G.I. Joe U.S.S. Flagg Restoration: Part 2 - Restore the Flagg Hasbro 1985

Support us on PATREON: / retroblasting
RetroBlasting rebuilds the legendary G.I. Joe aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Flagg! From Hasbro in 1985, it's almost myth in the making!
#RetroBlasting #USSFlagg #toyrestoration #GIJoe

[@bobbyberetta4206]

I never really comment but I want you to know something if you ever see this. I suffer from extreme depression to the point where almost everyday I go into a very dark place. But when a RetroBlasting video pops up a Huge smile goes across my face. So in this case for an hour everything & anything that was eating at me is lifted and I'm 8 years old again. You all (including the RB Community) have helped me wake up to new day & provided hope where I thought grace wouldn't ever shine down on me. Thank You.

[@they_call_me_yeeter]

You know... I was feeling the same thing today, and couldn't put it in to words. You did an excellent job of that. Thank You!

[@SuperStation-17]

Hey man - There's plenty of people out there that are pulling for you... I hope you feel better someday soon.

[@jtonythejett1]

Holy cow! me too! When I returned from Iraq my nerves not to mention my sleep patterns have been upside down...watching star wars and other restoration video's puts me in a better place...

[@bakaluie]

As a Navy vet I laughed a little at how the painted superstructure felt a little inauthentic to you. Obviously it loses that toy look but the matte paint look everywhere is very close to how one actually looks. Especially on the inside where every bulkhead is painted to prevent corrosion.

[@bakaluie]

Timothy Ward that's very understandable, especially with his stance of repros and such.

[@redbengal2864]

My dad was a marine. Loved the military and my interest in military toys. I remember thinking if I asked for this he just might buy it for me and that scared the crap out of me because I had no idea what I’d do with a 7.5 foot toy. A rare moment of wisdom from my 11-year old self.

[@EdsRetroGeekOut]

I love how we get to see every inch of this toy through this video. Big thumbs up!

[@MarcelosToyRoom]

Ed's Retro Geek Out man isn’t this awesome bro :D

[@jasonknight8581]

After working overtime and getting done at 2 AM in the morning, I always look forward to revisiting some of your restorations when I'm done work as I have a late dinner. I appreciate all the effort you put into these videos.

[@joncaulkett5198]

The Flagg is one of the few Joe pieces I don't have & this made me realise the impractibility of this toy. I have never had the money, space, or ability to own this toy & this video has made me more content with what I have.

[@eliasripley2357]

That "toy" is so big that the interior shots look like the real thing. This is beyond a plaything : it's a legit movie 'miniature'. Some fine details and weathering, some led lighting setup,, and boom - movie quality. Even reminds me of the Nostromo. What kind of rich parents must the kids have had back in the day?!

[@marcusgreene8434]

Growing up in the 80s we somehow found a way to repair any of these classic toys

[@pauld3694]

Hi Michael, I just wanted to thank you for a comprehensive look at not just the Flagg, but at all the ins and outs of it. This past year, I bought the basic parts for a Flagg from a local comic shop, and have been slowly restoring it since. I printed up a scan of the instructions, but your videos help make more sense of them. I never thought I'd own a Flagg myself. Thanks for the videos!

[@retroblasting]

Congratulations! Take your time and enjoy the process.

[@dylanfgarrison]

Man I can’t believe I put this thing together by myself when I was around 8 years old. Still have my FLAGG stored up in the garage rafters. You may have inspired me to finally get it down and put it together again! :). Great video.

[@batangbatugan]

Watching your restoration is the closest I'll ever be to actually handling and playing with the real thing. It really deserves to be the center display piece of your GI Joe collection.

[@BenTenpenny]

I am still pondering if I should try to build my own Star Destroyer playset in that size.

[@cerethpainting6606]

BenTenpenny please do it so I can copy it!

[@Ilse446]

Do it

[@RobHawkinsHobby]

I always dreamed of having the USS Flagg, but watching you put the ship together is probably the next best thing. Thank you for covering the entire assembly process with such meticulous detail. There is so much to look at inside the bridge tower and online photos and videos rarely take the time to show it off.

