The Energon Pub

[Agamemnon]

Interesting. I ask because TF Wiki calls movie Mindwipe's alt mode the following:

Mindwipe transforms from a bat-like robot into a fighter plane similar to a F-117 Nighthawk stealth ground attack aircraft.

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Mindwipe_(ROTF)

And they use "fighter", which I realize now is probably erroneous (OH, TF WIKI IS WROOOOONG!!!!!). However, I was wondering why they called it "fighter plane" and not "fighter jet". But now I know it is a bomber, which makes perfect sense. And now I know it has a jet engine, so it is still a jet as a larger categorical identifier but then is a bomber instead of a fighter. Let me know if that is correct.

Well the f-117 is actually larger than fighter jets aren't they? And mindwipe is some sort of perverse uber bomber/jet hybrid (that is also alien) so I don't know if you can quantify it by earthly standards

To WJ, the "fighter" designation likely comes from the "F" in "F-117." And from the TFWiki, another more accurate designation might be "A-117" beacuse of the "attack" designation...

To Hellscream9999, I think the F117 is comparable to other fighter aircraft. Here's one with a ground crew under it at the landing gear:



Here's ground crew under the F-15, which saw a lot of action with the F-117 in the Gulf War:



Then here's a smaller fighter plane, the F-16



Though, that's nothing compared to the tiny A-4 (think Top Gun):



And speaking of Top Gun, if I were to think about a very large fighter, it'd probably be the F-14:



So...in conclusion, these are all probably similar in size. It also makes a lot of sense to have them as limbs on a combiner because of the similar size....

[Shuttershock]

Again, not being vindictive, but Harriers ARE VTOL capable. They just don't use obvious fans or propellers to do it.

That's pretty amazing.

Forgot he was based on a Harrier, my bad!

Yeah, I believe they use a single pivoting thruster that can aim straight down, or straight behind them, and then, smaller thrusters below the body to aid take off.

Sorry for the double post, you posted as I was posting. Are you talking about the Harrier? There are two pivoting exhaust ports on either side of the jet. There is no single thruster along the center. Check out the video a couple posts up.

(Wow, I love talking fighter jets! )

I'm thinking of the jet chasing John McClane in the 4th Die Hard, which had a single thruster about midway back that pivoted for VTOL. Don't know if that's based on a real life jet, just what came to mind.

[Sabrblade]

When Hasbro first revealed CW Blast Off back at BotCon, they described him as having scanned a VTOL jet as his new form. Said jet is the same kind as Firefly and Quickslinger turn into.

As for ROTF Mindwipe, he kinds seems VTOLish to have been able to pull off these moves.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Well we have 3 VTOl aerialbots now
And I have always considered the F-117 a stealth bomber, but I suppose fighter jet works too

[william-james88]

Well we have 3 VTOl aerialbots now
And I have always considered the F-117 a stealth bomber, but I suppose fighter jet works too

But must all jets be fighter jets? The F-117 can be a jet without being a fighter jet right? That's been my question all along and I am not sure I got an answer aside from "it has a jet engine". Does having a jet engine make i a jet?

[Agamemnon]

Again, not being vindictive, but Harriers ARE VTOL capable. They just don't use obvious fans or propellers to do it.

That's pretty amazing.

Forgot he was based on a Harrier, my bad!

Yeah, I believe they use a single pivoting thruster that can aim straight down, or straight behind them, and then, smaller thrusters below the body to aid take off.

Sorry for the double post, you posted as I was posting. Are you talking about the Harrier? There are two pivoting exhaust ports on either side of the jet. There is no single thruster along the center. Check out the video a couple posts up.

(Wow, I love talking fighter jets! )

I'm thinking of the jet chasing John McClane in the 4th Die Hard, which had a single thruster about midway back that pivoted for VTOL. Don't know if that's based on a real life jet, just what came to mind.

Real plane! F-35 Lightning II



It is very expensive!! I don't know if they will actually build a large fleet of them. (Politics and all of that. Nasty stuff. Not for here, right Burn? )

Well we have 3 VTOl aerialbots now
And I have always considered the F-117 a stealth bomber, but I suppose fighter jet works too

But must all jets be fighter jets? The F-117 can be a jet without being a fighter jet right? That's been my question all along and I am not sure I got an answer aside from "it has a jet engine". Does having a jet engine make i a jet?

