Power Team Elite: World Peacekeepers Amphibian

The World Peacekeeper's Amphibian is another vehicle from Power Team Elite that can fit right in with your GI Joe motor pool.  Of course, as an amphibious vehicle it has the ability to transverse both land and water in search of Cobra (or in search of Joe, depending on which side 'gets' it in your own mind).

The Amphibian is an odd vehicle.  Best I can tell it's a spitting image of a rather unique line of all-terrain vehicles from Argo aimed at sportsmen rather than built for military purposes.  There are some noticeable differences between the most modern iterations of the Argo and the Amphibian, however:  The PTE vehicle's front has a different profile, the seats are different and it looks a little larger.  It's quite possible that this World Peacekeepers vehicle is an Argo of unknown vintage, or it could be simply based on the Argo design with enough changes to avoid any violation of Argo's intellectual property.

[UPDATE]


Commentator Ian Walker below reveals that this looks a lot more like a "Xibeihu 8x8, a Chinese amphibious vehicle likely based off the Argo".  Here is more info from the manufacturer's website

The above picture shows the complete set out of it's box, with the two figures.  I find these figures rather unremarkable, but if you want a closer look at them, please see the review for the PTE Ground Patrol Unit here, as to avoid repetition about them.  The accessories that come with this package are shown below: two rifles, a drum, a gas can, and a pair of binocs.

The scale of the vehicle is pretty much in line with what you would expect out of 1:18.  It's comparable in size to that of a small car.  

The outboard engine (above) clasps on to the back of the vehicle (below) with a notch to hold it in place (two pics below).  A big complaint I have is that this does not work so well in keeping the engine attached to the back, especially when it gets wet.  It will snap off with very minor force on it.  I wish they would have made it fasten better, though that probably would have meant it would be harder to remove.  I would actually prefer that since in operation you'll probably be wanting the outboard attached much more often than not.  It was aggravating having this thing fall off the back a number of times just putting figures on it or placing it for photos.

Above shows the rear of the vehicle with the outboard removed.  You can see the notch which helps secure the accessory to the rear, even if it doesn't work so well.

One thing I'm noticing about the Power Team Elite lineup is that this camo pattern is quite common.  It may be effective at providing camouflage for all I know, but on a toy I find it grainy and a bit unattractive.

If you really want to, you can cram about 8 figures in it: two in the front and three on a side on the benches in the rear.  Six figures, however, is probably more comfortable.  

The steering column is made entirely of soft rubber.  One disadvantage of rubber is that over time, it fractures and can discolor.  In the short term, it provides a nice level of detail that probably wouldn't be possible with normal plastics unless you wanted those handle grips to be brittle.

I suppose by now you've asked the question, "does it float?"  It does as seen below.  Being a small vessel, you do have to be mindful of how you distribute the load.  Here it is with four figures loaded.  I tried six and it was a little too heavy and it started taking on water.  The wheels have no internal axle as they are mounted on pegs that protrude from the body, and are removable, so they do not leak.  If water comes over the black plastic part of the hull, it takes on water as there is no seal between the bottom and top half.  So as long as you don't weigh the Amphibian down too much, it should remain afloat.

Tactical Assessment:

This is not really a combat vehicle.  Modern military amphibious vehicles tend to be larger or have a little armor to them.  Most similar to the PTE Amphibian in function are the older WWII 'floating trucks' like the DUKW and the Schwimmwagen.  Each were light transports/recon vehicles of dubious seaworthiness.  The PTE vehicle by comparison would share the same limitations.  It is not designed to transverse rough waters. However, one advantage the Amphibian has over these vintage types is that it has more more buoyancy on the outside of the hull provided courtesy of eight large tires.  I reason that it should therefore be a bit more resistant to being swamped than it's vintage predecessors.  Still, this is not the vehicle you want for transversing rapids or making landings on rough shores.

