But I'll reiterate that the Predators represent a back to basic approach for Transformers consisting of cars for Autobots and planes for Decepticons. But the small Predator jets are breaking new ground: They are the first range of small Decepticon jets. It's always bugged me that the Decepticons didn't have a small, pocket money sized version of their major form ! From the start there's been small Autobot cars - Minibots then Throttlebots but there's never been a range of small Decepticon jets before. When the combiners started up the Autobots got the planes. The first carded Decepticon planes were Needlenose and Windsweeper in 1988 followed by a pack of Micromasters.
Snare is Grumman X-29 jet which is the inspiration for the GI Joe Conquest X-30 later becoming the vehicle mode for Cyberjet Spacecase and his legion of repaints. This style of jet features swept forward wings and unlike the Conquest has a single vertical tailfin. He's bright red in colour which , unlike the Autobot cars, detracts from his plane mode - maybe a camouflage green like Strafe might have been better. Like all the Predators he has a cockpit canopy moulded in clear yellow/green plastic and a grey fold down landing gear under the nose.
Under the plane he carries the data chip for the Megavisor gimmick for the larger Predator toys. Find the grey square behind the landing gear and fold it back 90 degrees. Locking this onto the larger toys (or by lowering the plastic picture down) reveals a picture of Turbomaster Boss in robot mode - quite appropriate as he was packed with Boss in his Japanese vs pack.
Snare comes with a gold Predator launcher and three missiles - one mounts under each wing while the other is for the launcher. While there's no official place to store the launcher in jet mode - would a hole under the nose have hurt ?- you can mount it into one of the robot's hands.
TF: Simple. Fold the landing gear down and the Megavisor data chip in. Pull back on the underside of jet so the back of the underside forms the legs, fold the feet out the underside of the jet and fold the nose down. An identical TF is used for three of the Predator jets.
Like all the other Predators the robot has been moulded to resemble the robot modes of the G1 jets with the cockpit and nose down the centre of the chest. The head has a faceplate and like the other Predators & Turbomasters is one of the first to use a lightpipe for the eyes in the same colour as the cockpit canopy. The articulation is pretty simple by today's standards and is essentially a brick apart from the shoulders which allow the arms to move. Each arm has a small (less than 2mm) peg hole that allows them to hold the Predator missile launchers. The hole runs through both hands so he could hold a weapon top and bottom of both hands.
Overall: A modern fan might think it's a little simple but it's a decent smaller Decepticon jet - something severely lacking in Transformers at the time, and not much improved now, a reduction in size for a previously released vehicle with a new design feature, a decent launcher and a gimmick for interacting with larger toys. It's main drawback is that the red doesn't suit the vehicle mode too well, and is a rare example of it not being that good for the robot either - a better colour is needed for a Decepticon.
Snare was also available in Japan as Flare Jet in the Operation Combination TF-06 two-pack with Mach Road (Boss)
A modern re-release would almost certainly require a new launcher and weapon - the Predator launchers would fail US safety tests and indeed have been removed from every US recolour of Stalker & Skyquake. If a different weapon were included maybe the arm could be retooled to accommodate a 5mm peg hole - there's enough plastic there to take one - allowing it to hold most modern weapons.