Big fella.

 

I can't wait for mine to come in, I'd like to see how its jet and tank look against other legend figures. Particularly the jet mode against various legend seekers (unless someone beats me to it)

 

Got mine in today. Blitzwing was always my favorite triple changer, so I had to buy him, even though he's big, even for the other MFTs.

The final verdict with him in hand is: he's a decent g1 representation, does what it says on the tin. I like having him. Paint apps are nice, good amount of detail. But I have lots of quibbles.

His legs and thighs are too skinny. I cannot look at the grey thighs and crotch piece and not think he has naked legs and is wearing a too-short toga that barely covers his nards. I almost would remove that flap completely if you didn't need it in jet mode, it makes that illusion less annoying.. possibly, the grey should have been purple, even though g1 toy says otherwise, to at least make it look like he has pants on.

Tank mode is better than jet, but that said, it's way to wide, so it looks disproportioned.. photos with distorting lenses make this seem less so, but in hand it's too squat and boxy, even for a tank. And in jet mode, sure it has a cockpit and wings, but again, it's squat, and the lack of any aerodynamic curves anywhere feel like someone's ticked the boxes but forgot the soul.

So. I think I overlook Octane's deficiencies because I never cared much for the guy, but Blitzwing I have a harder time looking past. So he's cool to fill in the hole. I do like him. But if MS or NA promise to pop one out, I'll be crossing my fingers it'll be a good 'un and say heave-ho. (The mini84 one looks neat, if it can get some color or if I can paint it, I dunno. I love what they're doing to the alts, that this one messed up.)

 

hey great review of the bot and i feel the same way you do about the limbs and other things with blitz.

 

The more I see that neck the more I know I'll need to find a way to shorten it. Maybe I can print a new part with a shorter peg.

Or maybe I can hollow out the top of the head more so the peg goes farther in.

 

As far as I can tell there's no reason the neck needs to be that thin, other than possibly for head mobility. It's only attached to a little flap, I'm sure you can replace it. I just tilt his chin down, problem solved.

 

Has their ever been a G1 Blitzwing which is a tripplechanger that transforms into a Mig-25 that in real life could fly? I'm not an aerospace engineer but I don't think his cartoon plane model would be able to fly.





I personaly don't mind his alt mode looks like this, it's close to cartoon accurate.

If they do a Blitzwing which transforms into an accurate Japanese Type-74 assault tank and Soviet MiG-25 fighter jet in legend scale, I might get it but it won't be part of my main display, it will be a standalone figure or if they also give the other two Decepticon triple changer the same treatment a seperate display.

 

I don't think that's anyone's argument, personally, it doesn't need to look like a Mig.. G1 jet is fine, it just needs a few rounded edges, some non-square planes that *suggest* an airplane beyond sticking wings and a nose cone on it. My arguments are largely the same ones people argue about MS and NA products, really. Some people like MS's Shockwave because he's beefy and stout and *square*... others, like myself, are just in awe of the sexy, sexy ipod-like lines of NewAge's version, the curved, slightly rounded edges of his legs and torso, and hold them up to the light so the reflections play and roll across it. That's what I want, next level design, you can call it. There's function, and then there's form.

Anyway, it's all good. I still bought this guy, still happy I did.

 

BAH. Saw mine was at my local DC this morning so waited in til 2pm before heading out for shopping. Get back to a "we missed you" note   No Blitzwing til Monday I guess.

 

Mine arrived today - I'm not a huge fan of the character but wanted a more G1 version for my Legends shelf (goodbye IF version).


Elita has her hands full, but Jazz is on the way  

 

Funny enough, if you extend the legs in jet mode you get a longer fuselage that feels less like a star fighter and more like a modern jet. You’d need a plate on top to cover the gap, and add some rear rudder fins of course. But it makes him more sleek.

 

Interesting. You've got the tank parts sticking out underneath as well. I wonder how hard it'd be to mod him. I doubt it'd be possible to make a top flap that can fold away somewhere but maybe it could partsform and cover his tank turret in bot mode or something.

... um, just so we're clear, this is idle speculation. I have no intention of taking this guy on as a modding project. I've got far too many half finished projects as it is.

 

Love this guy! Looks great next to his triple changer bros. $40 from terrytf arrived in 11 days to Nyc and every order I've gotten from them so far comes with a free sheet of decals. The way they handled the shoulder covers is excellent! Slightly exposed neck not that big a deal imo, wouldve liked swivel hands and bit chunkier thighs, but those minor gripes get a pass on this really fun figure jumping straight out the cartoon!

My light table shot


Looks like I need some more space in my Decep headquarters display!

 

I got my copy today and I'm pretty happy with it. Looks good and transformation is pretty involved but not too hard to figure out. He feels a lot more solid than Octane, which is a relief. He looks good with his triple changing brothers.

 

Got mine today! Awesome figure, very happy with him. Only downsides for me are the once again lack of wrist swivel (I get it though this time, not a lot of plastic there what with the transformation) and the head balljoint seems a tad loose. Isn't actually an issue, Isn't actually loose, just seems it. Bit weird.


Otherwise I love him. Transformation was fun and easy, looks sharp in all three modes. That's three for three for MFT triplechangers in my book.

Just the wait for MS Devy and the eventual Bruticus to go!

 

you really should show more of your setup. it is pretty sweet and some of the new kids here may not have seen utopia and clear windblade in all their glory.

 

Got mine today, pretty happy so far except for the ball joints on the waist. The upper leg / thighs are designed in a way that prevents them from using 2 axis at the same time while articulating around the leg ball joints.

To simplify: You can spread out a leg or move a leg up and down, but not at the same time. Doing so will create stress in the ball joints or even breaking them with a simple twist, and it's REALLY EASY to do so.

I slightly moved one of the legs for transformation and the stress mark it left is pretty noticable in the waist part.


First time you open the figure and see the ball joints you would think that they should work as one, heck even the sculpt around the ball sockets seems to create enough space for clearance, but they do not.

It's a design problem so big and so easily fixable during the planning that I wonder if proportions or budget didn't allow for a more elegant solution, but I cannot believe that no one saw this during production or previews.


So yeah, everything else is solid and a steal for $40, but it's a serious problem with the mold and hopefully not too many people will break it.

 

MFT/MS seem to have collision issues that should have been fixed in design. For instance, the waist skirt on Octane inhibits the legs from coming all the way to a sitting position.

 

Maybe you can show some photos just for precautions for others.