Airraptor
Beast mode is an archaeopteryx.
In case you're wondering, that's a half-dino/half-bird creature. This mode
is very nice, overall. The color scheme on the back is wonderful, as is
the detailing on this toy. This transformer is packed with action features,
the ones in this mode all on the wings. For one, Airraptor can drop "bombs"
(weird-shaped feather thingies) if you press the small levers on his wings.
This also makes the bird claws poke out more, so you can also make this
look like a "slashing attack" if you lose the bombs. Yet another neat feature
is that when the claws are extended, you can swing them back on hinges
to reveal laser guns! This also nearly doubles Airraptor's wingspan. This
action feature does look a little weird, though. Despite all these neat
action features, this mode does have its flaws. The major one is that,
when viewed at any other angle except from the back or straight overhead,
the beast mode legs look very odd. This is because the robot legs are clearly
visible, and the robot feet stick out from the top of the legs and get
in the way of movement for this bird quite a bit. Another, less major,
flaw in this mode is that the gun used in robot mode sticks out a bit from
under the tail feathers. This isn't too much of a problem, though. Another
flaw, although this may just be petty, is the fact that the eyes on Airraptor's
beast mode aren't quite lined up; one is slightly higher and farther away
from the beak than the other is.
Robot mode is quite
unique, with an interesting construction. The wings, instead of being on
the back or arms like in most flying transformers, are instead attached
to Airraptor's right side, and fold over his robot chest like a cloak.
While this does sort of make Airraptor look a bit mysterious in this mode,
it is not without it downsides, and I would have preferred if it would
have been attached to the back or arms like other flying transformers.
For one, it covers up the chest, the upper left arm, and part of the head
if you look at him dead-on. Second, it severely prohibits movement for
the left arm. Third, if you open up the cloak, this robot mode looks just
plain weird, since it looks like Airraptor would fly sideways in this mode.
Besides the cloak, there are other extras in this mode, and three of them
prohibit movement- the tail feathers on the back of the right hand; the
feather plate on top of the right hand; and the bird feet on the back of
the upper robot legs. The fourth, the bird head/hand, just looks odd, like
most of the other beast head/hand transformer's do. The robot mode legs,
because of their placement in the beast mode, are curved back a lot in
this mode, and also add to the odd look of the mode. This mode does have
its advantages, though. Another neat action feature is available during
transformation- when you swing the tail feather plate on the back of Airraptor's
right arm around, his gun automatically fits itself into and out of his
hand! Neat! The robot head reminds me of the fuzor
Silverbolt's, without his wolf muzzle. The chest under the "cloak"
is also nicely detailed as well. The spark orb is in the center of the
chest, ya can't miss it.
A pretty nice transformer,
although it has one major flaw in both modes. The action features almost
make up for it, though. Because of the extreme oddity of the robot mode,
however, I'd have to say this is the least recommended of the Dinobots.
Review by Beastbot