[@JR-yf1ri]

Rewatching the Flagg restoration series as I purchased my first Flagg today! Going to be a restoration project but man, the labor of love is worth it! Thanks Retroblasting for the motivation!

[@figuresix]

800th like. I will own one of these some day. Found a box for this in a garage I was rebuilding many years ago. Never knew it existed until I came across that box even though as a kid I had quite a collection of Gi Joe stuff. Unfortunately I tossed the box (that was in amazing condition) in the trash, because back then no one was looking for boxes for vintage toys (20 some years ago) Kicking myself now. Great build thanks for sharing.

[@justinamerican8200]

I seem to remember the commercial for the Flagg where the kids playing in the commercial Conan'd the Skystriker onto the deck, using the arrester hook to actually stop the Skystriker. Imagine the poor kid who got to do that only a couple of times before something broke. I never had this set, but I had almost everything else from the first 3-4 series of Joes, and I always thought I was just a rough kid. But now that I remember back, none of my other toys were broken. At least not to the degree of my Joes' stuff.

[@frankvila916]

Very informative your toys reviews 👍

[@FreedomCompatriots]

You got to wonder if anyone has scanned and 3D printed these parts as replacements since originals are lost and/or broken? This would pretty much apply to any Joe parts on various vehicles. Hasbro really has lost out by not reissuing this prized playset. At least license the Joe Club to sell a reproduction at the very very least. We all know it would sell!

[@hugostiglitz5186]

A repo faintail rail sells on ebay for about $25, so yes that does occur. I once saw an original one selling there for $125.

[@brianaguiar913]

I've thought the exact same thing? I thought he was going to say he scanned and printed from the mint pieces.

[@Super-Hornet]

Yeah currently I’m making an actual 1/18 scale carrier that is about 40 feet long and I’m using a 3d printer not really re making the flag but ya know similar

[@gusbaker4u]

Just the other day I was thinking "Man, I wonder if RB is ever gonna finish restoring the Flagg?" and then comes an hour long answer! Amazing work, although part of me wants Mike to finish the restoration, and then throw it into a pool to see if it floats like a proper ship, lol.

[@theartisanrogue]

Watching you build and showcase this was the best toy related thing I've ever watched on KZbin. I only saw one of these in person this year, but it was nowhere as complete as this one. Just amazing!

[@mjolnirmayhem5701]

Holy 1 hour. Better grab some popcorn

[@WhiteysWickedWorkshop]

Thanks for the tour. Always wanted that thing...sears catalog.

[@joshualoynes7408]

Man I’ve been so busy lately I’ve missed a lot videos! Looking forward to spending my day off binge watching Retroblasting!

[@goblinoidfilms7119]

A joy to watch this series. Thanks to all involved!

[@MadTheDJ]

Ironically, it's probably less complicated for the US Navy to build a real aircraft carrier than it is to build this behemoth of play set. How many of these things were actually sold by retailers? Like, five? I remember the TV commercials and the toy catalogs with the Flagg and there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of my parents ever buying me one. Like every other kid, we made due with either the sofa or a coffee table. I can only imagine the beleaguered dads who caved and bought this then spending Christmas Day trying to put it together while their child got bored and kept asking "Is it done yet?"

[@josephwilliams617]

I remember my dad finding this at a yard sale. It must have been... 1988 or so. I'm certain that it was missing many items, and I'm also certain that I really didn't love it. It was simply just too big to really play with for a 6 year old. I do remember laying down on top of it though, so there's that.

[@RedHeadKevin]

29:50 Rather than needing a huge bucket of Simple Green, you could saturate paper towels with Simple Green, and then lay them on the plastic surface. Really mush them on there to get in the little corners. It holds the SG against the paint, and you can literally use a spray bottle to keep them damp with fresh SG.

[@frankschuler2867]

A kid down the street had one of these when I was a kid...took up a bunch of space on his bedroom floor...not sure if he even played with it. This kid had EVERYTHING (Transformers, Star Wars, He-Man, G.I. Joe and a shit-ton of toy guns). All we ever played with were the guns.

