I've been working out the parts and layout for my Leaderclass Blitzwing, when I got to thinking that its a shame I don't have any option for an Astrotrain to go with him. Then I got to thinking about Energon Omega Supreme's train half and a joint section of Tidalwave. The problem I've always had with triplechangers was the challenge of finding two alt modes that can appear legitimate without losing out on one or the other, or the bot mode either. Astrotrain was always merely an engine of the train and a shuttle. Classics Astro has the bullet train nose halves over the wings. Here is my solution:
Connect two Omega train halves end to end. Modify the body to appear more train like. Build wings that can fold up or wrap box like over part of the body. Change out the crane arms for Unicron arms, modified to look like it belongs. Stretched out, it would be an actual train. It will be able to pivot as if it was following a curve on a track. Bring it together, bottom to bottom, unfold the wings, install his rifle between the engine halves (for filler because the engines wheels and pivot point limit how close the engines come together, and makes for a cool vehicle cannon), and you have a shuttle similar to the experimental X30? Plan to build a 2 piece attachement that would attach to the train as a series of windows for a club car, used as a veiwing area/cockpit of the shuttle, and as a shield in robot mode. Folding out the nose, arms and head and you get Astrotrain. What do you think of the idea? Should I consider making the halves able to seperate from each other? Should I consider eliminating the retro look of the engines and go with more of a bullet train appearance?