Indeed, generally, having a jet engine makes a plane a jet. This would be in contrast to something like a C-130 which would not be a jet because of the propellers. Note, this was the plane that "brought the rain" from the first Transformers live action movie



This sort of plane would generally be considered a prop or turbo-prop. So, I think to answer your questions, all fighter jets are jets, but not all fighters are jets, and not all jets are fighters. Here's a fighter that's not a jet:



And here's a jet that's not a fighter:



(Is it any wonder that I initially went to college to be an aerospace engineer....)

[Hellscream9999]

airplane stuff that's very cool

lol, silverbolt could scan that thing => and still have kibble under him


And I was thinking of the lightning one that was in avengers, thanks for proving I wasn't basing my knowledge on a make-believe jet.

Personally, if hasbro is going to claim a jet be a vtol, they should probably mold something into it to let us make the connection. I guess fans in the wings aren't a thing, but it still has coolness points (since these are giant shape-shifting alien robots ) and would differentiate blast-off (at least) from his mold clones.

[Shuttershock]

Again, not being vindictive, but Harriers ARE VTOL capable. They just don't use obvious fans or propellers to do it.

That's pretty amazing.

Forgot he was based on a Harrier, my bad!

Yeah, I believe they use a single pivoting thruster that can aim straight down, or straight behind them, and then, smaller thrusters below the body to aid take off.

Sorry for the double post, you posted as I was posting. Are you talking about the Harrier? There are two pivoting exhaust ports on either side of the jet. There is no single thruster along the center. Check out the video a couple posts up.

(Wow, I love talking fighter jets! )

I'm thinking of the jet chasing John McClane in the 4th Die Hard, which had a single thruster about midway back that pivoted for VTOL. Don't know if that's based on a real life jet, just what came to mind.

Real plane! F-35 Lightning II



It is very expensive!! I don't know if they will actually build a large fleet of them. (Politics and all of that. Nasty stuff. Not for here, right Burn? )

Oh, right. I forgot that ROTF Breakaway was a Lightning II also.

[william-james88]

Oh, right. I forgot that ROTF Breakaway was a Lightning II also.

Wait, is that him fully transformed? Because it seems he still has at least 5 steps to go before looking like a halfway decent robot

[Shuttershock]

Oh, right. I forgot that ROTF Breakaway was a Lightning II also.

Wait, is that him fully transformed? Because it seems he still has at least 5 steps to go before looking like a halfway decent robot

Funnily enough, yes it is. Rock on, stock photography.

I like to keep mine with the wings angled forward over his shoulders to cut a sharper figure, though he still wears most of it as a backpack. While he's not Terradive good, I still like the simplicity and variance of the design, and the jet mode is top notch.

[Agamemnon]

Oh, right. I forgot that ROTF Breakaway was a Lightning II also.

Indeed, and also why movie Thrust came from this mold.



I loved that the Decepticon faction symbol hearkened to the wing thrusters from G1. I also would love to see some remolding of the Aerialbots as Seeker limbs for Galvatronus, or maybe a future Megatronus?

And Hellscream, you were not crazy at all! Just mixed up in the VTOL aircraft. Which is understandable, because they are all awesome!

Just not as awesome as Alpha Bravo... #ShamelessPandering

[Hellscream9999]

a/b... wait, you mean vortex in disguise

[Shuttershock]

a/b... wait, you mean vortex in disguise

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Well we have 3 VTOl aerialbots now
And I have always considered the F-117 a stealth bomber, but I suppose fighter jet works too

But must all jets be fighter jets? The F-117 can be a jet without being a fighter jet right? That's been my question all along and I am not sure I got an answer aside from "it has a jet engine". Does having a jet engine make i a jet?

The F117 can be a jet without being a fighter jet. It could just be labeled a jet bomber since it does carry ordnance.

[Hellscream9999]

Well we have 3 VTOl aerialbots now
And I have always considered the F-117 a stealth bomber, but I suppose fighter jet works too

But must all jets be fighter jets? The F-117 can be a jet without being a fighter jet right? That's been my question all along and I am not sure I got an answer aside from "it has a jet engine". Does having a jet engine make i a jet?

The F117 can be a jet without being a fighter jet. It could just be labeled a jet bomber since it does carry ordnance.

To answer the question: sure it could be a jet without being a fighter jet; I believe it may have been accidentally/intentionally mislabeled as a fighter jet instead of a bomber, but it is referred to as a stealth bomber, so I think therein lies the true answer to your question;

[Wolfman Jake]

Oh, right. I forgot that ROTF Breakaway was a Lightning II also.

