When the Action Sets were first shown, the Silent Entry set was very high on my list of which sets I wanted to get first. I mean, how can you go wrong with a real flying glider? You can't!

The design of the glider itself looked exciting, the figure looked generic enough to work as the pilot or as a standalone figure, and it came with a decent looking Sky BAT, too. Overall, it really seemed to have the most to offer for the lower price point.

PACKAGING

A great piece of artwork on the package greets the buyer as usual, with Duke dramatically soaring through the night sky as the ever-present Dragonhawk flies in the air up above. Everything from the look on Duke's face, to the faithful representation of Tunnel Rat's submachine gun and the rippled texture of his H.A.S.T.E. (High Altitude Silent Tactical Entry) glider looks really, really nice both on the art and in person. And of course, we have the Mission Manual:

So as always the package look is near perfect...but how are the toys?

The Toys

Not too bad, really. While barely functional, the glider is a cool looking miniature vehicle with a couple of decent little figures to go along with it. The glider immediately strikes you as being a large, pretty impressive little aircraft. It's something that I can picture the Sigma 6 team using, and is, for obvious reasons, the centerpiece of this Action Set.

The wingspan is surprisingly long, the assembly is pretty quick and easy, and it seems to be a very sturdy glider, even with what could be some pretty flimsy material that makes up the glider itself. The Duke figure fits on the glider pretty seamlessly with a nice firm grasp of the handlebars and an easy to use rubberized strap to keep him on board. These keep him tied very securely to the glider, so no matter how much you fly it around and make it take sharp corners and steep climbs, the figure stays put quite well.

But of course, what would be the biggest draw for this thing as a kid? It's gotta be the idea that this thing could actually really glide. G.I. Joe has done this in the past, and was pretty unsuccessful at it, quite frankly. Were they any more successful this time? No, not especially. I took a few test runs (or "Product Testing" as I told my wife who looked at me funny as I stood in the backyard whipping this thing around), and for the most part the glider went a few feet before pitching, nose-diving, and smashing to the ground. I may have been throwing it too hard, but for the most part, it looked great for about 2 feet, then went pretty far south. The glider still looks pretty darn good, but really doesn't glide all that well.

With this set, you get a somewhat new version of Duke. But only somewhat. He's got his familiar Sigma Suit on, and this time is wearing his trusty blue vest. He is also sporting a new looking helmet that doesn't really match anything and of his 8" versions comes with, but makes sense for an airborne infiltration.

Duke's articulation is a mixed bag, with swivel shoulders, a hinged torso, but no swivel hips. His unique jointed torso that allows the figure to kind of look forward and raise his chest somewhat, which is a cool addition. His hands are frozen in a "handlebar grabbing" pose, but that's to be expected, I suppose. A little swivel arm would be appreciated, but I know that's not their top priority.

Overall, the figure looks all right. He's got the blue vest, he's got a good normal look. It's a fine figure, though nothing amazing.

The second figure here is a Sky B.A.T., and I'm happy to report, it's by far the best Sky B.A.T. of the line so far, being a pretty normal figure. The sculpting is pretty near-perfect, looking just like the animated (and 8") version, and it looks pretty good in the smaller scale. His articulation is decent as well, with swivel shoulders, swivel hips, a swivel waist, and a neck joint that allows the B.A.T. to look up forward. His hands are permenantly closed into fists, but overall it's a neat enough looking figure for it's size.

He does come with a metallic-looking base, but thankfully the base is removable, as is his pretty neat air assault backpack. His backpack is pretty oversized, but it is designed to spring-launch an orange rocket, so that's to be expected.

Overall, this is a decent looking 2.5" version of the familiar robot trooper, and I'm glad he's included here. Throwing his backpack on him and having him tear around through the skies fighting each other is a neat idea.

3 3/4" Compatibility

While the glider itself is plenty big enough for a 3 3/4" figure, the holder-area really isn't. It's cramped enough anyway, but the small peg that plugs into Duke's back to hold him on makes it pretty impossible to get a full sized figure in there. If you were determined enough, a few swipes of the Dremel would make for some pretty easy modification, I'm just not sure if it's really worth it in this particular case.

Overview

So, how did this set end up? It's a pretty mixed bag. While I can find some use for the larger 2.5" vehicles like the Firebat, VAMP, and Mantis Mech, the smaller sets I've checked out so far haven't impressed me quite as much. The glider itself looks okay, the figure fits in well, and it is a worthwhile piece of Sigma 6 infiltration equipment, I'm just not sure if I'll be tempted to do anything with it.

Ultimately, where Hasbro is devoting their focus, the vehicles, they are doing exceptional work. However, the figures still lack a whole lot of "fun factor" and this small glider anyway, doesn't do a whole lot for me.