The Takara Diaclone F-15 Eagle Hi Speed Fighter (Starscream) and why it's everything I'm about.

Full gallery and article now on Square One:
Square One: Diaclone Jetrobo F-15 Hi-Speed Fighter



All the best
Maz

 

great Article Maz, I do not know how you stay sane while chasing all these obscure variants

 

Haha cheers man, I just sort of gave up actually chasing them! I chanced upon this thing available online, as I have done with the Ceji, IGA and other stuff I picked up in the last year. It's mainly reissues and 1987/88 vintage G1 that I actively search for these days  

All the best
Maz

 

Fair enough. still that pre starscream is a sweet find.

 

Holy shit ?! Do you have Ultramagnus’s head pegged into the chest piece ? It could do that ?!

 

Yep, and it was completely intended, as it became a rolling vehicle for the Diaclone pilot. The original Takara Diaclone versions of the chest wing had plastic wheels that clipped into it to make it roll.



All the best
Maz

 

I’m almost 40 years old and never even knew it had that feature .... beyond mind blown ..wow..

 

i never knew UM's trailer was designed as a launcher ramp for the seeker mold like that!!!
 
also, in your group shot, what is the uber-silver Starscream in the lower right?

 

Yep, it's a re-creation of an actual stock photo of Diaclone Powered Convoy packaging. Transformers Ultra Magnus has a similar stock photo, but using Silverbolt instead.

Plasticos IGA Starscream from Mexico (1986)



All the best
Maz

 

very cool, thanks as always @Maz ~ i remember seeing the Ultra Magnus pic now that you mention it... i don't know why, but it seemed more "mind blowing" with Starscream: maybe it's the way the groove looks designed to fit the front landing strut.

also, i didn't realize how many variations of the Wing stickers there were....

 

This is the neatest thing I have read on the internet in a long time. Thanks for posting the information and photos of your personal journey. The entire process sounded like quite an adventure and is now captured for all time.

 

That is awesome. There needs to be a Diaclone/Microchange thread showing all of the things the pre-TFs were designed to do that Hasbro forgot to tell us about.   Thanks for the history lessons, Maz.

 

The “official hidden features” thread? The newest one, not the old one that got cluttered with fan modes. Since that’s all legitimate features that Hasbro G1 Transformers could do - that carried over from the original Diaclone and Microchange figures - that were left out of the instructions, I think it’ll fit right in!

 

great article and great timing since i saw the Wal-Mart reissue on the shelf for the first time tonight. it took me back to the first time i saw the seekers in 1984, but moreso to 1985 and seeing a seeker or two on a Wal-Mart shelf while on a family trip; the best part about tonight though was my sons were with me, and after showing it to my 4-year-old he perked up and said "I want that! Can I get it?"

I said put it on your christmas list...

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p.s. I'm putting that IGA version on my dream list.

p.s.s. i need to dig out my strange F-15 knock off variant and photograph it, the lower body has some additional molding details i've never seen on any other F-15/seeker.

 

That box looks like the one they copied for the Kingdam KO from the 80's, I forgot they copied it so closely!

 

Thanks so much for the kind words!! Greatly appreciated  

That is awesome regarding your son and Starscream haha, good for you guys!

Yeah the IGA Starscream is magnificent, rarely found in that condition though, unfortunately.

I wonder if the remoulded F-15 KO you have is from FOur Star, one of the white or black or grey ones with the mad wings and missiles, and odd robot head?

Yeah for sure, Kingdam (apparently manufactured in Taiwan) totally copied the packaging style, and the figures were available in North America.

All the best
Maz

 

Not a four star seeker; it was listed as one on eBay, I thought it was a rebuild/Frankenstein when I won the auction but on arrival I sawsit's different than the white, black and grey.

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Awesome read and congrats on that beauty, Maz! How much do you know about the amazing art and artists TT used on its Diaclone and TT packaging? I've got the Legacy book, but was really disappointed that the art was all uncredited. For me, this is the stuff...

 

great toy.
great toyline.
great article.
fantastic author, writer and reviewer.

... and diaclone was, is and will always be the very best!

 

1,984% Impressive Maz, I'm glad I've displayed 2 Transformers Encore G1 Starscream sets in each different form for a glass display that I set up because I've decided not to use the stickers that they come with, etc.