Cliffbee.com Flywheels Toy Review

Individual Review




Name: Flywheels
Series: Generation 1
Allegiance: Decepticon
Function: Assault Team
Alternate Mode: Tank and Fighter Plane - two components



TANK COMPONENT
Height: 3.5cm Length: 8cm Width: 5.5cm

   A chocolate brown tank with a maroon barrel, this isn't really much more than a brown platform. Having said that, it's not meant to be a real model of tank. The front is tapered, it's essentially a ramp, on the right side is a hole into which you can place Flywheels' gun.

   The turret doesn't rotate, but this isn't really surprising considering there's a spring mechanism inside which allows it to pop up and form his arms and spine. It's at the back of the tank, rather than the middle, and is actually wider than the base of the tank. Flywheels has moulded treads along the sides and there's a rubsign indent on the rear at the right (and maybe a rubsign - mine's missing).

   The play value here is almost non-existent. The barrel can lift up and down and that's it. There are no wheels, although the underside is very flat so he can slide along with little force. This is actually my favourite of Flywheels' two components, although I'm not sure why - it's very simple.

PLANE COMPONENT
Height: 3.5cm Length: 11.5cm Width: 7cm

   A maroon fighter jet, unlike the tank this components looks like it should be a real fighter, although I'm not sure if it actually is. This component is entirely maroon - there's a rubsign indent on the right of the canopy (this one has a rubsign!) and on top of the canopy is a grey sticker with a Decepticon symbol. The tail has purple and red stickers on either side with the text "SR-36" which could be a model designation, or could mean absolutely nothing. There is moulded detail all over this jet, panels and such, but I think a painted canopy would have done wonders for the overall look, since it's just so maroon.

   Like the tank, this mode has no wheels (maybe they should have just called him "Fly"), instead having solid posts where the undercarriage would be. There's a hole underneath the nose into which you can place his pistol, but that's it for play value.

TRANSFORMATION TO ROBOT MODE

   Place the jet on top of the tank, lining the rear undercarriage posts up with the holes on top of the turret and press down. The idea is that he'll click together and snap up into robot mode, and I have to say, it works quite well.

ROBOT MODE
Height: 10cm Width: 7cm

   The two parts fit together quite sturdily, and the result is a mainly brown robot with a maroon chest (the cockpit) and backpack (the rest of the plane). His head is brown, despite being part of the plane component (it's hidden in jet mode), and he has a silver painted face with a brown visor. The facial sculpt is actually pretty good, although it's kind of lost amongst the brown plastic around it. The plane's rubsign and Decepticon sticker are now on his chest and the tank's rubsign is now concealed.

   The body shape isn't so good. The platform part of the tank forms his feet, and so his feet are one solid piece which is more like a stand than feet - it sticks out way too far. The legs are also a solid piece, but there is a gap between them. They're about half as long as the feet are, although his upper body proportions are okay.

   Poseability is limited to his arms lifting out to sides at the elbows. This works ok, so long as you don't lift them too far. He can hold the gun in either hand, or it can attach to the hole in his right foot, although I'd recommend his hand.

   Overall, it's a very simple robot mode, but then for the time and size of this toy, I don't expect much more of a quasi-combiner. The most important thing is that he holds together firmly.

VARIATIONS

   None that I know of.

OVERALL

   Well, it's an interesting concept, and to give credit where due, Flywheels' gimmick of snapping two vehicles together to reveal one robot works quite well. Neither component nor the robot mode are much to write home about, but the gimmick is really the point of this toy, anyway - 5/10

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