I think the moving forearms were going to be the answer. I think you're right and if those get out of the way it looks like the legs straighten easily.

 

I actually don't mind the jet mode so much. Maybe just because I had my expectations so much lower after the abysmal TR Voyager Optimus plane mode. And like someone else mentioned, it kind of did remind me of the Mospeada jets.

I really do wish it was bigger, though. Especially since it's a pre-mold of Tidal Wave. Voyager is way way way way waaaaaaaaaaay too small. Too small even to interact with Legends class figures. But oh well. Still looks like a cool figure.

 

What's he competing with? A completely orange thing, a white repaint of that, and Galvatron with a dopey head covered by a dopier mask. Not exactly a tournament of champions.

They should've just dumped the jet mode if they couldn't figure it out. They dump features all the time for more frivolous reasons.

 

Also the Prime/Octane and Megatron/Blitzwing molds.

 

All Titans Return Voyagers are Triple Changers. No matter what.

 

I'm kind of in love with how rotten the jet mode is.  

This is the TR figure I'm looking forward to the most.

 

That one never gets old. though it's funny how its based off the prototype head and not the final design.

Looks amazing.

 

And almost all of them suffer for it (I think Astrotrain looks pretty great all around, though). As long as the robot mode and one alt mode is decent, I can live with it. But it's hard knowing that those modes could have been even better if they didn't have to make sacrifices to accommodate the usually awful third mode.

Also, I should say I am prepared to accept a weak third mode for characters that are triple-changers. It's mostly unfortunate in the pre-tools of characters who don't need a third mode, like Laser Optimus and Megatron.

 

I'm pretty sure it is the same head both times, people just thought it looked different because of the darker plastic and lighting.

 

If stickers are the future for Hasbro, I certainly hope they will be better quality than the thin, wrinkly, instantly peeling and falling off ones that come on TR Voyager Optimus.

It's all well and good to wish prices could stay the same on everything forever. But at some point, these figures are going to end up being one solid piece of plastic in one color with a transformation that only exists in your imagination, if they have to keep cutting costs and corners to maintain this price.

 

Yeah every other toy is going up in price. If TF doesn't follow suit they'll be left behind.