[@christopherreed8865]

Definitely one of your Top 5 best videos! Thank you for your efforts and the long walk down memory lane! Can’t wait for the actual review!

[@Sportimus]

I never had this as a kid, so this was interesting to see being put together in detail. It's a lot more fragile than I thought it was. Well done, Michael. I love your channel and what you and Melinda do. I like to restore 1980's Transformers, so I appreciate the care and research you put into all of your videos.

[@stylincarrie1]

As a vintage Star Wars toy enthusiast, I would have LOVED to have a SW playset that enormous. I had the Kenner Death Star as a 4 year old, and thought that was amazing. I could have adapted the Flagg to make it a Star Destroyer. You can park quite a few Tie-fighters on the deck. Put a hundred or so Imperial action figures aboard, cargo bay down below to fit the Millenium falcon. If I were rich I would buy a mint Falgg and cut it up and make a custom SW toy out of it...and then throw the box away...HA! Love the watch Michael. Is that a 1990 era Dick Tracy movie tie-in? Maybe a Nixon?

[@michaelcabrera794]

Can't wait for part 3 and the redone decals! One doesn't really get a sense of how awesome and grand this piece is in person, until you first lay eyes on one right in front of you. I got one in '87 from a classmate in 7th grade in which I traded him a copy of the NES game Ikari Warriors. His parents only cared about getting rid of it from their home to regain space. lol Still have it today and have restored it similarly to this review.

[@WyzGyzEntertainment]

I remember I saved and saved my allowance until I could afford to buy this for about $150 when I was a kid. I remember lying to myself numerous times till I could convince myself that this was going to be so cool in my bathtub and they it’ll float and everything. After watching this construction it’s a wonder I was able to assemble this myself on my carpeted bedroom floor

[@hoppycom888]

I have found that the best way to clean up yellowing without damaging the part is distilled water, oxiclean, and a uv light. Mix water and oxiclean (usually about 1 table spoon to a gallon) in a fish tank, place part in water and turn light on and place on top. If working with a part with multiple angles move the light or part every 6 hours. I normally only let soak no more than 24 hours. After complete rinse and dry. You can then preform any other restoration or preservation work.

[@thevintagetoykid320]

Michael, your videos are awesome! As someone from your generation, I’m certain we would have been great friends if we knew each other as children.

[@brianstevenson2249]

Kenner should have done Jabbas sail barge in this scale. It would have been epic! Great video

[@hoppycom888]

My wife was also a hairdresser and when I used peroxide to help with yellowing I would have her bring home some 30 peroxide that she would use to bleach hair. Same water and mix method and soke. I just found peroxide in any form to be harsher on the parts I was trying to restore and preserve.

[@mustang_orbit170]

Great effort. Really puts it in perspective.

[@No1.OriginalTrilogyStarWarsFan]

Ace video Mike, amazing work

[@cerethpainting6606]

Awesome video. Always wished I had this. As a child of the 80s, love the videos...all of them!

[@christhornton8219]

Can you imagine being a parent trying to put this thing together on Christmas Eve?

[@vagtav310]

Wow, this is a treasure hunt to complete this beauty!! And I thought that completing my eternia was a nightmare.. Great video!

[@grinchycrumpet]

great build up, it certainly is a monster of a toy!

[@Danelectro_56-U2]

And holy crap sourcing that must have been a nightmare! I can't imagine what collectors would ever be willing to give up some of those pieces, or even possibly have duplicates! I'll bet that was a hell of a journey! Loved the video!

[@thrasher6499]

thats sweet wished i had one growing up still cant believe its 7 ft long

[@Stereo1782]

Awesome restoration and great work! 👌🏻👍🏻

[@mikesmith2718]

a holy grail piece i was lucky enough to get complete and unbroken and in good condition for a decent price but it took patience to find the right one but it was my major purchase of 2017 and im glad to see you add this to your massive collection

[@jonhufford6980]

80's big

[@barryallenporter8127]

Well, thanks for posting this. I am cured of ever wanting to own one of these tumors.

