Jetstorm is one of the Vehicon Generals. The leader of the Aero Drones, Jetstorm proves to be one of the coolest vehicular Transformers to come around in a while. One of the hopes of the Beast Machines designers was to incorporate as much "personality" in the Beast Machines toys as possible. This toy is a perfect example of that concept.
Vehicle Mode:
In vehicle mode, Jetstorm is a Cybertronian jet. The toy itself looks intricate in this mode, especially with the addition of the various molded details including pipes, screws, vents and wires. Jetstorm also has many sharp angles on his wings and fins, giving him a very sleek look. His primary color is a metallic blue, with silver and yellow detailing.
Lifting the silver piece in the center of the jet reveals Jetstorm's Spark Crystal. The tabs on both his wings launch the missles in his wings, which also double as "engine trails". A very nice touch. Also notice that the missiles are molded to be "energy blasts" instead of a plain old mechanical missile. Jetstorm also has landing gear underneath his wings and on his nosecone. What is impressive is how unobtrusive this landing gear is. It goes almost unnoticed unless you decide to deploy it.
To show a bit of the aformentioned "personality", one need only press the trigger near the cockpit. The nosecone and cockpit of the jet extend out, allowing the "head" of the vehicle to look up, down, left and right. Notice also that translucent red plastic is used to show "eyes" right under the cockpit on either side of the "head". This is a feature that was used heavily in the Beast Machines television show, and makes the vehicle mode seem more "alive".
Transformation to Robot Mode:
Be sure the cockpit/nosecone section is not extended out. It is recommended you remove the missiles before transforming this toy. Flip the jet over and fold down Jetstorm's robot legs. Swing each leg out to the sides. Extend his robot foot and heel out. Next, separate each side of the jet and swing them out to begin forming the robot arms. Swing the pieces covering his hands out to the side. Next, bring the robot legs to the cockpit/nosecone piece, and swing them toward the cockpit/nosecone so the gaps in the yellow piece snaps into place with the tabs on the cockpit/nosecone.
Fold back the rear of the jet, and then fold the jet in the center. Swing the rear of the jet to the back, and lock the cockpit/nosecone piece into place. Fold down the robot head section, and then bring the two metallic blue chest pieces to the yellow pegs right under his robot head. Snap the two pieces into place. Rotate his wing tips upwards. Finally, insert the missiles back into their slots. Jetstorm is now in robot mode!
Robot Mode:
In robot mode, Jetstorm is quite an imposing figure. The awesome detailing from his jet mode carries over well, giving him a completely robotic apperance. Like the Beast Wars Neo toys, Jetstorm's robot mode face is designed to reflect something of his alternate mode. In this case, his face looks like a pilot wearing a helmet with a breathing mask on. Combined with translucent red eyes, he looks quite fierce. His arms are bulky, but rather than being bothersome, they hint at a threat of massive weaponry. The use of claws instead of the standard fists actually adds to the toy by giving it an extra dangerous apperance.
Jetstorm's primary colors in this mode are metallic blue and yellow. Some parts (shoulders, lower legs) are silver. In this mode, Jetstorm has twenty one points of articulation including articulation of virtually all parts of his arms and legs. An awesome robot mode for an awesome toy.
Transformation to Hover Mode:
To transform Jetstorm to his third "hover mode", straighten out his feet. Fold the yellow "heel" piece into the front of the foot so his foot is pointing straight down. Turn his legs so both silver pieces face out to the sides. You will see two holes and two pegs on the back of his lower legs. Connect these together. Next, fold out the silver pieces of the lower leg, and straighten out the thrusters hidden inside. Jetstorm is now in hover mode!
Hover Mode:
Jetstorm's hover mode is virtually identical to his robot mode, save the lack of legs. Although this sounds odd, this too shows some of the "personality" indicated before. Because Jestorm feels superior to everyone, he feels it is literally and figuratively "beneath him" to touch the ground, hence a hover mode.
The hover mode is also a nice departure from the standard two arms, two leg robot. The only drawback is of course, that this pose requires hand support to stand, but that in no way detracts from how cool this third mode is. It's no wonder the Mainframe animators chose this mode for his TV show appearances.
As a plane, robot or hovering robot, Jetstorm rocks. This toy has everything: nice detail, posability, cool features and a good solid transformation. Highly recommended. A+
Updated Thoughts (December 29, 2021):
While this figure is not "show accurate", I really have to say that looking over its sculpt and gorgeous deco that as a Transformers toy this is one I think all fans should have in their collection. It's fun (and not overly complicated) to transform and it does some truly interesting stuff in both modes. He's awesome!
