The biggest toy ever. The USS Flagg

So like many kids in the 80s, I dreamed of owning the GI Joe aircraft carrier, but at a retail cost of $109 back in 1985, not many of us got one.

But recently I lucked out. I had reserved myself to the fact that I was never going to own one, so I settled for searching for just the superstructure sections. My plan was to build an aircraft carrier shaped coffee table but I wanted to incorporate an original USS Flagg conning tower into it. 

I looked around and found one on eBay that was at the time holding a bid of $111.00. So I kept an eye on it for an entire week and noticed the bid never changed. The day before the auction ended I emailed the seller and asked what came with the sale and as it turned out, it wasn't just the three-tiered superstructure, it was also the bow and stern hull sections and all the support frame pieces as well.

So on January 23rd 2021 the auction was to end I jumped in and made a max bid of $150 in the final seconds, outbidding the high bidder's max bid of $140 and winning the auction.

However, my luck didn't end there. After paying for the items I discovered the seller lived very close to me so we arranged to meet in person for pickup rather than risk sending it through the mail.  And upon our meeting, the seller informed me he had the 2 larger flight deck sections as well that he offered me at a fraction of the going price. I told him I absolutely wanted them if he was willing to wait a few days for my bank account to recover. But first was going home with my bounty and setting up what I had for the first time!

I know it looks like a chaotic mess to most of you, but for something that sells for thousands of dollars once completed, that's a whole lot of parts for $142. 
A few days later on January 26th, 2021 things started looking even better when I picked up the two-deck sections the previous owner still had.

So now that I had all these parts, my original coffee table plan was out the window and the quest to put together a complete USS Flagg was underway as I began to track down parts. 
Now to my knowledge, the Flaggs that are out there in people's collections are Flaggs that were once whole and had to have a few parts replaced at most. This means to my knowledge, mine is the only one in existence that will be 100% built from salvaged parts. Even the parts I got from the original eBay seller weren't originally boxed together. They were salvaged and collected by his cousin before he ended up with them. So here we go, let's build a G.I. Joe USS Flagg aircraft carrier from scratch!

First, was the radar dome for the back of the superstructure that arrived on January 28th, 2021.

Then came the stern deck section I was missing.

And the third and final gun turret that I was missing. The ship has three total (1 on the bow, 2 on the stern) and I got two of them with my original purchase.

Then came the launch deck's deflector shield and tray with hydraulic supports. These were all pieces that arrived on January 30th, 2021.

And that brings us up to today which is the original publishing date of this blog. However, this is an open blog that I will be updating as I acquire new pieces. So stay tuned! There's lots more to come.

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Update! February 5th, 2021 brought 3 more additions. The first of which is one of the ladders for the ship's superstructure. 

The second of the deliveries is the deck section for the elevator.

The third and final delivery for the day is also the last piece I needed for the flight deck. The bow section!

With those deck sections added the Flagg is really starting to come together and take on its real appearance.

There's still a lot more to do, plus I have some display upgrades in mind that will not only look really cool but will help store some of my other vintage G.I. Joe figures and vehicles. So stay tuned and check back soon and see what else gets added! 

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Update February 8th, 2021
Just one new addition today but it's a good one. After much searching, I was able to track down a complete set of the missile launcher that is mounted on top of the ship's bridge.

The reason I was so happy with this purchase and how lucky I was to find one is that virtually every one of these that I have seen for sale was never complete. I've seen sales for the box launcher but no connecting base, some with rockets and some without. I've seen rockets being sold by themselves but this was the only one I have seen that had all six rockets, the box launcher, and the connecting swivel base.

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March 20th 2021-

It's been over a month since my last update but that doesn't mean I've been idle. It's because I was waiting until I had a bunch to show you! There's been quite a few changes since my last update so buckle up and get ready.

First up is the arresting "wire" and its connecting bases. In case you don't know, this is how aircraft land on a carrier. The planes have a hook on their underbelly that catches the wire and counterweights bring the aircraft to a stop so that it doesn't fly right back off the end of the flight deck.

Next was the 2 missile radar stations. These are composed of a base, a radar dish, and an antenna. They are located on the starboard side bow and the aft fantail deck, however, I haven't gotten the antenna for mine yet. 

Along with these came the ship's anchors, two in total. They are located on the underside of the bow, one on either side.

Then there was the bow ladder.

After that, I started to do some work on the ship's interior, which is basically just the superstructure itself. Until now most of the interior was just hollow space, but it only took a couple of purchases to turn some empty space into a very busy bunch of rooms.

First was the bridge, which included the pressure release valve.

The helm controls and ships wheel.

(Figures shown: Shipwreck v1, Cutter v1)

Finally the bridge computer station.

(Figures shown: Shipwreck v1)

After the bridge was done I added the walls, support beam, Admirals chair, and 2 crewman chairs to complete the look.

(Figures shown: Roadblock v1, Mutt & Junkyard v1, Mainframe v1, Shipwreck v1, Cutter v1, Torpedo v1, Ghostrider v1, Snake Eyes v28, Dial-Tone v1)

As of right now, all the interior is missing is the Admirals computer console, the battle computer, weapons locker, and the two doors. But as I'm still searching for those, I decided to do some upgrades that the original playset didn't come with. Remote control lighting!