On land, it has the ability to cross rough terrain and significant inclines due to the grip of it's eight low pressure tires.  However, the's speed is limited by it's lack of power and by it's transmission.  I doubt the vehicle has sufficient suspension or chassis to make a high speed rides particularly enjoyable anyway.  This vehicle was created for utility purposes and for granting access to tough to reach areas, not road-cruising.  Being relatively slow in water and on land while being completely unarmed also makes this something I doubt you would want to be in when you are crossing a stream while under fire.  It clearly offers more opportunities for raw adventure than battle.  Still, it should be able to find it's uses as a useful military transport vehicle in more remote areas or when ferrying between ships and calmer shores.

Specs:

I've made some changes based on the idea that the PTE Amphibian is more like the Xibeihu 8x8 than the Argo. I'm also dropping the idea of  a diesel motor. 

Engine:  i3-cyl 812cc 36hp /51lb/ft @4000rpm Gasoline Engine, 

Outboard: 1-cyl 125cc 8hp gasoline engine

Transmission: CVT + 2 forward gears, neutral, reverse
Transaxle: 8x8 on land, paddle tires w option of outboard engine on water

Max speed on land: 28mph

Max speed in calm water: 3 mph with tires alone, 8 mph with outboard motor.

Crew 1 driver. (a second hand guiding the outboard can increase maneuverability on the water)

Cargo: 8 total passengers on land, 6 in water.  1100/660 lbs total land/water

Towing Capacity: 2000 lbs*

 Fuel Capacity: 10 gallons.  5-6 hours of operation*

*note, these are not official product specs, but my rough estimates for use in an imaginary universe.  the rest I borrowed from the manufacturer's site here with roughly calculated conversions.  Just a friendly reminder that you should consider that I could be making anything and everything on this site up as I go.

Overall Grade: B

A pretty solid toy, overall. 

Quality: B+

No Major gripes apart from perhaps a little more thoughtfulness in securing the outboard motor

Appearance: B

Plain by design, but not spectacular.

Play Value: B

floatability adds to the possibilities. 

Accessories: C+

Has a couple of the normal PTE items, plus the so-so figures.

Synopsis:

An intriguing vehicle, but I don't see why this is a must have.  Adventure team fans might be more inclined to it, as would army builders, etc.

Power Team Elite - World Peacekeepers: Ground Patrol Unit review

The World Peacekeepers brand of toys by Power Team Elite features a line of Joe-scaled versions of mostly real world military vehicles.  Naturally, this makes Power Team Elite right up this site's alley. Since specifications and performance details actually exist for the vehicles these toys are based on, it should make the assessments easier in theory, even though the 'versus' debates are never without controversy.

A Brief Overview of Power Team Elite.

Figure A

This is a typical back of the box for the World Peacekeepers product line.  For a larger image, please look here (you will have to hit the magnify button twice to get to the original size.  It is Photobucket, after all......)

I think the larger image above is worth a look just too see the breadth of the PTE lineup of Joe/Scale vehicles and playsets.  Take note, however, that a number of these toys haven't seen US distribution in years, can be quite expensive to acquire online, and are quite coveted by Joe collectors; particularly the jet planes and the Battle Command Post.  Only about half of them see regular distribution during the run up to Christmas, and then typically disappear shortly thereafter.  I've bought mine mostly online and at BigLots, which is where I have purchased this 'Ground Patrol Unit' set.  Some Toys R Us stores carry the line as well.

And for good measure, here's the package's front:

I'm not (that much of) a Mint on Card or Mint in Box collector, but I do appreciate the mini diorama PTE creates within it's packaging.  The Vehicle and trailer are bound to the cardboard with a mix of tape and wire.  It can take some doing to unbox these things and doing so creates an abundance of packaging to throw away.  A knife and small wire cutters come in handy when opening these toys.

We'll get a closer look at the package contents in this review, but I'd like to touch on a few of the accessories first because they consistently show up throughout the line.  

Common Accessories

These are pieces you will see a lot of, particularly with the vehicles.  The rifles are usable with Joe, but are of inferior quality.  Some of them still have plastic flashing from the molding process still attached.  However, the barrels are very well done and have been given a nice, weathered appearance like you might expect of drums left outside.  The detailing on the box is surprising, so much that you might mistake it for real wood until you took the removable lid off (yes, it has a removable lid!).  There are a few other accessories that don't circulate so widely as these, and they will be discussed in a moment.

