Hey guys,

 

It's been a while since I put together anything this big or long, but I think it's been worth the wait. This article deals with the earliest versions of the G1 jets: Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Ramjet, Thrust and Dirge. It focuses on the evolutionary process of these toys from original concepts and prototypes through samples to production pieces. There are still many gaps, but I feel that this article sheds some light on a few of those gaps that may previously have been unknown to most.

 

I've split the article into three parts.

 

Part 1: THE EARLY PRE-RUBSIGN SERIES 1 RELEASES

 

This section shows one of the first Transformers, a Thundercracker, to ever hit a shelf in the US, most likely amongst the very first ever assortments of Transformers sold anywhere in 1984.

 

Part 2: THE SERIES 2 CONCEPTS AND PROTOTYPES

 

This section shows what could have been for Ramjet, Thrust and Dirge. It includes some great catalog photography and artwork from Japan that show very strange hybrids of the series 1 and series 2 jets. Also included in this section are amazing pictures of original G1 unpainted and painted RESIN HARDCOPY PROTOTYPE Thrust, Dirge and Ramjet wings, fins and weapons.

 

Part 3: THE PRE-PRODUCTION ORANGE-CANOPIED RAMJET

 

This section focuses on a very special US Transformers Ramjet that was a production sample previously in the possession of an ex-Hasbro VP responsible for TFs. It was intended to be part of a Hasbro TF museum collection but instead was sold off on eBay as part of a magnificent collection of production samples and variants.

 

All in all, very text-heavy, picture-heavy and info-heavy.

 

Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Here ya go:

http://www.tf-1.com/articles/eurous_frame.php?art=earlyjets

 

Many thanks to Paul Hitchens, Himawari, Curt Fignar, all the other contributors of pics and of course to Paul Vromen for the spectacular Ramjet artwork in the sidebar.

 

 

All the best

Maz

Man, now I really want a Classic Thrust

Awesome article. It always amazes me that you have access to those toys. Great job!

Awesome article. It always amazes me that you have access to those toys. Great job!

 

Hehe thanks man. I think these days people are just happy and pleasantly surprised to hear someone ask for pictures and info as opposed to a price they will sell something at!

 

All the best

Maz

that was cool, thanks for compiling those images and info.

 

 

I enjoyed that.

It just goes to show, there is always something NEW to learn, some old secret yet to be revealed, from behind the walls of the Takara archives.

 

Imagine what else there is yet be found...

 

Simply awesome. make a dang book already!

Wow :) More holy grail's!

 

It would be nice if takara opened a 'parts' shop where you could buy parts for all transformers and also released stuff like these wings - that would also probably get around the legal stuff of them having to not be sharp etc.

 

Maz - more top work, thanks!

MAJOR update! I've got the scans I wanted from Paul Hitchens and have added the following images to the article:

 

 

 

 

To find out what this is all about, just scroll back to Part 2 of the article where all is revealed :)

 

http://www.tf-1.com/articles/eurous_frame.php?art=earlyjets

 

All the best

Maz

It's Strange looking at these, with different colors and stuff. They almost look like Mexican Bootlegs.

Many apologies if the teaser pictures I posted tonight in the thread aren't working.

 

Every time I come back to the thread I keep getting broken links, and other times the pics work fine :(

 

All the best

Maz