(Figures shown: Roadblock v1, Mutt & Junkyard v1, Mainframe v1, Shipwreck v1, Cutter v1, Torpedo v1, Ghostrider v1, Snake Eyes v28, Dial-Tone v1)

The lights came with double-sided tape from 3M so it was really easy to attach them to flat surfaces and won't be difficult to remove them should I decide to later. And since they're remote-controlled, it only takes a push of a button to switch from normal operation to RED ALERT!

(Figures shown: Roadblock v1, Mutt & Junkyard v1, Mainframe v1, Shipwreck v1, Cutter v1, Torpedo v1, Ghostrider v1, Snake Eyes v28, Dial-Tone v1)

After that, it became time to work on the outside again and some accessory additions. First came the ship's crane, which I'm still missing the removable engine cover for.

(Figures shown: Wetsuit v1, Lifeline v3, half of Shipwreck v1)

Then came the ship's tow vehicle and fuel tanker. These aren't a separate vehicle as it was originally packaged with the ship.

(Figures shown: Topside v1)

And although the weapons transport vehicle didn't originally come with the Flagg playset, I figured what better place for moving ordinance around than an aircraft carrier's flight deck.

(Figures shown: Cross Country v1 custom)

Also, a GI Joe aircraft carrier needs at least one flying submersible. So I picked up a S.H.A.R.C.

(Figures Shown: Deep Six v1)

Finally, I added the outer superstructure railings, which is a perfect place for the entire GI Joe command to observe the flight deck. From Beach Head all the way up to General Joe Coleton himself! Oh and including the Flaggs commander Admiral Keel-Haul who came with the ship originally. :)

(Figures shown: Beach Head v1, Flint v1, Duke v1)

(Figures shown: Admiral Keel-Haul v1, General Hawk v1, General Joe Coleton v1, General Flagg v1)

A perfect viewing location to watch while the flight crew of a crippled Cobra Night Raven is taken into custody.

(Figures shown: Strato-Viper v1, Leatherneck v1)

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A new brief update for March 23rd. I have a Sky Striker!

Yes the main GI Joe fighter jet modeled after the US Navy F-14 Tomcat. I have one for the first time ever and this baby I am telling you was made for the Flagg. Well actually it was made two years before the Flagg but you know what I'm saying!

(Figures shown: Ace v1)

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Update 4/5/2021

One of the things I have always had planned for this project is a solid custom display stand with room for more than just the USS Flagg. So after taking the entire thing apart I started doing some outlines and measurements using the flight deck and support pieces as a guide.

I used an industrial adhesive combined with screws to attach the cut sections of 2x4's to the base.

And once the adhesive was set I added caster wheels to the bottom and painted the entire thing.

I added a couple of my remaining LED lights to the bottom of the flight deck sections so as to light the storage spaces underneath, and started adding the rest of my GI Joe collection.

Once I was sure it was all going to look good and work properly I moved it all to a permanent home in my collection room. 

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Update 5/13/2021

I've reached a point where I feel pretty much done with this project. I still have less than a handful of parts to get but it's nothing very critical, mostly minor parts like the rear railing on the fantail deck.
However, since the last update, I have added a few parts such as the Admiral's personal launch.

And the arresting wire tail hook. 

Not the least of which was the ship's mast. This may not look like much but is actually a total of nine separate parts all plugged in together. They were also a hell of a challenge to track down because these parts are notorious for breaking.

Lastly were the first and second level bulkhead doors. Parts like these were typically among the first I tracked down but these doors were difficult to find completely intact. Most have either a hinge or tab broken off.

(Figures shown: Roadblock v1, Flint v1, Mainframe v1)

Once I had those parts I started bulking up the ship's personnel and armament.  I also began to integrate more decorations around the ship to make it appear a bit more lived in.

(Figures shown: Cover Girl v1, Scarlett v1, Lady Jaye v1, Steeler v1.5, Deep-Six v1)

(Figures shown: Leatherneck v1, Alpine v1, Bazooka v1)

Shipwreck of course never misses an opportunity for some relaxation.

(Figures shown: Shipwreck v1, Snake Eyes v2, Colonel Hawk v1.5, Gung Ho v1)

These arcade cabinets in the recreation room currently being utilized by Bazooka and Alpine are actually card stock paper that I printed out, cut, folded, and glued together. The joysticks are sewing pins.

(Figures shown: Leatherneck v1, Alpine v1, Bazooka v1)

The final touch ended up being the acrylic display stand for the Sky Striker. I decided to place it in such a way to appear as if launching off the flight deck.

This brings us to the end. I'm going to miss working on this project because it was really exciting for not only me but my children as well. The hunt of tracking down missing parts and then seeing them arrive in the mail and adding them to the ship piece by piece. I suppose I'll have to find a new project to occupy my time, like a GI Joe Defiant or a Cobra Terror Drome.

But for now, enjoy this video tour of the whole ship, and thanks for following along!