Floyd, Larry, and Bob

Here also is a shot of typical figures that come with PTE vehicles.  They all have the same bodies with different heads and paint apps.  In short, I don't think they compare well to actual GI Joe figures, at least not those put out since the 25th Anniversary.  They do however, come with fairly complete articulation.  This is how it sums up:

1. Swivel neck left-right, where Joe figure heads are ball-jointed for an additional degree of movement
2. Swivel left-right torso right above the belt, which GI Joe does better by integrating it mid-torso
3. Shoulders are almost identical to Joe, with both ball and swivel
4. They have a simple break in the upper arm for left-right movement.   Gi Joe manages a socket and swivel for two degrees of movement in the elbow, which is much better IMO
5. Likewise, there is a break mid-thigh so the legs can swivel left-right, Joe figures cannot swivel this way.  In this I think the PTE figures are a bit more realistic (in thier movements at least), but GI joe has a swivelling foot and the PTE figs do not
6. The wrists swivel, but do not have the double jointed articulation that has been seen in a lot of figures since Pursuit of Cobra.  Each right hand comes to a finger pointing gesture I think is meant to mimic a trigger finger.  It looks more like it's just pointing to me.
7. The PTE figs have a T-crotch with a double swivel to affect two degrees of movement in each hip. Joes have hips with a single ball-joint which is a smoother and better way of doing it.
8. Most Joes these days have double jointed knees, the PTE figures have a single knee joint
9. PTE ankles swivel up and down like most of their joe counterparts, but they are not able to rotate right-left

As you can see, the detail and form of the PTE figures is a far cry from those offered by Hasbro.  The uniform paint apps are simple camo that somehow appears to be unique from figure to figure, and the face paint application isn't too bad and is fairly detailed.  One issue seems to be that the joints aren't consistently tight, more so than with Hasbro products, I think.  

As you collection of vehicles grows, the accessories pictured above allow you to form impressive dioramas, as for the figures, I personally haven't found much use for them.  I'm glad to see that PTE places more importance on the quality of the other accessories than that of the figures.  Still for parents looking for complete playsets for their kids, they are a welcomed throw-in.

The Vehicle

The "Ground Patrol Unit" (GPU) is based around a light military utility vehicle which appears to be the M151 MUTT, which stands for 'Military Utility Tactical Truck'.  Yes, it looks like a Jeep, but true Willys Jeeps have been out of the service for decades.  The MUTT is essentially an update to the venerable Jeep used during World War II and the Korean conflict.  Though the MUTT itself has been largely replaced by the HMMWV in the American military, it still sees regular service in a number of countries and as a Fast Attack Vehicle (FAV) within the United States Special Forces.

There's a lot here, including all the accessories pictured above as well as a few more particular ones: a field pack, a rod I presume is some sort of simple bazooka, two gas cans, a spade, and an ax.  There is nothing particularly unique here as far as accessories go since like I've been said before, this stuff is released frequently with different product.

Notice too that the motorcycle is included as an accessory here, however, it serves a more primary purpose in the playset identified as the "Gear Up Motorcycle" on the back of the box of the Ground Patrol Unit (GPU) as shown in figure A shown above.  PTE does a lot of mixing and matching for it's playsets.

I'll just say that at this time I have no idea what this motorcycle is based off of.  It obviously looks like it has a V-twin configured engine and a curious storage drum mounted over the headlight.  All  my searches for a comparable real world vehicle been in vain so far.

As a vehicle, I think it comes up just short.  They put a decent amount of engine detail on it, as well as rubber tires.  Both wheels rotate, the handlebar steers, and there is even a kick stand mounted on the left side.  There are also a few pegs on the right side to accommodate a side car, but it's not included with this set.  However, the light is just painted on crudely in yellow and it's just more boxy than you would expect even a military motorcycle to be.   Joes can grip the handlebars and sit on it reasonably well:

The real heart of the playset is the MUTT.

