This was the very last G.I.Joe toy I ever got! Christmas 1987. My two brothers got it for me and they couldn't wait so they opened it and put it together before Christmas! I unwrapped an empty box and in the middle of my confusion as to why it was empty they disappeared upstairs and "flew" it down to me. I remember it fondly near 33 years later! Thanks for the memories brother.
I got a Mamba for x-mas back in the day and it was the biggest vehicle among my toys. Watching you struggle with things like operating the dual rotors, detaching and reattaching the pods, missiles falling off; it just took me down memory lane, and despite those minor annoyances, playing with Mamba was always a blast. One major downside though was that the Gyro-Viper figure came with the O-ring rubber band torn apart (what a bummer); but my Mom managed to put it back together using one of those office supplies type rubber bands. Because of this, it was nearly imposible to make that figure stand straight and it always felt wobbly.
I love this vehicle, one of my favorite in my collection. Way back in 1991 I was living in New Jersey and while I was down at the shore I played one of the many games of chance that are on the multiple boardwalks (it was the one in Keansburg), and I won the Cobra Mamba. They at the time had many G.I.Joe vehicles to choose from, but the Mamba caught my eye. What is so cool is it actually only cost me a dollar to play, and I got very lucky on my first try.
My blades never spun on their posts. They were tight and had to be lined up prior to first knob spin. After that, the blades never touched. This was one of my favorite vehicles growing up; this and the Whale.
An underrated cobra helicopter that I really like! I’m currently working on a custom painted all black. Very good request Sean and another excellent video Mr Mercy
Thanks Mike! The Mamba would look awesome in black! Really wish they would have released a black repainted for the ROC or Retaliation lines since a few other vehicles got that treatment.
Thanks so much, Michael! I really, really enjoyed the video and getting to spend some time checking out a classic Cobra vehicle with you. The Mamba is a strong beautiful as I always thought it would be... beautiful and deadly. Hope you had fun making the video, too.
Awesome, glad to hear it Sean. It was great to play around with it and upgrade it with some Bravestarr-sized blasters! That chopper blade gimmick is pretty fun to try to get going too!
Three cockpits, two rotors, two tails! The Mamba is so overdesigned, I love it. "Hey man, we heard you like choppers. So we put a chopper in your chopper!"
Thanks JR! I thought I had that piece but couldn't find it. Mike Smith was kind enough to send some of the missing parts my way though so an update video will be coming soon!
Excellent review! Airwolf has a special place in my heart. The Mamba is a pretty sharp counterpart with its design and features. Another, concept attack helicopter that comes to mind is "Blue Thunder". However, I find that the Mamba and Airwolf would outclass Blue Thunder.
i think world peacekeepers toyline make a helicopter that would pass for a airwolf with some simple modding,thank you for sharing this, never held a mamba so its fun to see it being handled not just displayed.
I always ended up with rouge cobra vehicles bc they were prob on clearance. This was a cool toy, not to mention most of the neighborhood had JOEs and not enough cobra representation.
Love the review I always enjoy the way you take me back to being a little kid playing & having a good time with not a care in the world but the next battle. I have one complete & one that I'm trying to restore. After the Night Raven this the next best G.I. Joe/Cobra vehicle.
Cool video Im about to get one from a seller at my local flea market complete with box for 60$ I wasn’t too sure but after seeing your video Im more convinced now to get it thanks
I wish i had this I was never gonna have one from childhood since im from 2003 But i always liked the old cartoons more and this looks great I like the colors and the split function You can bet that i will try to make one out of lego when i get more pieces
Masterpiece! Like you i never haven't but my friend has one .That was the point! I have the Tomahawk and those day are air battle for the sky supremacy of the backyard was epics one of hell battle!
