988 saw it as the largest aircraft available that year. It's design actually fits in really well with that of the Skystorm chopper also released in 1988- two futuristic designs one would come across in an issue of Popular Mechanics from the 1980s that mesh well together. Makes me wonder if Hasbro did that intentionally.

When I check the aftermarket the prices range all over the place depending on condition and completeness (with shipping costs also playing a role). The price range all seems to be pretty static over the past 5 years too. The most common missing item is the front nose cone which I have seen missing from several otherwise complete X-19s on the aftermarket. It's also a fairly expensive piece to procure on it's own. The 3D print community filled the void with several different Ebay vendors offering a nose cone that does fairly well as a replacement. I did purchase a 3D printed nose cone and had it for awhile but eventually bit the bullet to get the original nose cone which cost me $30 or so dollars at the time I purchased it probably 5-6 years ago.

Operating off assumption but I would think most O-ring collectors with the available space to have this jet probably already have one. I do think it's a worthwhile vehicle for a collection and could be a fun restoration project. Even 40 years later it really does not look like it's a dated design especially when compared to the Skystriker and Night Raven which were based off two Cold War era aircraft. 

2003 Slip Stream

The early 2000s GI Joe era did some things better than others and one area Hasbro always did well with during that time in my opinion were re-releases of vehicles and figures from the ARAH era. After the Real American Collection run from 2000-2002 most if not all the vehicles and figures from the 82-94 ARAH run that were released were done so as Toys R Us exclusives (or convention exclusives). That may not be completely accurate but it was the rule rather than the exception. I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on the reasons as to why Hasbro released the more familiar ARAH era figures and vehicles along with the newer Spy Troops, JvC, VvV era - was it to satisfy the collector community, introduce a newer generation to the line, budgetary since the molds/designs already existed etc. I am sure their were plenty of factors at play. 

The 2003 Conquest X-30 and Slip Stream were examples of Hasbro doing an excellent job with reintroducing a great vehicle from the peak years of GI Joe in the Conquest and releasing an updated and improved version of the original Slip Stream figure. I won't go on too much about the Conquest X-30 as I no longer have that toy. For whatever reason I decided to sell it off at some point in the last decade. Another one of those decisions I have some sellers remorse on because it really was a great version of the jet with my favorite paint application for any jet in the entirety of the line. I would also argue that the figure which is the main topic of this write-up Slip Stream was an fine update from the original 1986 version. I can't say anything bad about the 1986 version, I happen to like the figure very much and it has a lot going for it. It was a figure released at the creative peak of the line and honestly the only real nitpicky issue I've ever had is that as a fighter jet pilot he did not have the oxygen mask. The 2003 version of Slip Stream remedies that very minor "issue" I have with the original version. 

As I was thinking of a figure to take a look at after 2+ months of ignoring this blog (so much for my once a week Joe content goal!) Slip Stream v2 kind of seeped into my psyche. I want to say it's mostly because the 98 Conquest I acquired last year has been on a shelf in my field of vision with Slip Stream as the pilot. As I ruminated on Slip Stream I realized I have had this figure for half of my life. I got the Conquest on one of my epic Joe hunts in the summer of 2003 and he has been in my collection ever since. So Slip Stream awoken me out of my couple months of minimal Joe interest and I am feeling more connected again to my collection and wanting to dive in. The psychology between myself and GI Joe will never not fascinate me, I can go weeks or months without giving it a thought, seeing my collection and knowing I have no intention to sell it off while at the same time have no significant amount of time to dedicate to or enjoy it only to become inspired again. GI Joe really is that one constant in my life and I am grateful for that.

Slip Stream just looks like a modern fighter pilot. Much of that can be attributed to the fact the body is from the near perfect 1992 Ace (reused for the 93 and 97 versions of Ace as well). Hasbro took it a step further with that Ace body with additional paint apps that really bring out so many of the details in that mold that got lost in the Ace versions. The depth of the flight suit can really be appreciated due to all the paint apps which highlight the details - the flashlight lens is painted, the holster is painted a deep brown, the straps, pouches and buckle all stick out. Enough can't be said about the paint apps. Slip Stream's head is original and it's design is much more in line with what a fighter pilot would actually be equipped with. The olive green used for the oxygen mask just gives it that dash of military realism along with being able to visualize the visor lowering and lifting. The only issues with the figure are that the hole in the chest for Ace's oxygen mask is present since the same mold was used but Slip Stream is not able to utilize it and if the actual oxygen mask had a bit of detail either in paint apps or slight changes to the mold though instead of being a smooth surface. They are small critiques for a figure that Hasbro created an original head for which was not common during this time with the classic ARAH 3 3/4" o-ring constructed figures. I believe Big Brawler, Sure Fire,  Rapid Fire, Lifeline, Sidetrack, Sideswipe were the only other figures to utilize new head construction with existing body molds from the ARAH era in the early 2000s.

Like all other figures from manufactured during this time plastic discoloration occurs more so than with the original 82-94 figures. Luckily the Slip Stream I own looks pretty good and the discoloring is not terrible. The figure did not come with any accessories and was only available with the Conquest -X-30 TRU exclusive. The figure is versatile and looks at home in any of the GI Joe fighter jets from any year of the line. As far as popularity of this version it seems to be pretty much non-existent, the only review I could find of the figure was from General's Joes and the original write-up from some 20+ years ago. I figure this write-up could be an almost original contribution to the Joe community.