The vehicle is incredibly detailed and has a number of features.  I'll just number out the more obvious ones and follow up with more pictures.

1. The windscreen flips down and up
2. Axe and spade snaps in on either side of vehicle
3. Detailed communications radio
4. Removable gas can and tire(s)
5. Rearview mirror and siren
6. Trailer hitch and trailer.
7. Detailed dashboard
8. A mounted machine gun.

The tools are an awesome fine detail that adds to the utility and appearance of the vehicle.

The attached radio shows a lot of detail.  I know nothing about these but I'm guessing this is an older but combat tested radio.  The unit is attached to the top of the fender with slots that are glued, so it is not easily removable.  

Drivers side mirror and horn/siren.

A very basic dashboard.

Without and with one of the two gas cans attached to the rear.  The attachment arms show bending stress from installing and removing the gas can accessories.  Also note the rear spare time.  It comes attached to the MUTT but can also be removed.

One of my few complaints is the sort of shoddy paint apps on the front and rear lights.  It gets lost in the other details on the MUTT but stands out on the included motorcycle.  Otherwise, there is tons of detail and some very good play features.  There is some concern that some of the tabs used to fasten the gas can could crack, but the plastic is strong as sturdy.  There are no stickers, but I don't think it really needs any since vehicles like this are supposed to be plain and spartan.

The Trailer is a very nice touch to complete this set.  It's loop just slips over the hitch to attach the two, but slips off way too easily during play.

Another minor complaint is the machine gun pier.  I left the rubber bands on since once you take it off, there is nothing supporting or attaching  it to it's mount.  As you can see above, it's relatively easy to remove the assembly from the chassis if you so desire.

Even the underside of the MUTT isn't lacking in detail.

Not really sure what Chuckles is describing to to Clutch here, but that innocent looking Greenshirt looks nervous.  

Joe figures can be seated fine in the vehicle.  There are no pegs, but that's not surprising given this is not a Hasbro creation.  I've wondered if there is any legal reason why competitors like PTE and Lanard do not incorporate GI Joe compatible pegs.

I think having a few of these things has a lot of appeal if you're like me and enjoy integrating more realism into GI Joe.  I bought two for $17 dollars each, which is a pretty good value.

Tactical Assessment

Being a real vehicle that's not under any sort of classified status, specifications are readily available.  From wikipedia:

Class:                1/4 Ton truck, Four Wheel Drive
Engine:               4-cyl, 151.5 cu (2,319 cc) 71hp at 4000rpm / 128 ft-lbs at 1800 rpm
Transmission:     4-speed + reverse. Transfer case only to engage /disengage front wheel drive
Wheelbase        85 in
Length:              133 in
Width:               64 in
Height:               71 in (top up) 53 in (top down)
Curb Weight:     2400 lb

A little searching lead me to a top speed of around 65mph on paved highways.  That's not fast, but vehicles like this were not built for commuting on the highway, they were meant to provide transport on primitive roads and in battlefield conditions.  I've always heard that vehicles like this are far from nimble on the road compared to commuter cars, for however long they use such roads.  According to wikipedia, rollovers were a known problem with this sort of vehicle, which is why the MUTT was never released for the civilian market.  They were replaced by the larger 'Humvee'.

I imagine compared to Humvees and Vamps, the MUTT is cheap (if you consider the imaginary economic considerations at all) and easy to maintain.  In their day in the armed forces they were used for a wide variety of purposes from personnel transport, to TOW missile launching fast attack vehicles, to light ambulances.

Synopsis

 A great utility vehicle that works very well with GI Joe figures.  It's pretty durable and offers a lot of features and accessories.  Might be a little harder to find now that the holidays are over.

Quality:  A-

Some stretching of plastic when inserting the gas cans or removing the rear wheel, but it looks fairly durable.

Appearance: B+ 

Simple color scheme, but it works for this kind of vehicle.  I think normal wear might add a natural looking patina.

