Name: First Aid
Series: Generation 1
Allegiance: Autobot (Protectobot)
Function: Medic
Alternate Mode: Ambulance
AMBULANCE MODE
Height: 3cm Length: 6.5cm Width: 3cm
Well, just as Ratchet before him, First Aid the medic turns into an Ambulance. Aside from the somewhat obvious nature of the disguise, it still works. Although it's a smaller ambulance, with plastic tyres and blue windows which are a combination of stickers (rear side windows) and paint (everywhere else).
The biggest drawbacks of this mode are the bits needed for the transformation. Firstly is the hinge atop the cabin, and secondly, and more noticeable is the big hole at the back of the ambulance so his knees can transform. His rear window is unpainted and there's a rather unsubtle hole for a Defensor fist/foot (or his cannon). He comes with a large Autobot sticker on his roof near the back and a rubsign on the middle of the roof, although this rubsign will be missing on the classic, leaving a silly looking blank indent. It's not a _terrible_ ambulance, but it has it's flaws.
Oh yes, it's white. Red lights on top (one red oblong of plastic sticks up), black plastic tyres (metallic hubcaps - they're pins), silver front bumper and headlights. You can attach a double-canon into the hole at his rear, but I'd recommend against it. The whole idea of an ambulance with twin roof mounted guns is just wrong, IMO. It looks weak, and he looks better without them.
TRANSFORMATION TO ROBOT MODE
It's pretty simple, really. Swing the front of the vehicle up to reveal the head. Pull out the rear and swing it down to form the legs. Last pull out the sides to become the arms.
ROBOT MODE
Height: 9cm Width: 4cm
First Aid is a typical square-head combiner in this mode, although he's a fairly nice one. The head is square but it looks pretty show/comic accurate, although his eyes are white not blue(show)/red(comic). His head is red, as it his sternum & thighs. His arms & lower legs are white and his torso is a darkish red. The chestplate, which covers the entire torso, will vary in the shade, since there's metal and plastic versions, with the metal slightly duller (I have both). His front wheels are visible on his chest and he has various stickers on his torso (six , all silver with details). There's also two Autobot stickers, one on his left leg (the roof sticker from ambulance mode and a smaller one on his sternum.
There's some clever design elements disguising the fact his torso is the bottom of an ambulance. His arms have panels protuding on the front, which interlock when the torso in ambulance mode, and when in robot mode allow the straight-up and down sides to have waist indents. Of course it means he has panels on his hands. But this never bothered me.. all a matter of taste, mind you.
VARIATIONS
The original G1 version came with either a metal or plastic chestplate. There's not really much difference, but I suppose many will prefer the die-cast chest. The Classic re-release was basically the same as the original plastic one, though it didn't have a rubsign. There was an unreleased G2 version, which was still white but with different (garish) supporting colours.
OVERALL
Well, I _really_ like First Aid, and I always have. Partly because he was the only Autobot combiner I had as a kid, partly because I like his spec character (and cartoon character) and partly because I just think his robot mode looks cool. But, being objective for a moment, I'd say he's pretty good as square-peg combiners go, without being anything spectacular. If you're partial to this sort of toy, I'd give him 8/10, otherwise 6/10.
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