Phil's
Transformers Powerglide
and
E-Hobby Badboy Review
Review

Powerglide

Powerglide is the first Transformer to be modelled on the A-10 Thunderbolt. He won't be the last. The body & wings of the jet are moulded in a dark red plastic similar to Warpath's with the turbines under the wings becoming squared off pale grey boxes. Does red really work for an A-10 which aught to be in more military colours?

My main problem with Powerglide's vehicle mode? He's a plane! He's the first Autobot to be a plane. AUTOBOTS ARE NOT PLANES! AUTOBOTS ARE CARS! DECEPTICONS ARE PLANES! This is the thin end of the wedge that will result the next year in Aerialbots & Stunticons: The first Scramble City combiners for each side end up on the wrong sides. As the years go on there's less and less clear division between the two lines as there was in the early stages. And while we're on the matter: Don't you think construction vehicles are more suited to be Autobot toys than Decepticons?

Transformation: Turn the nose of the jet rounds 180 degrees. Fold the wings up 90 degrees then swing them forward 90 degrees so the tops of the wings are alongside each side of the jet. Stand on the tail with the underside facing forward. Pull up on the body to extend the legs. Unfold the turbine boxes to become arms.

Powerglide's robot mode reveals a grey face with face plate that's on the underside of the jet's nose. Most of the rest of the robot is the dark red of the jet save for the upper legs and arms which are the same grey as the face. The arms are the star of the show here: they run at the shoulder, bend out just bellow the shoulders and bend in at the elbows. Together with the head turning this makes Powerglide the winner of the "Minibot articulation" contest.

Apart from my complaints about the faction assigned to him and a minor quibble about the colour my main problem here is the fragility of the toy: I've seen plenty of Powerglides over the years missing wings and arms. The plastic surrounding the metal pins in the joints doesn't seem able to take the strain.

Powerglide was released in Japan in 1986 as Transformers toy C-62. He returned in 2004's Transformers Collection #12 Minibot set along with:

Transformers Collection Bumblebee a re-mould of Original Bumblebee
Gears
Huffer
Cosmos
Warpath

In 2008 Powerglide was remade as Universe Ultra Powerglide.

Badboy

Badboy is a Destron repaint of Powerglide that was packed in 2004's E-Hobby Minibot set. Red is swapped for grey and grey becomes blue. While it looks ok it's a bit plain looking.

The E-Hobby minibot set also contains:

Bug Bite a Destron repaint of Transformers Collection Bumblebee which is a re-mould of the Original Bumblebee.
Pathfinder a Cybertron repaint of Cosmos
Road Ranger a Cybertron repaint of Huffer
Small Foot a Cybertron repaint of Gears
Treads a Destron repaint of Warpath

All toys in this set have names taken from the original Go-Bot toy range.

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