Play Value: A

Tons of features accessories that interact with the vehicle.

Figure and Accessories: B

Lots of accessories.  Figures are very simple and the weapons lack polish, but the barrels, drums, gas can, and other accessories work very well with the vehicle.

Final Verdict: A-

Keep in mind, the final verdict is not an average of the above scores.  Rather, it is largely a subjective score with the four preceding and more objective scores taken under advisement.  I essentially step back, look at my scores for quality, appearance, play value, figure/accessories -and with those things in mind, come up with a semi independent score of what I really think about what I've just reviewed.  One of the reasons I think this is useful is because I can add in factors like cost, and adjust for the fact that no one is going to make a figure as good as Hasbro in this range.  

Conclusion:  It's a great buy and I am very happy to have a couple in my collection.  This was my first introduction of Power Team elite on this site and I'm happy to have gotten comments about their recurring accessories out of the way, so now I can just reference the above thoughts on them as I need to.  Thanks for reading.

The Corps [Lanard]: Dragonfly M5-R

Personally, I think that most of what Lanard produces in the way of four-inch Joe scale product is too different visually from the Hasbro's way of doing things to be a good stylistic match for GI Joe.  However, once in awhile they produce something that seems to fit right in with the mix of realism that I enjoy.  Here is the M5-R Dragonfly, part of Landard Toys' The Corps: Total Soldier line:

When I saw this on the shelf, I was very curious how it would fit modern four-inch GI Joe figures.  I bought one of those "Little Bird" choppers second-hand some time back and I was disappointed that modern 4" figures would not convincingly fit seated in the cockpit (it should be noted that some members on Hisstank pointed out that the PTE MH-6 should fit most modern joes fine.  Perhaps I have an earlier piece?).   The M5-R is very similar in size and shape to the well known Little Bird attack chopper, but does it fit modern GI Joe action figures?

The answer is, YES.

You may have noticed that there is only one seat, but two figures can fit inside the roomy cockpit quite well without looking too awkward.  The figures also seem to stay inside just fine during the maneuvers you would expect a vehicle like this to perform normally.

The cockpit detail is fairly simple and clean, not overly 'toyish' in appearance.  However, there is nothing in the way of instrumentation and just a basic control stick, centrally mounted.  The seat itself is nicely detailed and the texture molded into the plastic gives the appearance of cloth while adding some grip to hold seated figures.   

As an aside: I'm wondering what crossed Lanard's mind when they decided to name this toy, "Dragonfly" given the name belongs to an iconic GI Joe helicopter.  I also wonder what implications this may have for any future updates by Hasbro to the venerable Dragonfly XH-1 with regard to the use of it's original name. The old Dragonfly mold had been released in a desert brown and renamed the 'Locust' at one point and it leaves me confused about what this means for any future use of the name by Hasbro.  I don't think I'm alone in having some disdain for all the renaming of the re-releases of classic GI Joe vehicles, most notably of late, the EagleHawk  Tomahawk.

While the cabin detail is sparse, the engine detail is kind of cheesy, but still, not too bad.

The Button on the left side of the aircraft marked by a yellow arrow plays electronic chopper sounds and lights up the engine compartment.  This feature is for the kids, though personally, I never thought much of this sort of thing when I was young.

The tan tab you see on the underside is a hook that flips down from the body as an additional play feature.  

Frontal view of the helicopter and it's observation light.  Below you'll see a side handle that should be grippable by most 4" figures, however, the landing skids lack any sort of standing platform.  

The most disappointing feature of the Dragonfly M5-R is the cheesy shaped rotors, particularly the cartoonishly over-large center assembly and flybar.  It doesn't quite work for me, but still, on the whole it's a fairly decent looking vehicle.  

Figure and Accessories:

Although none of this stuff is of particular interest to Joe Collectors, I imagine the accessories this toy comes with will offer a lot of play value to children who aren't so particular about mixing toys no matter how stylistically different they are.  The figure comes with an assortment of ridiculously sized weapons and tools: a sword and gun that attaches to his back, as well as some sort of explosive device and a pickaxe.  The motorcycle has two wheels that turn, but it's front fork does not, and it has no kickstand.  Also, the included figure cannot grip the handlebars, though a number of Joes can.  The accessories are just there to fill out the package.

