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Thread: MP Thundercracker vers 2

  1. #21
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    10th Mar 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by griffin View Post
    Wholesalers are not allowed to set prices in Australia by law... but they can give "recommended retail pricing", but most retailers will set their pricing based on their standard margins, often lining up close to the RRP estimate.

    I can't really go into any details, but EB prices are based on what Hasbro Australia sells it to them for... and Hasbro Australia is stuck with the price that Hasbro Asia charges them.
    I had this whole argument with them several years ago when they were selling the JP Combiner sets at ToysRUs, and the TRU price was double what they could be imported for, which meant that Hasbro Australia were obviously being shafted... because if Hasbro Asia can sell it to Asian retailers for a wholesale price that ends up being on the shelf for half of what it ends up here, then Hasbro Asia is charging one of their own branches at least double what they were charging local retailers that have nothing to do with Hasbro.
    This was an argument that took many conversations, as the local branch is not keen to reveal too much about what happens internally... so they won't come out and tell us how much they are being charged, and I can't encourage the local office to rock the boat on how things are done between the Branches of Hsabro, because getting some of these over-priced expensive imports/exclusives here makes it more likely that we will get the cheaper exclusives here (even if those are also over-priced... but if they are hard to get globally like several of the 2020 Hasbro exclusives, getting them here at all is better than resorting to scalper pricing from overseas).
    Thank you for clearing that up, and I appreciate your efforts in the past then. Guess it is what it is unfortunately.

    Quote Originally Posted by Magnus View Post
    Sunstreaker had some great features in vehicle mode, namely working scissor doors and pop-up headlights, and including these details really sells the idea of a high quality, detailed, authentic replica of a car.

    I have no doubt that there are aircraft enthusiasts who would appreciate the sort of authentic details of a real plane that were included on MP3/MP11, so why not keep that sort of thing for MP52? Is it any different to the high degree of detail we saw on Binaltech/Alternators figures, or the details on other Masterpiece figures like the Alitalia livery on Wheeljack and the aforementioned doors and headlights on Sunstreaker?
    Although not an aircraft enthusiast myself, I did notice a surprising number of fans who were upset that Studio Series Blitzwing was the "wrong jet." The radar dish on the seekers don't bug me either way, but I did enjoy the aforementioned scissor doors and pop up lights on Sunstreaker, so if those features make certain fans happy then so be it.
    Looking to buy lucky draw Armada Prime and Diaclone Marlboor Wheeljack.

  2. #22
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    7th Mar 2012
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    Quote Originally Posted by Magnus View Post
    The numbering does seem odd. I wonder if the MP11 derivatives were made exclusives- and this practice is continuing here - because the characters didn't sell as well as general releases the first time around with the original MP3 mould. It's easy to imagine most people would just want Starscream, leaving the colour derivatives to completists.





    The original MP3 Starscream had the opening radome, as Shonji Kawamori wanted to make a really good, highly detailed F-15. The MP11 version kept it because a lot of the base moulding from MP3 was still present. It might feel like a step backwards to not include the opening radome on MP52, and it doesn't look like a particularly intricate or complex piece of engineering to include, so it's hard to imagine that it would be substantially driving up the price.

    The answer to this question was hinted at in the Figure King interview for MP39 (Sunstreaker):



    Sunstreaker had some great features in vehicle mode, namely working scissor doors and pop-up headlights, and including these details really sells the idea of a high quality, detailed, authentic replica of a car.

    I have no doubt that there are aircraft enthusiasts who would appreciate the sort of authentic details of a real plane that were included on MP3/MP11, so why not keep that sort of thing for MP52? Is it any different to the high degree of detail we saw on Binaltech/Alternators figures, or the details on other Masterpiece figures like the Alitalia livery on Wheeljack and the aforementioned doors and headlights on Sunstreaker?
    And there isn’t an aircraft enthusiast on the planet that would ignore that horrendous underside of the jet mode and go “Oh but it has the radome!”
    Dovie'andi se tovya sagain

  3. #23
    Join Date
    9th Sep 2017
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    Adelaide
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trent View Post
    And there isn’t an aircraft enthusiast on the planet that would ignore that horrendous underside of the jet mode and go “Oh but it has the radome!”
    Because I'm a more realistic alt-mode fan - MP-3 (with leg mod) still best MP seeker

  4. #24
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    22nd Sep 2019
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    Perth
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    Default MP-52+ Thundercracker now available

    First youtube look (at the robot mode). Available to purchase in Singapore at The Falcon's Hangar and RoboRobo.