This is just my personal opinion, I would have liked it better with ONE blade, because its easier to spin and play with. If it had been one prop, I would have bought it back then. They could have set it up like the Russian heli called the "ALLIGATOR" that has the blades stacked one over the other. That would have kept the idea, sorta "communist terrorist" that Cobra kinda felt like and I would have got one back then or now. That purple thing on his shoulders, is a back up 'chute. Some pilots have used back ups as a main because its not obtrusive, and is modified for jet pilots. Its not used so much anymore in the military by pilots. But other than the blades, I love this heli. I love the colors, the idea, its awesome looking. just that ONE hang up that just irks me. GREAT video as always, thanks for being so awesome! Namaste
Never had too many cobra vehicles growing up so when I got this it was well worth the wait I think I might of had like the cobra maggot but for the most part all my vehicles where gi joe well I mean unless you count Serpentors airchairiot
The rotor design is actually based on a helicopter that really existed. I'm pretty sure it was some experimental type in the '50s. Does anyone know what the real chopper was that this was based on?
@@mikesmith2718 That would be awesome! Thanks so much, Mike! Can you send me an e-mail? It's in the "About" section on my channel (tried to post it here but I don't think they let you include e-mail addresses in comments).
I still have mine, I received it for Christmas the year it came out. I got ripped off, my bombs don't blow up! I have 2 spare missiles, if you want them.
I think I lost interest the time they started using strange colors like purple and others ("Cobra Blue & Red seemed ok for some reason) anything after 1986/87 seemed kind of stupid to me. love seeing these toys again Thanks!
Thanks for the tip, Chris! Mike Smith is sending me some of the missing parts so I'll have to do this as well and do a follow-up video on my new and improved Mamba. :D
This was the very last G.I.Joe toy I ever got! Christmas 1987. My two brothers got it for me and they couldn't wait so they opened it and put it together before Christmas! I unwrapped an empty box and in the middle of my confusion as to why it was empty they disappeared upstairs and "flew" it down to me. I remember it fondly near 33 years later! Thanks for the memories brother.
Thanks Jeremy, Nerdmasté! 🙏
Ahh, the memories. This was one of the last two vehicles I got before I moved on to other things, the other being the x-19 phantom.
I got a Mamba for x-mas back in the day and it was the biggest vehicle among my toys. Watching you struggle with things like operating the dual rotors, detaching and reattaching the pods, missiles falling off; it just took me down memory lane, and despite those minor annoyances, playing with Mamba was always a blast. One major downside though was that the Gyro-Viper figure came with the O-ring rubber band torn apart (what a bummer); but my Mom managed to put it back together using one of those office supplies type rubber bands. Because of this, it was nearly imposible to make that figure stand straight and it always felt wobbly.
I love this vehicle, one of my favorite in my collection.
Way back in 1991 I was living in New Jersey and while I was down at the shore I played one of the many games of chance that are on the multiple boardwalks (it was the one in Keansburg), and I won the Cobra Mamba. They at the time had many G.I.Joe vehicles to choose from, but the Mamba caught my eye. What is so cool is it actually only cost me a dollar to play, and I got very lucky on my first try.
My blades never spun on their posts. They were tight and had to be lined up prior to first knob spin. After that, the blades never touched. This was one of my favorite vehicles growing up; this and the Whale.
An underrated cobra helicopter that I really like! I’m currently working on a custom painted all black. Very good request Sean and another excellent video Mr Mercy
Thanks Mike! The Mamba would look awesome in black! Really wish they would have released a black repainted for the ROC or Retaliation lines since a few other vehicles got that treatment.
Love the Airwolf comparison! It does work that was as a large, modern attack chopper!
Might have to do a faux-intro for an "Airsnake" TV series some day using the Mamba and the Airwolf theme. :D
I do too; I believe the COBRA Mamba would sound VERY similar (if not totally identical) to Airwolf!
Thanks so much, Michael! I really, really enjoyed the video and getting to spend some time checking out a classic Cobra vehicle with you. The Mamba is a strong beautiful as I always thought it would be... beautiful and deadly. Hope you had fun making the video, too.
Awesome, glad to hear it Sean. It was great to play around with it and upgrade it with some Bravestarr-sized blasters! That chopper blade gimmick is pretty fun to try to get going too!
The Cobra Mamba and Nightraven were the best looking Military Inspired Aircraft toys of All-Time...
Three cockpits, two rotors, two tails! The Mamba is so overdesigned, I love it.
"Hey man, we heard you like choppers. So we put a chopper in your chopper!"
Lol
I always wondered if being assigned to the side pods/drones was some kind of cobra punishment, like Destro catching you with the Baroness.
