[ColonelJack]

Is the 30th sky striker good for play? someone was complaining in an ebay comment that the original was built better, but didn't go into detail...

I'd especially be looking for the cheapest newest one that is good for play, if it's going to break out of the box then maybe I should spring for the original, I dunno.

[46 Zone]

The biggest difference between the 2 is that the 30th has a single pilot cockpit, and the seat does not come out, nor does the seat have a parachute on it.

Also, the hook that catches the deceleration cable on the FLAGG doesn't fit on the 30th SS. Zap, I think, makes a hook that will fit on the 30th.

I never had a vintage one, but the 30th seems to be durable enough to play with imo.

[nighthawk]

The vintage one, you hold onto the gun pod (I treated it as the auxilary fuel tank, but I think the blueprints call it a gun pod, not 100% sure though) on the bottom of the Skystriker to play with it.

The new one, that gun pod isn't glued on so if you hold it there, it might fall off if you hold it.

The missiles on the new one I think fall off quite easily too.

[Zap Rowsdower]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColonelJack

Is the 30th sky striker good for play? someone was complaining in an ebay comment that the original was built better, but didn't go into detail...

I'd especially be looking for the cheapest newest one that is good for play, if it's going to break out of the box then maybe I should spring for the original, I dunno.

The 30th/50th versions hold up just fine for play in terms of breaking (nothing easily broken) but the cockpit canopy, the missiles, and the reserve fuel tank fall off very easily.

By contrast, the vintage plane's missiles and reserve fuel tank all hold on pretty well, but the canopy hinge, stabilizer wings, and rear gear door hinges are easily broken.

Overall, I'd do modern-era if durability is your focus. Missiles and a canopy falling off aren't as bad as things breaking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 46 Zone

Also, the hook that catches the deceleration cable on the FLAGG doesn't fit on the 30th SS. Zap, I think, makes a hook that will fit on the 30th.

I do indeed. Tailhooks and other replacement and custom parts are available for both the vintage and the modern-era planes.

[F14 Tomcat]

So i got the 30th for Christmas when I was 12 yrs old and it was a love hate relationship. I am an aviation geek and the F14 Tomcat, what the skystriker is modelled after, is my absolute fave. I despised the single seat setup vs the two seat OG, the missles didnt stay on, wanted it to be white liek the OG, when trying to roll it on the floor the w\landing gear would almost always collapse because they was barely a hairs beadth of room between the front cover and the floor couldn't roll on carpetat all, and then the wings have a tendency to disconnect where it snaps together. That stuff aside, well detailed, the cockpit is worls ahead of the og, little deatails all over, not a bunch of protruding strews like the OG, and defineitly not as brittle as the OG ones are nowdays. If you want a newer in white like the OG you have to buy the SDCC Jetfire exclusive which is very expensive nowdays.
Have you had the OG?
If it is for a younger person to play with

[F14 Tomcat]

Sorry, posted to soon.

If it is for a young person to play with, definitely go with the new because it is not so brittle and is more forgiving.
On the OG, the canopy hinge tends to snap, the landing gear scan snap, the tabs holding the fins definitely snap, and I have seen wingtips snap.The new one doesnt have those issues because of a different design and newer plastic.
Now if you want it mainly for display, I prefer the OG.
If you want something realistic looking, With the 30th.

This is coming from an "expert" lol that has played with both versions as a 12yr old and collects as a 20yr old, lol.