ACTION MAN
Field Commander and Field Radio 1974
Period: Flocked Head
Dates: 1974 until c.1976
Cat No: 34154
Field Commander Description:
The (non-talking) Action Man Field Commander came complete with a working battery (HP7) operated field radio pack and looked similar to the Talking Commander of the previous year. The Action Man figure included was the flock haired gripping hands type. It was available as a complete set shown here, or the Field Radio Pack was available separately (with additional red, blue and yellow discs). The pack was redesigned and so there are two versions. The later molding was used for the white Astronaut Radio Pack. The flesh coloured record player unit was also used within the Mobile Operations HQ and Team Control Centre sets of 1974-77 the later of which added the Astronauts' black record disc to the set. The battery operated Action Man Field Radio, upon the press of a button on the front, broadcast one at random, of a set of eight 'simulated radio transmissions' per record side. In total there were 5 different records across the two sets.
Action Man Field Commander Sets:
34154:
ACTION MAN FIELD COMMANDER AND FIELD RADIO (boxed set with figure):
Flock haired gripping hands figure (with or without plastic dog tag), cap, jersey, trousers, muffler, pistol belt, holster with red cord, .45 Colt pistol, boots, headset with lead wire, working field radio, radio cover, green and clear discs (see below), 'Crowns and Pips' rank stickers, information leaflet, Equipment Manual.
34155 and 34156:
ACTION MAN FIELD RADIO PACK (boxed):
Working field radio with fold up aerial, sliding back cover, material radio cover, red, yellow and blue discs (see below), information leaflet, Equipment Manual.
Buy replacement Field Radio stickers here.
Notes:
The Action Man Field Commander shared a few items with the 'new' Tank Commander in 1974 - the headset, trousers, pistol belt and side-arm and boots. The woolen jersey and muffler was the same as found on the 1973 Talking Commander (of similar appearance) and the 1973 Soldier - the type that did not keep their shape very well. (later versions of the Action Man jersey were a synthetic type with a pronounced bottom elastic seam). The working field radio played plastic double sided records with eight phrases on each side. The two included in the set were clear and green. The separate Field Radio Pack (34115 - without the Action Man Commander) featured red, yellow and blue records. A battery powered a motor with an elastic band drove a turntable. The sound was amplified by a primitive stylus and sound cone. The cover on the radio is often missing, as is the fold up aerial. Many of these do not work. It is possible quite often to replace the simple elastic band, and clean up the battery contacts with some wire wool. The dial stickers can sometime be damaged with age (if they have been exposed to rain) but replacements are available. An internal slider bar in the player section underneath the battery, governs the speed of the voice using friction, and to some degree it can be sped up or slowed down. The Field Commander should have gripping hands that were already newly introduced the year earlier. We show a hard hands figure in some of the images. A separately available Team Control Centre also featured the a record player set up and 5 additional discs of green, yellow, blue red and black.
Action Man Field Radio Records - Voice Sounds
Action Man Field Commander and Field Radio Pack Sets