Review: #157
Name: Air Vehicon
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Prime - Beast Hunters
Year of Release: 2013
Size Class: Legion (Wave 4)
Variations: there is a white one coming out as Ace Vehicon and the TakaraTomy version is a darker purple
VEHICLE MODE:
Air Vehicon transforms into the hoverjet/boat/flying car mode as seen in the cartoon. The only significant aesthetic flaws here are the sunken cockpit and a messy front (thanks to transformation).
Sadly, unlike the earlier Legion Vehicon which hides the head in vehicle mode, Air Vehicon has his visible from the back and basically sticks out due to the silver paint.
If you look at the underside, you can pretty much see the whole robot mode tucked in, it's slightly disappointing as this indicates a simple transformation (and somewhat of a shellformer).
In terms of size, he's not too bad. He can feel a little bit small in your hands thanks to the wings which can hinge backwards.
A comparison with his bigger incarnation. Despite being a bit flatter, it captures the essence of the design very well.
As you see, there are a few ports scattered around the mold, this is to attach his weapon.
A solid vehicle mode. It's faithful to the cartoon model. Sure, there's a huge hinge on top and it's lacking in paint, but it still looks good.
TRANSFORMATION:
Simple and by the numbers. It isn't innovative or clever, but it works well. The arms lift out to the side and you split the hood to form his legs, flip down the feet and flip the wings onto his back. Too be fair, it feels a little bit boring and uninspired, especially after some of the more complex Legions we've had in this line.
ROBOT MODE:
The robot mode is striking and well proportioned. There are some great sculpting present on the figure which really brings the character to life.
Fairly kibble-free, the only noticeable kibble is the wings on his back which is a defining feature of this character anyway. Interesting, the wings can hinge backward so you can have it more like the show or more like his Deluxe brother.
Surprisingly, the head sculpt lacks the protrusions to the side, it's the vehicle Vehicon version. What's even more interesting is that the stock photos have the protrusions, so now it looks too smooth...
Comparison with another Legion sized figure, he's shorter at the head but he has giant shoulder pads and the wings on his back create the illusion of a larger figure.
In comparison with the Deluxe version, it's amazing at how well the sculpting and placement of parts on the smaller figure mimics the larger (although the shellforming nature helps).
As mentioned, you can fold the wings back to more closely mimic the show model.
His weapon is a gun with a saw on top. Like a bayonet type weapon. He shares the same mold with a few other characters in the line like Hun-Gurrr and Soundwave.
Poseability is better in theory than what you can actually achieve. He has balljointed shoulders and hips, and feet that can fold up. The shoulder pieces can be in the way but largely, they don't hinder articulation much.
There's a few different ways you can attach the weapon, including attaching it to the port on the outside of his hand.
A strong robot mode and the winner between the two molds. It looks excellent and the sculpting is great.
OVERALL:
A great take on the flying variant of Vehicons. It captures both modes wonderfully and while the transformation doesn't cause any wonders or does anything new, it works well. The sculpting in robot mode is good and there's a good use of paint (albeit sparsely) to highlight some of the details. Recommended for this cheap little figure.
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More Prime Beast Hunters reviews (as well as other lines) can be found by clicking this link.