It's what I want though, so I win and really isn't that what matters most?
Transformers: Age of the Primes Thread: ll First Post All Listings II Update : April 12th, 2027 Bonus Wave: Repaint fun, Beast Wars, G2, Machine Wars
- Thread starter TriBlurr
- Start date
My presumption (assuming that all four "Scramble Combiners" were developed at the same time) is that a Shuttle limb was chosen to add a contrast to the other combat vehicles that didn't tread on the toes of the Aerialbots, whose limbs are all fighter jets.
And TECHNICALLY, space shuttles are still largely manned by former Air Force.
Was referring more to how a space shuttle isn't a war machine, it's not a vehicle with weapons or meant to take heavy fire.
not the way i use 'em
If memory serves, there were plans for the US military to make use of the space shuttle at one point early on. Those plans ultimately fell through, likely because of cost.
I don't know if the US Military ever had plans for the space shuttle. I had a space exploration phase as a kid and I don't recall ever hearing that.
What I do know, however, is that when the space shuttle was unveiled in the late 1970s there was a mistaken belief that it was a military vehicle. Up until then space vehicles were capsules and these weird landers... nothing as recognizable as a plane. The shuttle was very plane-like and a lot of people jumped to the assumption that since it looked like a plane, and the military uses planes, it must be a military vehicle. The Soviets even had a mini freak out, thinking the US had developed an orbital bomber.
That it was basically just a space bus was established fairly soon after that, but the association of the shuttle vaguely with the US Military lingered.
The moulds that would become the G1 Combaticons were developed for Diaclone before getting released as part of the Transformers in 1985. So they would have been developed in the early 80s, when there was still a lingering "military" association with the space shuttle due to a misunderstanding of what it was when it was unveiled.
It's also worth noting that the Combaticons, Protectobots, Arielbots, and Stunticons were all originally intended to be moulds used in a Diaclone sub-line called "Limitless Combination." The Scramble City system would allow multiple mix and match options, so it's likely that originally having a space shuttle with the military vehicles wasn't seen as that big a deal since you could easily swap it with one of the jets if you so desired.
Of course releasing them as Transformers characters locked everyone into just combining with their specific team and sending the "limitless combination" aspect down the memory hole, meaning the shuttle was now locked into a team that didn't make a whole lot of sense.
What I do know, however, is that when the space shuttle was unveiled in the late 1970s there was a mistaken belief that it was a military vehicle. Up until then space vehicles were capsules and these weird landers... nothing as recognizable as a plane. The shuttle was very plane-like and a lot of people jumped to the assumption that since it looked like a plane, and the military uses planes, it must be a military vehicle. The Soviets even had a mini freak out, thinking the US had developed an orbital bomber.
That it was basically just a space bus was established fairly soon after that, but the association of the shuttle vaguely with the US Military lingered.
The moulds that would become the G1 Combaticons were developed for Diaclone before getting released as part of the Transformers in 1985. So they would have been developed in the early 80s, when there was still a lingering "military" association with the space shuttle due to a misunderstanding of what it was when it was unveiled.
It's also worth noting that the Combaticons, Protectobots, Arielbots, and Stunticons were all originally intended to be moulds used in a Diaclone sub-line called "Limitless Combination." The Scramble City system would allow multiple mix and match options, so it's likely that originally having a space shuttle with the military vehicles wasn't seen as that big a deal since you could easily swap it with one of the jets if you so desired.
Of course releasing them as Transformers characters locked everyone into just combining with their specific team and sending the "limitless combination" aspect down the memory hole, meaning the shuttle was now locked into a team that didn't make a whole lot of sense.
A realistically scaled Blast Off would have enough mass to supply most of the frame.
Meanwhile, a realistically scaled Swindle would make one foot.
We should all know better then to get into a scale discussion with this franchise 
I am okay with this. I understand that Generations is going to do what Generations is going to do, but the next time we get combiners in a new thing (like we got a Menasor in RID15) I would love to see vehicle scale Bruticus with some nutty Magnaboss/Tripredacus type combination that uses everyone's mass wherever. Swindle is just going to plug in somewhere and be barely noticeable. Whatever.
Magnaboss kinda is the original frame combiner if you think about it, so maybe we are taking baby steps in that direction.
Magnaboss is bascially Dancouga but with a fancier hat instead of Jordans
Assuming the blurry pics starting to circulate are authentic, Swindle gets a minor trailer too, to support his extra guns. I look at it as extra props for pics. This really is an excellent set if you're only able to get one frame-style combiner. I'm hoping it lasts long enough to fall into my range.
It does look like the best frame yet. It's not what I want in a combiner, but it is what I want in a combiner if they have to be this type. They gave Onslaught his base mode back! I liked when combiner torsos had those. It's not in the toon but it's fun.
They even went so far as to design their own space shuttle, the Buran, which one cosmonaut said was definitely designed with military uses in mind. It wasn't used much and the first one didn't launch until 1988, so I don't think it was itself an inspiration for Blast Off, but I think it does underline the whole "space shuttles have military applications" thoughts at the time.
Also entirely possible that whoever was in charge at the toy companies in assigning the teams simply said "eh let's put all five jets together on the Aerialbot team, well we gotta put the space shuttle somewhere, it goes with the military guys better than the cars or emergency vehicles" without any thought to the above.
I think most of the G1 combiners could have used a bit of tweaking in terms of members. I like that Combiner Wars used Groove as a chest originally. Aboninus has two twin-headed beasties and Sinnertwin could have been something else more interesting. Predaking has two big cats members, and both leg members are actually herbavores. A couple of the Seacons are a little samey. There are other examples. Some combiners could have done more to have more cohesive colour layouts too.
I dunno what y'all are talking about, Blast Off was clearly a plane.
See?
And, uh, so was Vortex, I guess.
See?
And, uh, so was Vortex, I guess.
Predacons would be interesting, if done I figure the wings might be a extra component of Razorclaws and serve as a goblin glider for him or backpack for Divebomb's beast mode.
Razorclaw and frame options
Take the limbs+torso idea as a base, but tweak it-- a jet that forms the torso and legs, with cars or trucks as limbs. Maybe two small cars form one arm. Maybe a motorcycle becomes a hand or weapon. Maybe something else becomes a torso and an arm.
Maybe the theme involves oversized cars and tiny tiny jets or heavily armed construction vehicles. Have some fun with it.
but no it's slavish g1 4evah
