So, I've been curious about the origins of the original 6 Decepticon seeker jets. I think we all know that Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Starscream were F-15 Eagles.
Thrust obviously looks to be a fantasy jet. However, Dirge and Ramjet remind me of some foreign military jets. Dirge got me to thinking of some real classic Russian military jets. So, I googled Russian military jets from the 1980's. This is what I've found.
Google Image Result for http://lh5.google.com/TolipM/RwN5WFeNpaI/AAAAAAAAAa8/3ET1jrXM5z8/s800/MiG1.44.jpg
Now, what was Ramjet based off?

 

That really does look like him. Nice research

 

Sweet!
I'd always thought that the Coneheads were supposed to be Soviet MIGs.

 

In my mind Dirge was always a Saab Viggen: http://www.wallpaperbase.com/wallpapers/military/saabviggen/saab_viggen_1.jpg
It probably just cuz Im swedish and its a swedish plane though.

 

Could be except Dirge didn't have that rudder. Can't find Ramjet though, anybody wanna look and see if they can find him?

 

one problem that jet did not exist when G1 came into being. Its quite recent in creation. Scroll down to the article. But it does look like Dirge. Russian KO?  

 

The coneheads aren't based off of any real life military aircraft. They still have the same fuselage and engine layout as the F-15 seekers. The coneheads just have made-up wing, vertical stablizer configurations. I'm sure I'll get corrected if I'm wrong, but the coneheads have no real life aircraft counterpart.

 

Oh I know that, but the designers may have seen a real life jet and gotten some ideas.

 

Were the Coneheads part of Diaclone like the Seekers?

 

Dirge didn't have that vertical stabilizer. Neither of the two jets shown could be it.

 

I don't think so. Haven't seen any Diaclone variants of them.

 

No, they weren't. Only Starscream and Thundercracker were Diaclones. Even Skywarp's color scheme was created for Transformers.

 

I remember in the "Cybertronian" toy guide books, the coneheads were said to be based on real-world concepts to convert the F-15 to a delta-wing, or a VTOL in Thrust's case, which elicit an "O RLY?" incredulous response from me.

Nothing like Dirge, but there was an experimental F-15 with canard winglets:
McDonnell Douglas F-15 STOL/MTD - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Well, my title did say I "THINK" I discovered Dirge. Sure looked like him to me at first. But more I look at it, I realized Dirge doesn't have those rudders either. But damn, that sure is awfully close to Dirge rudders or no rudders.

 

I wish I could still find the page, but I did used to have a page bookmarked with more details on these abortive variant designs, and you're right. Ramjet, Thrust and Dirge were all modelled after cancelled F-15 variants or concepts.

 

I knew the coneheads were created for the 1985 set of G1 toys but did not know that about Skywarp. That makes sense that you only see Screamer and TC as the only JetRobos from the Diaclone line.

 

I thought Thrust was just a fantasy jet.

 

I wish you could find it too, as I (probably others as well) would love to see it.

 

General Dynamics F-16XL - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Different aircraft, single engine, single tail, underslung inlet, etc.

I've had a look at quite a few unbuilt F-15 Eagle variants/proposals and have never seen anything that resembled the coneheads...