[@sXeblues]

This is amazing and insane, all at the same time... I've never seen a step-by-step breakdown of the process of putting together a USS Flagg, let alone considered the time, money and patience that would have to be involved to restore such a superstructure toy/playset, as this is. My eyebrows were continually making a mad dash for my hairline, watching this video!

[@retroblasting]

+sXeblues thanks man!

[@sXeblues]

RetroBlasting You're welcome! :)

[@neiltemple123]

That was an EPIC video Michael! I never had the Flagg when I was a kid so this video fascinated me. I consider G.I.Joe ARAH to be the greatest toy line of the 20th century (best cartoon/comic book tie in too).

[@soterioncoil2163]

I always wanted a U.S.S. Flagg so I watched this outta curiosity.

[@gxbouncer1]

Raised hull Looks really good !!!!

[@zevadprime]

Great Job!

[@smokermegadrive]

So one of the hugest toy ever made was hold with plastic tab instead of screws? What they where thinking at hasbro? D:

[@franzdaleabarquez49]

It was done that way probably because of its play feature of being able to float in water like an actual ship

[@joshualoynes7408]

Franz Dale Abarquez huh? I wasn’t aware that the Flag could float? I don’t even see how that is possible

[@marvelfan8889]

Nice job mike love how you made that custom hull for the ship

[@myroadtours6147]

I came within an inch of buying the Flagg a few years ago. The price was right and the drive to get it wasn't that bad. Anyhow, the owner and I kept having conflicting schedules, to the point that I finally gave up on it. I did happen to picked up a good set of trestles and complete deck set in anticipation for restoring it. Who knows, maybe one of these days.

[@Danelectro_56-U2]

That. Was. Awesome!

[@lightwriterphotographyanda6310]

Great idea for replacing the tabs.

[@anthonykarklus7683]

Oof... hasbro engineering at its finest! Awesome video! You have waaaaay more patience than I do

[@stefanschanzenbacher9513]

What was Hasbro thinking? -> MOney, MOney, MOney....... Heyyy, a Standup-Cardboard of Carrie Fisher. I love that and its strange @ the same time :)

[@easterbrooks7480]

Impressive.....Most impressive

[@derektorres6260]

I think the Flagg looks 10 times better with your superstructure, it looks awesome and provides more storage or play area.

[@patbortz4677]

Great video. Now we need one for the Flagg's proper deconstruction for storage or shipping.

[@trailersic]

You are a cruel cruel person

[@HryHoudini52]

I have two Flaggs on display in my GI Joe room and I never put the deck clips in. The decking sits fine without them so no real reason to use them. Also if you ever need to disassemble, then you don't have to worry about breaking and stressing the clips by removing and replacing them. I do have a full set of clips for each Flagg in a baggie that I keep for completeness, of course. Same goes for the two Y pins that holds the tower on.

[@jeromyfisher297]

I have two words for you, vacuum bag. You can Simple Green anything as long as it fits in the vacuum back then you use a Shop-Vac to suck out the rest of the air I was able to do an entire AT-AT minus the electronics with about 64 oz. you can definitely do the superstructure with it just work the bag around the part as it is sucking out the the air to bring the simple Green to the top.

[@barrygordon5148]

Doing a great job.

[@retroblasting]

thanks, Barry

[@DarrensToychannel]

Most impressive Great video guys

[@Geek_Chorus]

New RetroBlasting vid? YES! Flagg pt2? YES YES!! Over 1 hour long? YES YES YESSSS! Dick Tracy watch for the win!!!

[@jmsberetta]

Cool video

[@horrorfan1455]

Hey retroblasting huge fan love your videos

[@professorseventy-five1148]

The Captain looks like Burt Reynolds!

[@_Only_Zuul]

it almost looks like a cool playset for star wars figures like a death star or star destroyer...

[@kingerikthegreatest.ofall.7860]

Very informative

[@Glitch969]

Light use of a heat gun will eliminate those white stress marks in seconds.

