Mirage wrote:After much ado, I finally got Jetfire into jet mode-- mostly. Apparently, the shoulders were the real problem-- they have to squeeze together past what seems possible on the first few tries. After finally shuffling everything else together on what's been accurately described as a "sea of panels", the only things still troubling me are the engine pods. Everything else seems reasonably solid, but the most I can do is get one locked in at a time, then the other pops out, and so on. Right now, they're both sort of half-latched, neither fitting particularly solidly.
Hmm, I had that issue initially, I think the problem is the way they clip into the back panels - if you look underneath him, there's a kind of three-pronged tab that slots into the back, but it needs to be pushed up into the slot, rather than slid in from the side.
I think the overriding problem with the jet mode is as follows: Most TF's with panel-kibble are somewhat solid underneath; you put the limbs in the appropriate configuration, then fold the outer bits together like a puzzle. If some of the limbs are loose or tricky, the outer panels can sort of be used to squeeze them where they need to be. In an ideal situation, the panels stabilize the kibble, or the kibble stabilize the panels. The problem with Jetfire is, each is counting on the other for stablization, so NOTHING is stable. The panels are tricky, but would be okay with a solid structure underneath. The robot kibble is loosey-goosey (running out of synonyms for "unstable"), but would be okay if the panels were more solid. Neither part-family is willing to step up and hold the toy together well, so the result is kind of a mess.
I found it pretty solid once everything was locked together, as the feet peg in really solidly, and the nose section is surprisingly stable once you lock all those little pegs in. The panels on ball joints gave me some trouble initially, and occasionally one'll pop off. I found the main problem was that there were so many parts that moved that it was really confusing when choosing a place to start, that first transformation took quite some doing. Well worth it, though, he'd have sold like hotcakes had he been packed in vehicle mode.
Mind you, he's a GREAT-looking mess. I agree heartily with O86, that's just a damn pretty jet. As long as you don't touch him, he's awesome. And Robot mode is nice, comparatively problem-free. Combined mode, despite just not pulling off the aesthetics of the character model, beyond the absolute basics, is still satisfying: dynamic and big. Because of his many strengths, I just can't hate the toy, despite the frustration he's caused over the last couple of days.
What config have you got him in for combined mode? I found a really excellent one that I love. It ditches the shoulderpads entirely, I opted to fold the robot arms behind Prime's backpack panels to make them look more like wings. The sharp nose parts point up, giving him the two-tiered jetpack look the movie model has. Losing the shoulderpads also frees up Prime's arm articulation (Better on mine since I removed his swords).
Definitely try turning the feet around and using Jetfire's upside-down feet instead, it looks worlds better.
138 Scourge wrote:Oh, yeah. Another great music-related haul, got tickets to see Leonard Cohen in November. There's at least a couple of you that think that's awesome, yeah?
Envy! I so heavily regret missing him when he came here last, especially since I had plans to go see him with both my mother and my grandmother, who're also fans. Alas, was not to be. I hear his encore was half an hour long.
On the plus side, Pearl Jam are coming here soon, with Ben Harper opening. And Arch Enemy in November. And Dream Theater in December! It's a busy year.