I love ROTF Breakaway. It's totes adorable that his head sits in his cockpit in alt mode. He's flying himself! Gotta love his sad puppy eyes too.

[Stuartmaximus]

airplane stuff that's very cool

lol, silverbolt could scan that thing => and still have kibble under him

I think he did....https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5kThJGtcV ... l=en&gl=GB

Even though it came out wrong

Instead

He scanned something like this

[Shuttershock]

airplane stuff that's very cool

lol, silverbolt could scan that thing => and still have kibble under him

I think he did....https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5kThJGtcV ... l=en&gl=GB

Even though it came out wrong

Instead

He scanned something like this

I think you found movie Skylynx.

[joeprime276]

Hey guys, the next characters on my list that I want to get the best versions of are:
-Warpath (gonna order the generations one because he looks perfect)
-Wheeljack
-Hound
-Bluestreak
-Smokescreen
-Soundwave
-Coneheads (Classics mold looks fine for these guys)
-Gears
-Beach Comber

I know that Wheeljack, Hound, and Smokescreen are coming out in the CW but I'm getting tired of these molds so I'd rather a different version; unless you guys think that the new CW figures will be better.
Also, the SoundWave that looks best to me is the Classics version because he transforms into a radio but he goes for a ton on eBay. Is the FOC version a good fit for a G1/Classics collection? At least in robot mode?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Hellscream9999]

-Warpath (gonna order the generations one because he looks perfect)
-Wheeljack
-Hound
-Bluestreak
-Smokescreen
-Soundwave
-Coneheads (Classics mold looks fine for these guys)
-Gears
-Beach Comber

I know that Wheeljack, Hound, and Smokescreen are coming out in the CW but I'm getting tired of these molds so I'd rather a different version; unless you guys think that the new CW figures will be better.
Also, the SoundWave that looks best to me is the Classics version because he transforms into a radio but he goes for a ton on eBay. Is the FOC version a good fit for a G1/Classics collection? At least in robot mode?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

There is no classics soundwave - insofar as I know - not sure what you mean by it. But it's all personal preference for what you want; I'd say he strikes a nice median of not being too game-like, while still being soundwave (he even has an unoffical boombox mode), otherwise cybertron soundwave might not be a bad choice; it's a bit fiddly, but a solid bot mode.

As for the rest, the classics versions should suffice if it's what you like, I might be a little hesitant to get the classics smokescreen, he wasn't based on the best mold.

Hope this helps

[Wolfman Jake]

There is no classics soundwave - insofar as I know - not sure what you mean by it. But it's all personal preference for what you want; I'd say he strikes a nice median of not being too game-like, while still being soundwave (he even has an unoffical boombox mode), otherwise cybertron soundwave might not be a bad choice; it's a bit fiddly, but a solid bot mode.

As for the rest, the classics versions should suffice if it's what you like, I might be a little hesitant to get the classics smokescreen, he wasn't based on the best mold.

Hope this helps

I think what he meant by "Classics" Soundwave is the G1 reissue from TRU released in Classics packaging and/or the SDCC release from a few years back under the "Universe" 2.0 label.

To joeprime276, I think FoC Soundwave should suit your needs just fine. That look for Soundwave has been repurposed as a new form for G1 Soundwave thanks to the IDW comics. That's my definitive Soundwave for my Classics/neo-G1 shelf. Even some of his minions, like Laserbeak, have taken on those "data disc" forms as well. Similarly, I'm also using the FoC Blaster with his data discs for my Classics needs as well.

[Burn]

If you wanted a modern update of Soundwave, try the Music Label version.

[william-james88]

Yup, classics soundwave does exist but was a mere reissue of the G1 toy:



Classics Gears:


Transformers Generations Gears Gallery

Beachcomber:


Transformers Universe - Classics 2.0 Beachcomber Gallery


Transformers Universe - Classics 2.0 Beachcomber Gallery

The Movie version is better for the size though:


Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Beachcomber Gallery


Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Beachcomber Gallery

Oh and Generations Soundwave can be a fine stand in for scale, here he is with the seekers and Megatron:

[Jelze Bunnycat]

If you want a Beachcomber that has a little more umpf (even if it's totally against his character):


Transformers Energon Beachcomber (Overdrive) Gallery

[joeprime276]

Thanks for the quick responses guys!

As for Wheeljack, Smokescreen and Hound, would you recommend waiting for the new versions or do you think think preexisting versions are better?