Tactical assessment:

Except for the accessories that are included for the figure, the aircraft is not armed.  As mentioned before, I think that's okay since there are plenty of uses for non-weaponized vehicles.  Missions for observation, training, medical evacuation, rescue, and transport all have their place in the Joe organization and the M5-R can fit the bill for these.  Where most vehicles released for GI Joe are weaponized (or sometimes even over-weaponized), it's actually nice to have access to more mundane support vehicles.  However, the M5-R could offer a little more than that with some customization, but without any of that it's confined to non-direct combat roles for lack of any firepower. 

Regardless, performance is still important even for an unarmed military vehicle.  I'm not sure what the particular inspiration was for this toy was, though I suspect it was more of a generic concept of an observation helicopter given it's lack of weaponry.  It should be noted that most modern observation or utility helicopters used for military purposes are able to carry more than just one or two people.  A notable exception would be the Bell 47/H-13 Sioux of M*A*S*H fame, but the general design is far too antiquated for comparison.  There are a number of two-person civilian choppers that would approximate the M5-R, but in my estimation they would be too underpowered for realistic military use.  As such, we are left with a somewhat unique military light helicopter, and 'unique' tends to be right up Joe's alley.

Here's my semi - arbitrary performance statistics.

M5-R Dragonfly:

Empty Weight:                            1100 lbs
Max Takeoff Weight:                  2200 lbs
Powerplant:                                250 shp turboshaft engine

Max Speed                                100 mph
Cruising Speed                           90 mph
Never Exceed Speed                 130 mph
Service Ceiling                           12,000 ft
Hover Ceiling (in ground effect)  9,000 ft
Hover Ceiling (out of ground)     5,200 ft
Range                                        210 miles

I started with the MH-6 as sort of a template and mixed it in my mind with as similar light civilian helicopter I could find to the Lanard Chopper, the Guimbal Cabri.  Then I fudged the numbers based on my following (non expert) observations of the chopper's design:

1. The exhaust on the bottom suggests a turboshaft design.  While turboshaft engines are more expensive than piston engines, they are lighter, more efficient, and require less maintenance for the power produced

2. The rotors are shorter and wider:  This limits the speed and fuel economy of the aircraft, but makes it able to take off and land from smaller spots, and offers more lifting power.

3.  The rotors are a two-blade design, which are cheaper, simpler to maintain, offers less overall performance in the way of speed and maneuverability, but is easier to store.  Two bladed rotors also tend to provide better hover stability, but are noisier and produce more vibration.

Synopsis:

What we're left with is a chopper that focuses on economy and maintainability over performance, but with decent lifting power in a small package.  The short, twin rotors allow for tight stowage and landing in small areas.  Despite being a little short on range, this aircraft could have some appeal on boats and yachts where other copters are a little too large to accomodate.  I'd also think with a few customs it could make a simple medevac chopper much like the aforementioned Sioux, or even a light gunship.

Quality:  A

It's pretty durable and should survive normal childhood handling no problem

Appearance:  B

It is a little cheesy looking, a bit overly toyish, but not incredibly out of place compared to more realistic toys.

Play Value:  C+

No guns, rockets, missiles, and only basic accessories.  It's a very simple vehicle 

Figure & Accessories: D

They would have adequate appeal to children, but are otherwise basically junk that are intended only for use with the very basic figure, not the vehicle.

OVERALL:  a Solid 

B-

Conclusion:

Although this may be for a future post, it may be a good alternative for the PTE Little Bird for a couple reasons; mostly that the PTE choppers are hard to find and a little more expensive (or a lot more expensive if you have to go to ebay), and that in my experience modern joes to not fit well in them.  If it weren't for those drawbacks, the PTE would be a far better choice, but you can find the Lanard toy in stores now.