Wind Raider Masters of the Universe

The idea of the Wind Raider vehicle came from minds of the minicomic designers. There was definitely nothing like it on the market up until that day. This was a machine that not only flew, but floated in the sea as well. It was the first vehicle to ever become available in the Masters Of The Universe series. It was seen in the television series created by Filmation as well. There was no way Mattel could stay away from making this vehicle in the early eighties to give their action figures something to fly in.

The kickoff that the Wind Raider vehicle experienced was something destined for the minds of children. The power came from twin jets on either side of the machine. The photon guns and lasers that the machine had made it very dangerous to the evil hordes of Skeletor. Up to five people and the pilot could be taken on a flight at one time. The front of the Wind Raider vehicle shot out the “grappling launcher” which we mortals would think of as an anchor. This flying machine is only used by the heroic warriors, not any bad guys. Even though the television series showed the Wind Raider  as a type of assault vehicle, the toy was presented as a transport vehicle by Mattel.

The original 1981 and 1982 Wind Raider vehicle was easy to put together and did not require batteries. It was green with orange moving parts. The wings, rudder and the “grappling launcher” were the moving parts. The vehicle came with wheels on the bottom so children could whizz it across the floor if they wanted to. A common problem was that the “grappling launcher” would hardly reel in its own string. Even in later versions, the same problem still lingered. The wings were weak and were easy to crack or break. The sides, rudder and cockpit of the Wind Raider were given decals that spruced up its looks by magnitudes. Man At Arms was a perfect fit for the Wind Raider vehicle because his skin was the exact same color as the vehicle. The Wind Raider vehicle was nine inches long and was created for the Masters Of The Universe action figures that were 5 ½ inches tall.

The Wind Raider vehicle had moving wings and rudder as well as the hook on the front. The hook could be used to simulate a rescue operation similar to an helicopter. Getting the hook to deploy was easy, but winding it back in was a problem for many of these Mattel toys. There were no different versions of the original Wind Raider but later on a larger and better one would be made.

Thanks to reader Heath who pointed out that the Wind Raider box did come with both an “8 Back” version as well as a “12 Back” version.

The box did not have “8 back” or “12 back versions like the action figures had. It did feature He Man and the Wind Raider vehicle with and without each other.

It is not going to be hard to find a Wind Raider vehicle. They are found on the major online markets. The problem is that most of them have missing or cracked wings. Finding one in this condition will mean the toy will cost just under $20 dollars. Finding this toy in a slightly damaged package will have the price reaching around $250 to $300 dollars.