Friday, January 2, 2009

Action Man LSV - Light Strike Vehicle, 1995

The Light Strike Vehicle was used extensively by special operations forces, including DELTA and US Navy SEALS, for covert operations and special missions during the Persian Gulf War. Capable of managing practically any terrain and compatible with a huge assortment of weaponry, the Chenowth Light Strike Vehicles make excellent scout and assault carriages. They offer substantial hitting power, an extended range of travel (960 kilometers) and a top road speed of 136 kph.

GI Joe produced and released the Chenowth Light Strike Vehicle (LSV) in 2000. It was armed with M2 .50 caliber machine gun, M-60 machine gun, 2 firing AT-4 weapons with anti-tank missiles, and ammo belts. Before the Chenowth LSV was released, Action Man had already released their version of the LSV in 1995. Although not as accurate as Hasbro's GI Joe version, it was more compact and looked much more sturdy. It was also more FUN as a toy :)

Here's Action Man LSV decked out with all the gear I could find.

Three full packs tied on the front - with spare ammo and rations

Even has a Stinger Anti-aircraft weapon plus M60E3 machine gun

LSV Driver and one of the three-man SEAL team

Dragon Anti-tank weapon and M3 super 90 combat shotgun stored behind driver's seat

USN SEAL manning the Mk19 Grenade Launcher plus two AT-4 anti-tank launchers

The LSV all loaded and ready to roll


The huge thingamajig at the rear of the Action Man LSV is part of the thrill of this vehicle. Scroll down for the surprise if you cannot wait ;p

Even the rear tyres have the words LSV 4 x 4 on it

The huge engine at the rear of the LSV has nice details

Another view of the LSV from the rear

The LSV from the vehicle commander's side


Close-up of the firepower on this thing

Action Man LSV is in fact two vehicles in one. First you get a 4 x 4 dune buggy meant for two




And the other vehicle is the one-man airboat. Airboats are flat-bottomed vessels propelled in a forward direction by an aircraft-type propeller and powered by either an aircraft or automotive engine. The engine and propeller are enclosed in a protective metal cage that prevents objects, e.g. tree limbs, branches, clothing, beverage containers or wildlife from coming in contact with the whirling propeller. The characteristic flat-bottomed design of the airboat, in conjunction with the fact that there are no operating parts below the waterline, permit the vessel to be easily navigated through shallow swamps and marshes, in canals, rivers and lakes, even on frozen lakes. [source: wiki]



There you have it: two-in-one LSV. Certainly a lot more FUN ;)

8 comments:

  1. Hey there guru Alex. I see you're using a white background now. What happened to the black one?

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  2. Armand, I guess as the vehicle is mostly black colour, Alex use the white colour background to take pictures. Otherwise, everything is black colour and it's quite hard to see. Anyway, let Alex comes to explain to you :)

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  3. hi guys, i still prefer the black background which you will see again very soon. just like with the Batpod, these vehicles (Little Bird & LSV) are too BIG for my usual black background setup so I had to take the pictures at a different location i.e. my dining table - ha! ha! you know what they say, "You are what you eat" and i eat 1/6 breakfast, lunch & dinner!!

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  4. Hahahaha! True that Guru Alex!

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  5. Man, could you tell me where I can buy these thing? Thank you very much. Your post was awesome!

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  6. Hi Giao Hoang from Vietnam, thanks for your compliments :) This Action Man LSV was released way back in 1995 and I only managed to get it on e-bay after much searching and monitoring. Glad you enjoyed the post. Hope you keep coming back. CHEERS!

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  7. Have this LSV too. Awesome work you did there with the seals!

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  8. thanks Jason :) glad you liked it too

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