Top 5 Best Helicopter Transformers Toys
I am going by the best molds. Simple title, simple list, let's get to it.
5. Transformers G1 1985 Whirl
This was a tough call between Generations Springer (30th) and G1 Whirl but deep down, this is a helicopter list and Whirl has one of the best helicopters ever put out there. Probably second best to the number one on this list. He is a gorgeous and well thought out toy. You couldn't tell that he turns into a robot from looking at the helicopter since everything seems to serve only that mode. That turns out to mostly be true since aside from his head and claws, the entire robot is made from repurposed helicopter parts. That works so well for him though, since it gives him a very sleek form with minimal extraneous kibble. You get this tall mean lean killing machine of a robot which clashes so interestingly with the choice of having this toy repurposed as an Autobot rather than a Decepticon. Of course, him being from the 80s means that he is the toy with the least amount of articulation on this list but his perfect look in both modes gives him more than enough cred to stand alongside any of his brethren below.
4. Transformers Animated Megatron
What is amazing about this toy is also what is great about the animated line as a whole: they actually found a way to recreate the angular show designs into toys. Remember, the designs were made for the cartoon first and the toys second (that didn’t happen before) so it is a real feat for the designers to have reverse engineered those designs into toys that look like the show models. Megatron himself does this pretty brilliantly by also boasting a very simple transformation. It’s interesting how his legs and feet are there naked in vehicle mode but they blend in perfectly as part of the helicopter. The rotors become the swords and while the arm canon can be considered part forming, it is very effective at both concealing the robot parts in alt mode and conveying a G1 look in robot mode.
3. Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Blades/ Alpha Bravo/ Vortex
This mold surprised me. I was worried it would be too simple but it works pretty well. This is by far the most streamlined and sleek helicopter we have ever gotten. There is no undercarriage and it is very simple in design which is refreshing compared to all the attack helicopters we see. This is mainly because the arms are outside the helicopter body, not contributing to added bulk. While this could have been done terribly, the guns mask the arms perfectly to the point that they are fully disguised and don't look out of place (as arms, but the jury is still out on a rescue helicopter having guns). The robot mode is neat, and this mold also becomes an arm and a leg (and costs far from that). I like it better as a leg personally but what matters is that this sleek helicopter mold is the most versatile one around.
2. Transformers Cybertron Evac (Live Convoy)
Like all Cybertron toys, Evac is a nice solid and fun toy. His design is very unique due to his large feet made of the lower half of the rescue helicopter as well as his asymmetrical arms. His headsculpt is great with a central crest to go with the theme of him being a Convoy (a Prime) in the Japanese cartoon. The helicopter mode itself is lots of fun with several points of interactivity:
-His rotor blades spin when pushing a button, and they become a spinning-blade weapon mounted on his robot mode's left arm.
-He has an adjustable and retractable tow-hook on a string, which ends up mounted on his right arm.
-His engine exhausts become two missile launchers which spring forward when inserting the cyber key.
So yeah, lots of fun with this massive toy.
1. Transformers Dark of the Moon Skyhammer
This toy probably has the most unique way to deal with his rotors in robot mode. With his chest area being the central body of the helicopter, his chest is the top where the rotors are and they wrap around him in robot mode resulting in no extraneous kibble. This is by far the most complex helicopter transformer but every step makes sense and is a joy to watch unfold (especially the forearms). For a movie toy, Skyhammer has some gorgeous alt mode integration like his rotors wrapping around his chest, his legs being the tail and the cockpit splitting to form shoulder armour. While he has the more realistic look from the films, he does have some smooth surfaces and looks far more robotic than alien. He is number one because of all helicopter Transformers, he has the best helicopter mode (where you see none of the robot), the best robot mode (completely kibble free) and the best transformation while being a perfect marriage of the movie and classic Transformers aesthetic.
Honourable Mentions: There is actually a ton of good helicopter molds out there, I was tempted of turning it into a top 10 list. However, those five are really a cut above the rest, with the exception of Transformers Generations Springer. The best triple changer mold by far. However, it being a triple changer, a few sacrifices were made, stopping it from being the best helicopter mode in the business. The landing gears are a bit awkward around the back and it's really too bad they didn’t try to add some detailing to give the idea of some tail rotors in the back (the G1 toy did).
Along with him, here are the others that crossed my mind when thinking of this list:
Rescue bot Blades, probably the best toy of that line simply for the style and how it actually works as a simpler toy while trying to achieve the desired aesthetics.
Transformers Rescue Bots Blades the Copter-bot Gallery
Great things come in small packages sometimes. Legion Airachnid, Minicon Jolt and Legion Windshear deserve a mention for accomplishing great helicopters at such a small scale. Airachnid herself is amazing simply for being better than her deluxe class version and sporting some really nice paint apps for this class (in robot mode).
Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Cyberverse Airachnid Gallery
Transformers Cybertron Jolt (Hop) Gallery
Transformers Generations Windshear Gallery
HFTD Tomahawk is another movie design done right. His legs are not the best but it's a solid deluxe class helicopter.
Transformers Hunt For The Decepticons Tomahawk Gallery