[@TheGreatSteve]

"No disassemble".

[@toddsperling2047]

Just Imagine if Kenner did something like this with Star Wars.

[@riderbuzz2606]

yeah the video is back!,keep it up i cannot wait for your next videos

[@JohnKelly-rz4qi]

Great job on the video!!! Your dedication to the channel and fellow collectors/restorers is obvious! I cant imagine the days it took you to put this video together. Also, Based on a couple of your comments in this video, I get the feeling there is a custom Cobra version of the Flagg coming soon utilizing repaired parts.

[@commandonigward573]

I knew a kid who had it was his dad's it was a magnificent sight because he got a bunch of vehicles and figures from 2000s mostly I rarely saw any figures from the 80s or 90s on his but overall it was magnificent sight especially how his Dad did it his dad was able to customize thing so he made battle-worn look on it and made it look like a an aerial vehicle crashed on it he even had a look of fire burns on it if only I had a picture of it

[@commandonigward573]

I just learned that the ladder on the flag I saw it on eBay being sold with the ladder that goes with the X-Wing but it comes with the exclusive Luke Skywalker figure where he is climbing up the ladder to with X-Wing which you can attach for only $12

[@helbent4]

The wonder is not that it was done well, the wonder is it was done at all!

[@trailersic]

This looks like one of the most stressfull toy experiences this side of Black Zarak

[@chrisdelarber8342]

Instead of useing y pegs use Light Bright pegs they hold well and gives it a good light style look.

[@kevinratello9808]

I have a complete G.I.Joe USS Flagg myself was really thinking about finding a way to really getting this Aircraft carrier to float on water just for kicks lol.

[@drfaireborn1582]

GI Joeburg has a channel on here. He hinted at trying to float it on large pieces of styrofoam.

[@StephenBiggsAdams]

I remember seeing this on a semi-recent episode of Comic Book men. Seemed like a pain to have some dude come by the shop and set it up for them, and I don't think they even bought it!

[@jakfuki]

Mine is intact, but I have to either use Salon 40 to fade out the yellow, or paint it. It will be a major pain to restore the big sections.

[@jedi69outcast]

Lol , I'm a Traitor but I always wanted a Starblazers Yamato in this scale. What a Playset that would be

[@jomama900]

Published on my B-day last year!

[@JomasterTheSecond]

Part Two of 7500.

[@Badgers0710]

You keep warning about not wanting to stress or break anything, yet this toy looks like it'll do both of those things to you when you try to restore it.

[@DareDevilDave75]

Somebody was a little cross-eyed when they put the 99 on the superstructure lol. Sorry, had to say it

[@shermaneagles5903]

Man this is such a great video. I'm grinding my teeth watching you put this thing together hoping nothing breaks on you. Also as much as I think this is a cool toy I'm not sure if I really want to own one.

[@lamondjack4349]

LOL

[@MarcelosToyRoom]

This is called “sonho de consumo” where I come from :D :D how beautiful :D

[@waynedaly100]

wow thats a big toy

[@The1queencollector]

excellent work, you could add some cheap led string lights to it with no actual modification if you so wish, can you imagine a Kenner Death Star on this scale. All those people watching this thinking their Flagg is complete only to realise there is a bit missing.

[@f2binary]

Man i really hate it how bad then toys had a lot of love and effort put into them and were very impressive nowadays we get cheap very small stuff that were over price

[@f2binary]

*back*

[@LegendofTheCosmic7]

I need some truss pieces!!!

[@michaelcabrera794]

I'm wondering if RB is going to use replacement stickers from ToyHax or Rattler Repros, or possibly make their own. Can't wait to see Part 3!

[@WyzGyzEntertainment]

14:45 I don’t know what that piece is for either but I assume it’s to kind of generically maintained the placement of the two rear jutting pieces and prevented the rear pieces from splaying away from each other.

[@TheQuadrum]

A USS Flagg built to actual scale for a 3-3/4" figure would be about 40 feet long, 9 feet wide and and 7 feet tall.