Destro’s weapons designers were high towards the end. Like the Cobra pogo pod, this thing was a death trap.
One additional piece missing is the jet exhaust on the back of the engine. Absolutely great review as always!
Thanks JR! I thought I had that piece but couldn't find it. Mike Smith was kind enough to send some of the missing parts my way though so an update video will be coming soon!
Honestly, I love all of G.I. joe, be it the 80’s 90’s or 2000’s!
Same here
Excellent review! Airwolf has a special place in my heart. The Mamba is a pretty sharp counterpart with its design and features. Another, concept attack helicopter that comes to mind is "Blue Thunder". However, I find that the Mamba and Airwolf would outclass Blue Thunder.
Thanks Droz! I loved the look of Blue Thunder as a kid, but I've become a big fan of Airwolf in recent years.
Always wanted one when I was a kid. A few years ago, I picked up three incomplete ones or so. I'll piece them together as time & money permits.
Awesome videos and reviews my bro. Your videos take me back to a easier simpler fun time :)
Thanks! Yo Joe!
Memories from my childhood. I loved this as a kid. Thx 🙏🏾
17:55 "what do you mean? The Thing fits in there just fine! See? He's.... (grunt) fitting.... right... (grunt) now!"
My mom got me that chopper for Christmas that year! Only big GI Joe vehicle I ever had 😍
It's a very well made toy. My little bother got one when I was a little older and I remember taking a look at it and saying how nice it was back then
i think world peacekeepers toyline make a helicopter that would pass for a airwolf with some simple modding,thank you for sharing this, never held a mamba so its fun to see it being handled not just displayed.
Thanks bro this is mine favorite vehicle from the Joe line was gift from my late dad love this chopper
Thanks Edgardo, what a great dad and a great thing to remember him by! 🙏
I always ended up with rouge cobra vehicles bc they were prob on clearance. This was a cool toy, not to mention most of the neighborhood had JOEs and not enough cobra representation.
The toy looks very fragile, I am amazed so many copies survived the childhood of the 80's kids.
That is a very cool Cobra aircraft, I hope you get the missing parts to complete the super cool Mamba. Thumbs up for the awesome video.
I had this as a kid. was one of my favorite toys.
Love the review I always enjoy the way you take me back to being a little kid playing & having a good time with not a care in the world but the next battle. I have one complete & one that I'm trying to restore. After the Night Raven this the next best G.I. Joe/Cobra vehicle.
Sweet looking chopper! Love the dual blades. Great review! Thanks!
Thanks Nathan!
This chopper really should've been in the 1987 movie.
Mine is in pieces, but still have most of it. I imagine now that Cobra stole a bunch of the ospreys and that the modern day equivalent to the mamba.
Great video! Thanks
Thanks Falcon! Yo Joe!
When the first bomb dropped, the explosion startled me, lol. Caught me off guard.
The guns shooting caught me off guard, after he sticky tacks them on, LOL, I jumped a bit when it blasted, LOL
That mamba looks great, but is missing the exhaust at the rear of the vehicle ant he pod's cannons. Other than that, it's perfect
Aside from the double bladed rotors (still not sure about that), the Mamba looks pretty cool.
What a fantastic helicopter 😀😊
I’m no expert on military craft but that looks like a mechanical engineering nightmare 😂
Yes, but Kamen Helicopters have been building them for years!
ruclips.net/video/uAQpslSWKf4/видео.html
Cool video Im about to get one from a seller at my local flea market complete with box for 60$ I wasn’t too sure but after seeing your video Im more convinced now to get it thanks
Where is the best site to purchase replacement chopper blades for the mamba? Thank u
Eu tive esse helicóptero Cobra!!!
The rotor system of the Cobra Mamba is based on a real helicopter, which is a Kaman K-Max
Even today, the world is confused by the mamba helicopter blades.
I owned then chopper as a kid and I remember the blades controlled by a button or trigger.
You should customize it. Put a pistol grip under it like the batwing & connect the blades to a motor. That'd be sick
Those 2 propeler must be tested by myth busters to see how those propeler functions continuesly.
