Breakaway

Up until now, the Autobots didn't have any flyers for their army. That put them at a disadvantage against Decepticons such as Blackout and Starscream. That all changes now, as Breakaway joins the lineup as a Deluxe class offering.

Bio

Serving in an army of robots tied to the ground makes Breakaway unique. He is one of the very few amongst the elite Autobot flyers, and he is unmatched for speed in a straight line. While other pilots focus on aerial acrobatics that confound the enemy, Breakaway is content to speed over a fight at seemingly impossible velocity, releasing bombs and missiles that strike their targets before the thunderous boom of his passage can catch up.

Strength     

Intelligence 

Speed        

Endurance    

Rank         

Courage      

Fireblast    

Skill        

Alt Mode

Breakaway is loosely modeled after the Lockheed-Martin F35 "Lightning II" fighter jet. The jet has a summer camouflage scheme, using mostly khaki colors with some dark brown and shades of green. There is also some baby blue and medium green present.

The nosegear has a retractable landing wheel, but the rear wheels are built into the belly. The cockpit has a clear window, exposing the head. However, it almost looks like it could be a fighter pilot in there. The belly is slightly cluttered in appearance, but is overall very streamlined compared to other TF jets of the past.

Alt Mode Specs

Length: 7in/177.8mm
Wingspan:5.12in/130mm
Height:2.25in/57.2mm
Scale Ratio:88:1(est)
Wheels: 1 molded retractable nose wheel, 2 molded rear wheels
Detailed cockpit:N/A

Transformation

Pull up on the wings so the entire intake ports and wings flip up over the cockpit. Tilt forward on the cockpit to break the hands free from the rear. Pull the arms apart and swing them to the sides. Pull down further on the cockpit of the jet so the nose points straight down. The nose detaches from teh cockpit to sit at an offset.

Twist the vertical stabilizers so they're at a 90 degree angle. Fold up the engine pack on his back, it attaches to a hook. Flip the wings so that the underside shows at the front of the robot. Open the cockpit window to fully expose the head. Flip out the feet and straighten the arms to finish the process.

Robot Mode

The robot mode design is very unique, in keeping with the movie designs. More bright green and baby blue appear in this mode, mostly on the limbs and abdomen. The head in particular is unique, due to it resembling a fighter pilot's helmet. There is blue piping for the eyes, but the window is very small.

I have to admit that the Mech Alive gimmicks for the Deluxes is pretty weak so far. In Breakaway's case, a thumbwheel on his right forearm spins the gatling cannon forever attached to said forearm. No automorph gimmicks, no other cool surprises. In comparison to the Automorph gimmick, this seems trivial by comparison.

Articulation

Feet:Dual pin hinges, 90 degree bend and 180 degree flex
Knees:Pin hinge, 75 degree bend
Hips: N/A
Waist:Stationary
Shoulders:Ball joint, 180 degree rotation and 90 degree spread, pinned below shoulder for unlimited arm rotation
Elbows:Pin hinge, 90 degree bend
Wrists:Pin hinge, 90 degree bend
Head:Stationary

Wing kibble interferes with arm posing slightly, but the figure does have a solid footing. The waist is pegged, but due to the way the backpack snaps in place it can't move.

Robot Mode Specs

Height:6in/152.4mm
Width:3in/76.2mm (5.12in/130mm including wings)
Depth:3.25in/82.6mm
Supplied accessories:None

Verdict

Alt Mode: Mostly clean looking alt mode, retractable rear landing gear would have been nice
Robot Mode:Pretty good for a deluxe, but the Mech Alive gimmick leaves you wanting more.
Overall:One of the more interesting jetbots released lately. A little more thought into it could have made it very nice.

Class:Deluxe

MSRP:$13

Reviewer	Blitzwing
Date	June 9th 2009
Score	(8 out of 10)
Reads	15895

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