Gear

This Toy Hacker Created a Modified G.I. Joe Rattler That Actually Flies

Instead of tweaking the original Rattler, Adam Woodworth transformed an RC plane with an identical frame.

YouTube

Just when you think G.I. Joe toys couldn’t get any cooler, someone goes out and makes Cobra’s Rattler fly. YouTuber Adam Woodworth, who is known for creating hacked versions of toy cars and planes, created the badass new version of the Rattler, and as you can see in the video, the plane doesn’t just spend a few seconds in the air and then crash. No, it soars in the sky and legitimately looks like it’s ready to head into battle against an army of real American heros.

Die-hard G.I. Joe fans might be wondering how Woodworth managed to make a toy plane with no built-in engines fly. Easy, it isn’t technically an official Rattler at all. In the video description, he explains that the plane is a slightly modified RC version of an off-the-shelf A-10 Warthog, known in the military as a Tank Killer. Woodworth noticed that the two planes had a similar frame when he bought a reissued version of the Rattler (which is also A-10) and knew it would be easy to transform the Warthog into a perfect replica of Cobra’s famous fighter.

The biggest change Woodworth made was moving the two engines from the tail of the plane to the top of each wing. He also added a third engine to match the look of the Rattler and to give the plane some extra power in the air. With a bit of blue paint, light foam surgery, and some sanding, the Warthog looked exactly like the popular G.I. Joe toy plane.