ACTION MAN
Arctic Assault 1982
Period: Eagle Eyes
Dates: 1982-c.83
Cat No: 34281
Description:
The 1982 ‘Special Team’ (later to be rebranded 'Special Operations') was a 4 figure Action Man outfit range consisting of Ground Assault, Underwater Assault, Arctic Assault, and a year later, Missile Assault (1983). They were a futuristic fighting force designed to tackle a number of exciting terrains. The creative work of Greg Hughes, conceptual designer, this exciting imaginative departure was set to introduce a range of associated futuristic ‘Wolfpack colour schemed’ vehicles before the plug was pulled on Palitoy in 1984. (example here)
34281 Ground Assault
34281 Arctic Assault
34281 Underwater Assault
934843 Missile Assault
Action Man' Special Team' Arctic Assault:
34281
ARCTIC ASSAULT: Camouflaged combat jumpsuit, armband, cream coloured rubber balaclava, cream plastic webbing with pouches and water bottle, cream gloves, cream boots, grey helmet with built in visor and fabric emblem, grey rifle with detachable scope (binoculars), bayonet and scabbard, short cream coloured skis. Equipment Manual.
Notes:
These outfits were produced when Action Man sales were on the wain, and the number sold were lower than the majority of Action Man outfits, which make them amongst the rarer of uniforms to find complete. Material divisional badges tend to fall off of helmet and sleeve (replacements available here) and balaclavas perish. The oversized boots rattle a little on the figures (strangely based upon those oversized type previously borrowed from the Six Million Dollar man toy line) and the cumbersome plastic gloves totally negated the development of gripping hands, making weapon holding impossible. The Arctic Assault rifle had a removeable telescopic scope, whereas the Ground Assault version did not. The Missile Assault is the rarest of the three, and the Underwater Assault frogman rubber outfit is super rare due to perishing material.
Action Man Special Team Arctic Assault
1981 Action Man Official Equipment Manual
Action Man Special Team Arctic Assault (image Eagle Eyes Action Station)
Replacement Arctic Assault repro fabric badges available:
Action Man Arctic Assault Packaging
ARCTIC ASSAULT 34281 (image courtesy of Vectis Auctions)
ARCTIC ASSAULT 34281 (image V&A Collections)
ARCTIC ASSAULT 34281
