Not really you still can get over a 90 degree bend with it plus this is is the official arm configuration for both takaras shuttler and blastoff and this way the arms look normal in limb mode and just don't hang off.

 

The one thing I am still having an issue with is that the empty side of the arms is facing up in vehicle mode this way, while the attractive, painted side ends up unused. It works, but I wish they just hadn't bothered sculpting fingers and a thumb on the hand, it'd be easier to just leave them swapped in the Unite Warriors Blast Off's arm layout instead.

 

There are a number of things I dislike in this picture.

• Swindel's top should be down, it thing it looks better to cover the hands.
• Vortex's arms block Bruticus' elbow joints
• none of the HFGs match.

But that's just my opinion.

 

I just know the panel that the head is on will just fall off from any movement of the combiner joint or the panel itself

 

I believe in person the hands match in color at least, but yeah, the color coded feet and Swindle with his top up are "toon accurate" but don't translate so well into reality.

The Vortex thing is a design flaw in the combiner helicopter design, it's a problem in arm mode for all of them going back to Alpha Bravo, and it's always bothered me, too.

 

What is the head popping issue? I keep hearing about that, but not sure what it means exactly. I have the UW Blast Off and his head is pretty stable. If you really mess with it, it will pop up (still connected to a joint/panel) but generally I don't have any issues with it. The new Prime Wars Blast off I just got does seem more wobbly, though- his head flips up very easily with any touch.

 

My Prime Wars BO's head is fine, and so are Shuttler's and UW Strafe's... UW BO's head will fall off if I look at it.

 

A lot of people had Blast-Offs with a head connection so weak his head would just fall off at the slightest touch.

Odd thing - I have one with that problem. I took it out of storage after a few years to replace Blast-Offs, and the UW has a much stronger head connection now, for some reason. No more head popping.

 

The issue i am having i cannot get this to stay attached. Its a non-issue in robot mode and can be ignored in limb and vehicle mode but if you touch that panel it easily falls off

 

Well my Blast-Off was delivered, too bad I'm at work for 2.5 more hours.

 

Ahh, I see. Thanks! Yeah, my UW Blast Off is fine, the Prime Wars one is more "touchy".
Nice that your problem self-corrected though, cool.

 

Just got home and got mine open. He can in a bubble envelope, no brown shipper. The box is in ok-ish shape. I'll take some pictures tomorrow and if anyone wants it they can have it.

Initial thoughts, he's not bad seems a bit wonky in some places. I don't like the silver HFG, makes it seem like he should be part of Optimus Maximus. I might do a short video tomorrow too.

 

Hoping beyond hope that they give us a G2 repaint of this thing, am I asking too much?

 

You might be, but that would be cool to have. You know what else is cool to have.

 

"Did you really think you could replace me Jetwash? You're no Combaticon..."

CHOOM

 

Oh, that's not good. That panel is a little loose on mine but it doesn't come off, I just shook the figure by its head and no dice. If you can't see an obvious reason - flash on the joint pins or the slot those go into - then I'd recommend rushing to get a replacement.

 

I don't care for how the backpack pushes the combiner peg out.

 

Your welcome Canada....lol

 

The painted part of the arms isn't meant to be seen in the shuttle mode. It's to replicate the cockpit canopy from the original toy's arms.

 

It's not as noticeable in arm mode (which most people will do because that's what he was on Bruticus in G1) but the moment you try to use him as a leg you realize something is up because his arms and wings can't lay flat against his body when folded up using the joints as they are. And *that* gets annoying in a hurry.