Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

5 Extremely Dumb Military Designs from G.I. Joe
Popular Mechanics ^ | 31 July 2009

Posted on 07/31/2009 1:24:58 AM PDT by Rummyfan

August's new movie G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra may not be at the top of our list of must-sees this summer, but we have been watching closely for the strange weapon designs they come up with. Bad procurement choices and G.I. Joe–the toys, cartoons and, now, the movie–have a long history. Here, we look at the five most misguided equipment designs placed in the hands of G.I. Joe figurines over the years.

The Mole Pod

Historically, mining underneath a defensive perimeter is an iffy military tactic–when it works, it can end a siege (particularly when walls can be collapsed, or explosives planted beneath defenses). When it doesn't work, it can be a grave loss as troops emerge piecemeal from the hole–assuming they are not crushed by the tunnel's collapse. COBRA's Mole Pod is specifically designed to conduct subterranean raids, but not so smart is the placement of a missile launcher in the tip of a drill bit–think about it. Also, drill bits made to tunnel through rock are flat-faced, with dull, nonconical protrusions.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: chat
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last

1 posted on 07/31/2009 1:24:59 AM PDT by Rummyfan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Rummyfan

More at the link....


2 posted on 07/31/2009 1:25:28 AM PDT by Rummyfan (Iraq: it's not about Iraq anymore, it's about the USA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rummyfan

Check it later. Thanks.


3 posted on 07/31/2009 1:27:41 AM PDT by wally_bert (My doctor says that I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fibre)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rummyfan

And so what, GI Joes were supposed to have a futuristic, fantasy element.


4 posted on 07/31/2009 1:30:17 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (The Democrat Party: a criminal organization masquerading as a political party)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HiTech RedNeck
Little minds, absorbed in play, take and make note of details.

What future engineer may, or may not ... need to unlearn subliminal messages of comprehension in order to think more "engineery"

5 posted on 07/31/2009 1:36:17 AM PDT by knarf
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: knarf

I’m not sure all features were represented fairly. Maybe the missile tip of the drill retracts until it’s needed? Why would a figurine of an Abominable Snowman fighting GI Joe have no gloves on, is that a separate item sold for Joe? (An accompanying picture does show mittens.) The top mounted missiles might or might not be a problem for the helicopter, depending on how the blades bend when in operation. It does seem legitimate to ask why a truck would be painted camo green then have safety stripes stuck on it, unless that’s an option packaged in the box.


6 posted on 07/31/2009 1:44:44 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (The Democrat Party: a criminal organization masquerading as a political party)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Rummyfan

They may be dumb, but they sure look like fun! When I was a kid GI Joe had nothing but a rifle and maybe a bazooka or something. But I still had a lot of fun with ‘em.


7 posted on 07/31/2009 1:49:58 AM PDT by JoeDetweiler
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JoeDetweiler
They may be dumb, but they sure look like fun! When I was a kid GI Joe had nothing but a rifle and maybe a bazooka or something. But I still had a lot of fun with ‘em.

I had a whole bunch of GI Joe stuff when I was young, but my mother didn't like the "war" style GI Joes... Anybody else remember the accessory kit that included the crutches and bloody bandages? lol. She REALLY hated that one, and refused to allow me to get it! But I did have the deep sea diver, complete with octopus, and the space ship!

Mark

8 posted on 07/31/2009 1:58:53 AM PDT by MarkL (Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: MarkL

My older brother had a toy soldier set that included cannons that could shoot (spring loaded, not caps). We thought it was great fun to use the stop signs as shells, as they fit the cannons perfectly.


9 posted on 07/31/2009 2:11:53 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (The Democrat Party: a criminal organization masquerading as a political party)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Rummyfan
1966:

One GI Joe

One GI Joe Jeep

One GI Joe Spot Light

One large back yard, a creek, a sand pit, 10 neighborhood kids with their GI Joes and imagination.
10 posted on 07/31/2009 2:11:54 AM PDT by Dallas59 ("You know the one with the big ears? He might be yours, but he ain't my president.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rummyfan
Also this guy...

Major Matt Mason



I also had his green friend....


11 posted on 07/31/2009 2:16:17 AM PDT by Dallas59 ("You know the one with the big ears? He might be yours, but he ain't my president.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MarkL

My favorite was the tank, mostly because it was battery-operated.

But the thing was a technological marvel of the toy world for the age bracket- the barrel direction could independently control the power transmission to the tracks, allowing the tank to actually turn like real tanks do.


12 posted on 07/31/2009 2:41:12 AM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins (I don't have a license to kill; I have a learner's permit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: All

Hah! I had the mercury space capsule! The foil suit wasn’t real durable, though.

I remember leading up to the Christmas of 1965, peering desperately through a keyhole into the locked room where my parents were storing our gifts in preparation for wrapping them, and lo and behold-

A GI Joe footlocker! Had yellow rope handles, as I recall...:)

One day, my GI Joe was gone. Gone. Couldn’t find him. Looked everywhere. I was heartbroken.

When I went to elementary school a few days later, I was walking down the hall past the locked glass cabinets that had the best dioramas by the third grade class (I was in second grade, and my diorama was the fight between the Monitor and the Merrimack...cardboard covered with tin-foil for water...:)

I looked over and saw one with an honorable mention done by my brother, and...there was my GI Joe...HEADLESS! (Who knew my brother was an Islamo-fascist in those days?)

Well, he wasn’t quite headless, the had an egg on his neck where his head had been. I did get him back, but what good is a headless GI Joe? It was his whole personality. (everyone knew the color of their hair was what imparted their special individual skills on them!)

I buried him in the back yard while my dog looked on. As I walked away head bowed, she was gleefully pawing at the earth, and ran after me with a newly disinterred GI Joe, his arms no longer folded in peaceful repose across his chest, but now flopping wildly from each side of the labrador retriever’s mouth!


13 posted on 07/31/2009 3:42:05 AM PDT by rlmorel ("The Road to Serfdom" by F.A.Hayek - Read it...today.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HiTech RedNeck
It does seem legitimate to ask why a truck would be painted camo green then have safety stripes stuck on it, unless that’s an option packaged in the box.

It may have been Air Force (no offense).
When I was passing through Tan Son Nhut Airbase near Saigon I ran into a high school classmate. He was a USAF mail clerk wearing tiger stripes, steel pot, flak jacket, K-Bar knife, .38 revolver and carrying an M-3 grease gun. He had never left the base and never intended to, but wanted people to know he was in a war zone.
14 posted on 07/31/2009 3:43:19 AM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel


15 posted on 07/31/2009 3:49:26 AM PDT by rlmorel ("The Road to Serfdom" by F.A.Hayek - Read it...today.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Rummyfan

Popular Mechanics meets Cracked?


16 posted on 07/31/2009 4:36:11 AM PDT by dangus (I am JimThompson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rummyfan

I had the space capsule and Jeep back in the 60’s.


17 posted on 07/31/2009 4:44:23 AM PDT by Crawdad (If you're in a fair fight, your tactics suck.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rummyfan
At least they don't have crappy cereal.
18 posted on 07/31/2009 5:36:10 AM PDT by Disambiguator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel

I still have mine and the Alan Sheppard record.


19 posted on 07/31/2009 5:37:59 AM PDT by WoodstockCat (General Honore: "The storm gets a vote... We're not stuck on stupid.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: WoodstockCat

Wow!!!! I am impressed...:)


20 posted on 07/31/2009 6:08:42 AM PDT by rlmorel ("The Road to Serfdom" by F.A.Hayek - Read it...today.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson