For context within the comic, Jetfire was the citadel of the USS Maine during 1898 near Cuba, his transformation from which causing the ship to subsequently sink and aided in leading to the Spanish-American War, which was a full 5 years before even the Wright Brothers' first flight with the Wright Flyer. He seemed to keep this alternate form until our next visual of him in 1913, which was still at least a year before WWI. The next time we even see Jetfire take an alternate form within the comic is a P-38 Lightning in 1944 (keeping him in theme with the Lockheed company, nice touch there comic writer.) Mind you, when discussing scale, the P-38 (~38 ft) is almost 3 times smaller than the SR-71 (~107 ft.) And let's keep in mind, scale be damned in the Movieverse with some of the Decepticons especially. Some are smaller than they should be, some are much larger. Mass-shifting has always been a thing within the franchise, anyways.

Also, on your whole Seeker point, the movie itself showed old photographs of Seekers that weren't just planes. There was a Ford Model T, a Hudson Locomotive, and an old truck. So, 'Seeker' in this case is more of a title given to their role rather than specifically harkening to an all-aerial team.

Most likely, Toyworld wanted to pay homage to Jetfire's appearance as the USS Maine, but knew nobody would want to buy a shellformer that 'explodes' from the ship it's a part of. That'd honestly be pretty cheap for a transformation, and they didn't want to do that. Considering their theming of WWI/WWII, they went with the next best thing: a dreadnaught/battleship that one could say appeared in both wars, depending on the source material/vessel. Way more potential for people wanting to buy it and equal potential for a repaint/remold into a different character if they so choose.

Not to mention, that doesn't mean this will be the only Jetfire Toyworld will ever produce. If this figure sells well, they might remold it into Tidalwave or Broadside, or just as likely give us Jetfire in his P-38 form.

Additionally, if you don't like it being called Jetfire? Then just don't call it Jetfire! Call the figure by its 'official' name, Skyburst. That name is more fitting, sounding like it harkens to a battleship's ability to fill the air with flak against enemy aircraft.

 

Yeah, except for the fact that the Ford Model T in RotF is also a seeker, confirming that the Seeker group that Jetfire is a part of isn't relegated to air vehicles.

 

It looks nice but i dont see a lot of utility in a boat transformer in the bay verse

 

Was that the case in ROTF ?

 

Maybe guarding Megatron's body?

 

A p-38 Id be down for as long

Where is this Ford Model T in ROTF and where is he referred to as a seeker ? Youtube link and time would be Prime...

 

Starting at about 4:55

 

Tell that to IDW and the numerous toylines supported by comics, and the numerous comic characters that have made it into the toyline.

Also, this is a 3P figure. Nothing mainstream about that.

The story took place before WW1 and before planes were even invented.

He chose a ship because there were very few big metal things he could otherwise be that weren't on rails.

"Seeker" has nothing to do with alt mode, it's their function. They seek things out, specifically systems to be drained of solar energy. One Seeker was a Model T, so even in ROTF there's no precedent for all Seekers being planes.

You seem to have confused the Transformers definition of Seeker with the literal word.

 

I am that ship expert. It's definitely Warspite with a second funnel.
(original post on the subject - TOYWORLD TW-FS05 Sky Burst (WWI Battleship Jetfire) )

Also, TW or whoever posted the original pics eventually said it was Warspite in one of the follow-up posts.

 

pretty sure they do that with some of the other comics to like the dark of the moon one it had optimus going to shipping containers with the corpses of dead autobots and with skids and mudflap in it

 

Are there any pics of the colored test shot on Prime?

 

It's at the end of this clip

Shows a blackbird, model t, b-24 liberator
and a f-104 as seekers (as in energon seekers, not the same definition used by other continuities)

Others have mentioned a hudson locomotive and an old truck as seekers as well, but aside from the pics on the wiki, can't see them in any clips

Ransack (biplane, also got a scout toy) is also said to be a seeker

 

Thank you sir, I appreciate the clarification.

 

They likely chose to make him the whole ship because, unless they planned to sell other figures to make up the other parts of the boat, no one would by a figure that turned into half a boat.

 

To be fair not all of the comics are canon, for example the Bumblebee prequel comic is completely at odds with the film (for those who haven't read it, in the film Bumblebee is shown arriving on earth in the 80s, the comic shows Bumblebee in a James Bond esque spy adventure in (if memory serves) the 60s)

On the Seeker comment, ROTF doesn't use seeker in the traditional Transformers Standard (in which seekers are obviously repaits/retools of Starscream, which normal Jetfire isn't), rather, according to the Transformers Wiki "The Seekers were among the first Transformers, characterized by their ability to traverse space. They were tasked with finding stars by the Dynasty of Primes to feed the AllSpark." Of note the article also cites photos of, not just the Ford Model T mentioned above, but a Hudson steam locomotive and a 1950s truck. See here.

Furthermore, according to the wiki's article the time movieverse Jetfire took on his boat form (chronicled in the first issue of the Sector 7 comic book released in the DOTM era, from which the pictures in earlier posts were sourced), the incident in question occured in 1898, 5 years before the Wright brothers first powered flight, so there were literally no jets he could've used as a vehicle mode at the time. (Of interesting note the wiki claims that, due to his crew misinterpreting the destruction of their vessel caused by Jetfire separating himself form it as the result of a spanish attack , Jetfire unwittingly caused the Spanish-American war.)

 

11 years later and I never caught that. To be fair, it doesnt link. movie ROTF Jetfire to the comic ROTF Jetfire portraying him as a boat. But it does confirm Bayverse changed the context of the term "seeker" in his continuity.

 

While you are all arguing about ships and planes, a friend of mine saw that and shouted "Since when Jetfire transforms to the Titanic.....?"

I want to believe he didnt see the gun batteries....I really want to....

 

One of those friends huh?

 

Hm?

 

While I’m actually glad they made him the entire battleship (and prefer it) I’m pretty sure I would’ve bought the citadel only version too, unless they handled the rest of the ship poorly or something. Random thought but I think that would be cool to have as a legends figure