the Skystorm X-wing Chopper

After the failure of Operation Eagle Claw in 1980, the U.S. government expressed an interest in the creation of more versatile and powerful helicopters. One such concept involved the creation of practical helicopters that could convert in mid-air into a fast flight mode.

While the military ultimately went with the tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey design, it tried out several other aeronautic concepts as well, including a stop-rotor aircraft. This vehicle would take off and land like a helicopter, but its blades would stop rotation in flight.

These blades would serve as lift surfaces in an 'x-wing' formation while jet turbines powered it in its aircraft mode. The prototype for this vehicle, the Skystorm X-wing Chopper, didn't go into production, but was nonetheless used by the Gi Joe team. It has these characteristics:

C       S       B       P
Ex 20   Am 50   Ex 20   Gd 10

Body Armor: the Skystorm is outfitted with a flex-armor plated fuselage bottom, a blast-proof canopy, honeycomb graphite composite rotor housings, and a titanium alloy rotor head, all of which offers it (and its occupant) Good (10) Protection from physical attacks.

Communications Array: the Skystorm is equipped with a gigahertz frequency, frequency wobbler clandestine operations radio system. This makes for Good (10) communications power (with a 2,500 mile range) that has Remarkable (30) ranked signal encryption.

Flight / Levitation: the Skystorm can take off and land vertically, moving only up or down when necessary (effectively 0 m.p.h.). However, in its stopped-rotor mode, the Skystorm can move at up to Amazing (50) speeds (approximately 345 miles per hour).

Imposer 9mm Cannons: these twinned cannons on the front of the Skystorm can be fired to deadly effect. Used together, they inflict Remarkable (30) Shooting damage in a short burst, raised to Incredible (40) Shooting damage in a fully automatic hail of lead.

Radome: this 'early warning' system is mounted on top of the Skystorm's x-wing rotors. It absorbs and processes incoming radar pulses, allowing the Skystorm's pilot to know when people are looking for him (and to track them by their own signals). It works with Remarkable (30) ability.

Trimmed Sparrow Missiles: these four projectiles are air to air missiles - in other words, they're meant for dogfighting with other aircraft. They inflict the listed damage when used singly, adding a +1 CS for every doubling of projectiles that hits their target:

C       S       B       Damage
Ex 20   Sh X    Ex 20   Rm 30 Edged Attack (fragmentary)

X-Cross Bombs: alternately, these two projectiles are meant as air to ground 'missiles', which are designed with anti-tank purposes in mind. They are just explosives, having no active thrust or targeting system, and inflict Incredible (40) Edged Attack (fragmentary) damage each.