It's funny because if they used the actual F4 Phantom model, they wouldn't need the use of faux parts because of the proportions.
Probably due license restrictions.

 

What it needs is to be better, which no size increase can fix

 

true, I don't know that there was ever an "official" concept art of cybertronian Soundwave's robot mode

 

Actually, it is. In order to have the correct three-piece window for his “collar” it had to be a fake piece, because the alt mode had to change the cockpit for licensing reasons. (The actual jet mode cockpit is right below it, though, similar to Classics/ER Starscream) The intakes are faked for the same reason. The majority of the canopy is still in the chest just where it should be.

Also as an aside, the actual Blitzwing CGI model fakes it, too. The cockpit on the chest is roughly half the size it should be, but rather than just be split in half the entire canopy is squished to about 1/2 the size, making the bottom window (the window behind the three-piece one) about as wide as it is tall, whereas the actual jet’s dimensions for that piece are closer to 1x2. The bottom edge is also inaccurate, being rather curved instead of cut straight where it would join the window on his collar. I thought it may be that the cockpit somehow flips over during transformation, but comparing the CGI model to the real jet shows that’s not accurate either. The whole shebang is noticeably “mass-shifted” to fit onto his chest whilst still getting that nice seeker shape. (Bumblebee does the same with his fenders where the headlights become flat against the yellow pieces, rather than set into them and angled to point forward as they are in alt mode) Blitzwing also mass-shifts the intakes as well, but to a much smaller degree, basically just rounding them ever so slightly to look more pectoral and removing small details that are present in alt mode. (But those could simply be folded away given the complexity of movie TFs) Also the actual F-4 Phantom has totally different landing gear to what Blitzwing has, namely that the rear landing gear are one large tire each and the forward are two small tires on a single strut, none of which are even remotely close to those seen on Blitzwing feet.

So, yeah, partly faking it was about the only feasible option besides an entire dummy cockpit altogether. I’d personally rather they have some of the cockpit be real than none at all.

 

I'm of the opinion that small bot mode details should have been sacrificed if it meant we could get a better transformation and a closer alt mode. If the 3 piece collar window is a licensed part of the f4 design, then take out the splitting frames. Still looks mostly accurate in bot mode, and allows that design to be used as part of the cockpit in alt mode. If those intakes are licensed parts of the f4 design, square them off or something and let them be rectangles. That lets them stay evocative of the f4 design and lets the bot mode use the real alt mode kibble. Flatten out the main wings but keep the f4 silhouette. Flatten out the rear stabilizers but keep the size and overall shape. There are plenty of ways they could have wiggled their way around the design and get a decent alt, decent bot mode, and not have to worry about the license. Harrier Shatter and her deluxe figure is the best example that I can think of. That jet still evokes a harrier, even if it's tweaked just enough to avoid licenses issues. They didn't even try with this alt mode. They just decided to avoid licensing by pulling a random jet out of their asses and the result didn't even have the fortune to look like a half decent real jet at all

 

But then people, namely myself, would be complaining about an inaccurate robot mode. The fact that they were able to put F-4 details on the robot modes means they could have, and I would’ve been more upset if both modes were compromised. The F-4 details of the chest make up a distinctive part of Blitzwing’s design, and I’m really damn happy they were able to keep those despite everything else. We also don’t know how close they can actually get with the jet mode. Maybe it wasn’t a case of “trying” but of having to be this different legally.

I also don’t agree the jet doesn’t look close enough to a real life jet, it just doesn’t look anything like the Phantom. The only weird part is the V-tailfin, but you can actually fold those together to make a more coherent jet.

 

The proportions are way off. If that beast were a real aircraft, it would have a very difficult time flying or at least be very inefficient. The main wings are too big (wings that large are generally a bad thing on an aircraft as fast as a fighter jet), that odd angle change along the front edge of them (apart from just being ugly to look at) would do nothing but add weight and drag to the aircraft which are the two things on an aircraft that need to be reduced as much as possible. The vertical tail fins sit far too close together (having them sit further apart at the base like they do on a real jet adds a lot of stability when maneuvering through the air), they're too small (especially if you fold them together and pretend it's one tail fin like you suggest, because a single vertical stabilizer needs to be larger than double stabilizers do). The horizontal stabilizer fins are also much too small. And the entire jet is too short behind the main wings. The whole section behind the back edge of the main wings need to be extended at least double what it is now to get it close to real world proportions

I may be at a personal disadvantage here considering I'm a big aircraft nerd, but I was really hoping for a slick f4 phantom, or at least a jet that resembles something that would make sense in the realistic world setting that this character is supposed to exist in

 

You're absolutely right. For it even look like it could take off the ground, the stabilizers both horizontal and vertical need be substantially bigger. Since clearly an F-4 semblance wasn't gone for, I much would've rather they ditched the puny horizontal stabs and just made a bigger vertical stabilizer down the middle like a Euro delta. Underside kibble aside, it just doesn't look like an aircraft that could even realistically fly.

It looks like the designers just started with the vertical profile/paneling of a 1/72 F-16, cut off the body where the flaps meet the wings and glued the rear end of a Combiner Wars Sky Dive/Air Raid to the back of it. The only F-4 parts to even make it to robot mode are the intakes and possibly, possibly windscreen but that type is generic for 50's-early 70's fighters.

Should've copied Aerialbots G1 Fireflight's F-4 semblance/silhouette which is far removed from a real F-4.

 

I disagree.

 

Not fake, in the lower abs part he has the same hinge that is in the final part of cockpit

 

Even though the alt mode looks nothing like an F-4 Phantom, I'm more than happy by the fact that Blitzwing finally gets a Studio Series figure.

 

Now that we know there is no Ravage included with Soundwave, how do you propose Ravage should be included in Studio Series?

 

We don't know. He just wasn't shown off. The listing says two accessories, they probably are still working on designing him. Sky Lynx's listings mentioned coming with a Micromaster Astroscope yet he wasn't shown either

 

Where was it said?

 

One of the online retail listings, describing what was included with the purchase.

 

So one accessory is the Stand. Not missing anything, am I?

 

No more than the rest of us. One stand and probably one Ravage that needed another pass at the design stage before they could present him. It isn't like the panel showed everything off anyway: there was no mention of Arcee, Megatron, or Smokescreen during the Earthrise part

 

We will just have to wait then.

 

Maybe he could be included with a Leader Fallen? They didn’t share any scenes together in ROTF, though it can be sort of justified with them both being present during the desert battle. Sort of like Wheelie and Brains being included with Leader Shockwave.

 

Maybe they'll make a deluxe Ravage with a mini Scalpel?