G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero - Toyline

Toyline

For a detailed listing of the toys, see List of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero characters, List of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero vehicles, and List of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero playsets.

The action figures were 3+3⁄₄ in (9.53 cm) tall, at roughly 1:18th scale. Throughout the original toyline production from 1982 through 1994, figure construction remained relatively the same. The most notable changes were the second series' addition of "swivel-arm" articulation in 1983 which allowed the forearm to rotate above the elbow (initial figures could only bend their elbows), and the fourth series' ball joints replacing the former swivel necks, both dramatically increasing a figures poseability.

Hasbro also released various vehicles and playsets to be used with the figures. Many of the vehicles and playsets were based on, or influenced by, real or experimental military technologies that were deployed or being developed during the 1980s. Some examples of this amongst the vehicles released were the G.I. Joe Skystriker XP-14F fighter plane based on the F-14 Tomcat; the Cobra Rattler, which has similarities to the A-10 Thunderbolt II; the Dragonfly attack helicopter which was nearly identical to the Bell AH-1 Cobra; the Cobra Night Raven S3P inspired by the Lockheed D-21/M-21; and the M.O.B.A.T. tank which was modeled after the M551 Sheridan. The Mobile Missile System (M.M.S.) playset was also strikingly similar to the MIM-23 Hawk surface-to-air (SAM) missile system. However, certain toys were completely original and in-story incorporated technologies that were unavailable at the time such as the H.A.L. laser artillery, and J.U.M.P. jet pack.