  5. #25
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    27th Jun 2008
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    Quote Originally Posted by Skyfire View Post
    First youtube look (at the robot mode). Available to purchase in Singapore at The Falcon's Hangar and RoboRobo.
    RR is working out my postage monday

  6. #26
    Join Date
    22nd Sep 2019
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    So while waiting for my MP-52+ Thundercracker to arrive, I've been following closely the TFW2005 posts and the few Youtube videos out recently to get an idea of quality issues. For those who didn't follow MP-52 Starscream over the last few months, quality has been a gamble, and given his price, an expensive gamble. To summarise Starscream's (non-universal) faults:

    - Hairline cracks around the base of the vertical tail fins, especially the right one, out of the box or on first transformation. They didn't seem to get worse over time (mine hasn't).
    - Loose ankles causing instability. Sometimes there was cracking or stress marks around the forward/back movement ankle pin.
    - Weak knee ratchets and seldom a missing knee or hip ratchet.
    - Forearms flaps that didn't close flush.
    - Loose thrusters.
    - Broken or loose pointy wing tip hinges.
    - Extra molding flash at the elbows.
    - Two of the same - faces (with one missing), null rays, air intakes, front edge wing hinges.
    - Cracking or breaking of the blue forearm/hand plastic or of the cockpit.
    - The usual random paint blemishes and scratches (usually small or trivial).

    Did Thundercracker improve? It's early days but so far I've seen:

    - Little reporting of tailfin base cracking.
    - Good improvement in ankle and other joint stiffness.
    - An instance of a missing wing aileron/flap.
    - An instance of a missing thumb piece.
    - An instance of duplicate faces.
    - An instance of a missing flight stand.
    - The usual random paint blemishes or scratches (small or minor, though one case was atrociously painted).

    So how does my TC compare with my SS?

    Report on my copy:

    First of all, mine came double-taped (box and clam shell).

    [1] Again I have a hairline crack at the base of the right vertical stabiliser, but only one and it is very small and isolated to the rim (not going down the side unlike my SS). It doesn't open on fin rotation. The left fin is fine. Both fins rotate without issues.



    [2] The ankles are crack free and much tighter front/back - as firm as SS's/TC's elbow joints. Sideways tightness is about the same as SS - not loose but not firm. But the ankles are so good that I can tilt him forward almost right to where his shins rest on the feet and he can hold all the angles to that point.

    [3] My thrusters are ok.

    [4] My air intakes in jet mode tab more securely into place and are harder to knock out - they still stay fairly firm in place even when knocked out.

    [5] Both my rear landing gear rattle inside the feet but lock very firmly into place.

    [6] All my faces are correct - the open smile has a very minor paint blemish on the nose.



    [7] Both front wing hinges are the same as SS's, so I assume they are fine.

    [8] No stress marks I could see, but minor deformities on the thigh and under the cockpit.





    [9] The usual minor paint blemishes, scratches or marks for a MP.





    [10] Both forearm panels close flush and it takes a bit of effort to open them (I can feel them "squish" close, which makes me think the paint is thicker this time).

    [11] The nose cone rotation was a bit stiffer but not to the point of breaking.

    [12] The right knee pad air vent is slightly crooked in exactly the same way as SS.



    [13] No cracks or stress marks of the grey forearm plastic.

    [14] Knee ratchets are stronger than SS and fairly firm but still fail the "holding your figure by the lower legs while horizontal without knee bend" test. And there is very little wobble or play at each detent. Comparing my SS now, SS has a lot of wobble even when vertically standing, so that plus not very strong ankles means I have to balance him a bit carefully. By contrast, TC doesn't need me to carefully balance him when standing straight - he is mostly stand and forget. TC's hips are about the same as SS - strong front/back and sideways.

    [15] No elbow mold flash but a trivial bit at the right vertical tail fin (easy to cut off).

    [16] TC's hands can attach SS's drill and claw without problem.

    [17] The right wing Decepticon tampo is incomplete, which is exactly the same as this Youtube video.

    [18] There were some dirt (or paint dust?) and oily marks, which cleaned up perfectly with a damp cloth. The left wing has barely noticeable pitting of the paint, which has trapped some tiny dark spots - these I can't clean off but it is barely seen.





    Transformation was the same as SS with some pins being a bit tighter. No problems with things fitting into things properly - secure and nothing more forceful than with SS.

    I still had the same problem with folding the bottom half of the cockpit up and backwards. The parts I described in my SS report squash against each other just the same. I tried my best even knowing what happens and STILL deformed the plastic a bit. It's a design problem.

    So, in terms of quality, I would say the cosmetic finish is similar to my SS - random, minor or trivial paint blemishes or marks. The incomplete tampo is not very noticeable - I missed it on first glance, and in robot mode (how he will be displayed), his shoulder/gun blocks it. The knees and ankles are much better and I have no concerns about stability with my TC. And his forearm flaps close well. So, structurally, my TC is better than my SS.
    Last edited by Skyfire; 5th October 2021 at 04:04 PM.

  7. #27
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    13th Feb 2014
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    with the issues you get for the price you pay for these ones, far out.

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