Michael, things you need to look for; front guns, extra missiles, S.M.A.S.H. exhaust array
My favorite
I wish i had this
I was never gonna have one from childhood since im from 2003
But i always liked the old cartoons more and this looks great
I like the colors and the split function
You can bet that i will try to make one out of lego when i get more pieces
Awesome cobra Mamba!
I remember Mom buying me a Mamba at a Sears Outlet near our house for half off the original
I had the mamba the blades spun perfectly for a good year I'd say.
i so remember having this
Masterpiece! Like you i never haven't but my friend has one .That was the point! I have the Tomahawk and those day are air battle for the sky supremacy of the backyard was epics one of hell battle!
This is just my personal opinion, I would have liked it better with ONE blade, because its easier to spin and play with. If it had been one prop, I would have bought it back then. They could have set it up like the Russian heli called the "ALLIGATOR" that has the blades stacked one over the other. That would have kept the idea, sorta "communist terrorist" that Cobra kinda felt like and I would have got one back then or now. That purple thing on his shoulders, is a back up 'chute. Some pilots have used back ups as a main because its not obtrusive, and is modified for jet pilots. Its not used so much anymore in the military by pilots. But other than the blades, I love this heli. I love the colors, the idea, its awesome looking. just that ONE hang up that just irks me. GREAT video as always, thanks for being so awesome! Namaste
Thanks for the info, cool design for a chute!
The propellers have to start in a X configuration in order for the propellers to work properly.
I know the man who recorded the drums for the commecial spot for the mamba! Good ol ralph rossettie!
Cool!
Pretty cool, looks like a combination of Switchblade and Piranha from M.A.S.K.
damn, it sure does!
Good call!
Never had too many cobra vehicles growing up so when I got this it was well worth the wait I think I might of had like the cobra maggot but for the most part all my vehicles where gi joe well I mean unless you count Serpentors airchairiot
It looks way cooler without the pods 👌
Mercy Me!
The rotor design is actually based on a helicopter that really existed. I'm pretty sure it was some experimental type in the '50s. Does anyone know what the real chopper was that this was based on?
Ow God. I really miss so mucho my childhood!
I noticed you were missing the exhaust and two missiles I have the missiles if ya need em brother
Also have the chin guns
@@mikesmith2718 That would be awesome! Thanks so much, Mike! Can you send me an e-mail? It's in the "About" section on my channel (tried to post it here but I don't think they let you include e-mail addresses in comments).
Michael Mercy couldn’t find the email for some reason so I used Facebook messenger if that’s ok
Yeah, but except for the absent exhaust, its a GORGEOUS model!
Chris Mayer it looks near mint and that is hard to find these days with thirty plus years old toys
I still have mine, I received it for Christmas the year it came out. I got ripped off, my bombs don't blow up! I have 2 spare missiles, if you want them.
Mike Smith is actually sending me a pair but thanks for the offer, much appreciated! 🙏
@@MichaelMercy you are welcome
i heard in the comics that the mambas where in a huge dogfight with the rattlers
I think I lost interest the time they started using strange colors like purple and others ("Cobra Blue & Red seemed ok for some reason) anything after 1986/87 seemed kind of stupid to me. love seeing these toys again Thanks!
The love child of VENOM's SwitchBlade and Piranha
Their also a video arcade wish you fight the Manba is extremely powerful
Use WHITE (not solvent) glue to secure the blades to their hub mounts; they won't get de-synchronized when you spin 'em!
Thanks for the tip, Chris! Mike Smith is sending me some of the missing parts so I'll have to do this as well and do a follow-up video on my new and improved Mamba. :D
Those are Intermeshing rotors : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermeshing_rotors
inhad this, and so many more. didnt last through my madmax faze w fireworks
Cool
I had one as a kid is the 80s
used to have that toy
I have The Cobra Mamba!
Doesn't the K-Max have the same sort of contra-rotating blades in real life?
Doesn't look as cool as the Mamba though!
Yup, looks like it does. The Mamba has a much nicer design though.
Oh man I wanted this bad. Unfortunately was not to be.
I was a bigger Blue Thunder fan than Airwolf. Chain gun all the way baby!!!
How awesome would it be if the blades were battery operated.
If GI JOE were still being made, a MAMBA Mk. II might have had that feature!
That would be cool!