TK-04 Lightspeed

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Lightspeed

To my mind Lightspeed's vehicle mode is the least interesting of the Technobots: he's a futuristic looking red car, with a rounded white windscreen and lower sides. There's a spoiler at the rear and to either side of it are 5mm holes for mounting his Infra-Red Missile Launchers.

Transform: Fold the rear of the car back under the car. Pull the front of the car - from behind the front wheels and forward - out to reveal the legs. Fold the front of this section further forward and fold up to become the robot's feet. Fold the sides of the rear of the car forward to become the arms. Peg the Light-Burst Gun into his hand and if you want remove the missiles, leave them as they are or remove them and re-attach them pointing forward under the arms.

The robot mode is a bit boring: the top of the car, stood on it's front with a head sticking out the rear. Sorry, can't enthuse here.

Lightspeed also forms a limb for Computron.

Arm mode: Use the car mode, but pull the front of the car - from in front of the front wheel - forward and up to reveal the peg hole. Peg the fist in. Fold the Scramble City connector out from under the car.

Leg mode: Use the robot mode, retract the legs and swing the arms to the sides of the body. Fold the feet backwards. Peg a foot into the bottom of the toy so that the Computron foot is facing out of the same side as the front of the robot.

The instructions show Lightspeed serving as Computron's right leg.

Sorry, Lightspeed is the one big failure in the Technobots in my opinion.

Lightspeed was sold in the USA & UK in 1987 at Technobot TK-04 and as part of the Computron giftset. In Japan he was Transformers toy C-89 and was sold as part of the Computicon giftset.

TK-03 Strafe

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Strafe

Strafe is a futuristic looking jet described as a rocket plane. Mainly red & white in colour he features wings that swing up & down where they meet the body. Four small wheels under the body allow the toy to roll along. At the front of the body are two notched 5mm peg holes which allow his twin automatic light -pulse blasters to be attached giving his vehicle mode two large spikes sticking out the front giving him a profile similar to Targetmaster Slugslinger.

Transformation: Pull the rear of the jet including the wings back. Rotate the front section of the middle of the jet back 180 degrees to reveal the robot's head. Stand. Pose the wings to your taste.

Strafe's robot mode is basically his jet mode, but stood on it's end with a head folded out. However there's some fun to be had here. The turning shoulders are the only articulation but that allows the arms to tip forward and turning the hands into the shoulders and the automatic light-pulse blasters into the arms. The light-pulse blasters come off and have a small peg that allows them to be used as hand weapons or he can hold his heat ray rifle. The exposed holes on the shoulders, when the blasters are removed, can be used to mount any 5mm peg weapon.

Like the rest of the small Technobots Strafe can form a limb for Computron. Strafe's construction is unique amongst the Scramble City/Special Team combiner limbs: he lacks a fold out peg. The connection for both modes is done through the head with the body's articulation moving it round. Start from jet mode for each limb configuration, but fold the robot head out so it points out the front.

Arm mode: Fold the head down so it points out under the jet. Peg a fist into the rear of the jet.

Leg mode: Fold the wings down and peg a foot into the rear of the jet.

Both modes allow you to keep the light-pulse blasters attached. The instructions show Strafe as Computron's left arm where the light-pulse blasters look good sticking out the top of the shoulder.

Simple transformation but the light-pulse blasters that can be used in each mode and the innovation on the Scramble City connection make this toy.

Strafe was sold in the US & UK in 1987 as Technobot TK-03 and was also part of the Computron Giftset. In Japan he was numbered C-88 and was also part of the C-91 Computicon giftset.

Like the rest of the Technobots Strafe has never been reissued but the character has returned as a Generation 2 Cyberjet, a repaint of Spacecase (thought there is some evidence that the names for both series of Cyberjets were swapped - the Decepticons feature lots of Autobot red) and also as Getei Strafe, a repaint of Universe/Henkei Cyclonus which was exclusive to members of the Transformers Basecamp web site in Japan, which is itself exclusive to those who own a Transformers-themed Visa credit card. According to TF Wiki apparently "Gentei" is Japanese for "exclusive", and a pun on the normal "Henkei!" line name.

TK-02 Nosecone

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Nosecone

Nosecone has that favourite vehicle mode of Japanese Toy designers, a Drill Tank! When did the Japanese get so obsessed with Drill Tanks? When they saw The Mole in Thunderbirds? Or before that? He's got a mainly brown body, with a single white and sadly non truning drill at the front. The cockpit is painted in red and there's some yellow towards the back. The drill tank has two configurations: one where the drill lies close to the floor and another, when the tracks are pulled down & back, which elevates the tank body up somewhat. This is it's usual mode: two 5mm peg holes are exposed here on the sides which allows his two rocket propelled missiles to be pegged onto each side above the tracks. Each track contains a pair of small wheels allowing the toy to move. The drill tank can be pivoted forward on it's tracks so the nose points towards the ground.

Transformation: Remove the missiles. Push the tracks forward and up. Fold the rear of the tank back 180 degrees to form the robot's legs. Fold the nosecone back. Stand on the rear of the tank with the underside facing forward. Peg his gun into the 2mm peg hole on the side of his hand.

Lots of brown again in robot mode with the yellow from the back of the tank ending up on the front of the legs. Yellow is also used for the chest centre and head with the rest of the torso being moulded in white plastic. His arms move and his knees bend together as part of the transformation: that's it for articulation. Sadly there's no way he can use his missiles in this mode.

Nosecone's robot mode is the basis for both his limb mode. Start each of them by folding the lower legs back 180 degrees, folding the arms to the side and re-attaching the missiles.

Leg Mode: Plug a foot into one of the holes at the bottom of the toy.

Arm Mode: Fold the head forward to form the Scramble City connector. Fold the drill back into place. Plug a hand into the hole on the bottom of the toy.

Nosecone usually serves as Computron 's left leg. Nosecone is capable of becoming a longer limb if you leave the robot legs folded out: there are 5mm peg holes at either end of the leg. I prefer the more compact version.

TFWiki's Nosecone entry jokes that "According to Blaster, Nosecone won the Sportsmechanoid of the Millennium thanks to his Mecha-soccer skills." This is a joke at the expense of a Brave Police Toy, Drillboy, who looks very simialr to Nosecone and comes with a football. Drillboy is the fourth construction toy in the Brave Police line and allows Build Tiger, formed from McCrane, Power Joe & Dumpson, to power up to form Super Build Tiger. I want a Super Build Tiger, my KO fell to bits!

My Mum bought me a Nosecone back from a Jumble sale many years ago and I loved it. For several years it was my only Technobot - I later owned Strafe but sold both when I purged the original collection in late 1995. Now I have one again and, as much as I love the Seacons, think he might be my favourite Special Team/Scramble City limb toy. There's some fun to be had here.

Nosecone was sold in the UK & USA in 1987 where he was Technobot TK-02, and was also available in the Computron giftset. He was Japanese Transformer C-87 and also part of the C-91 Computicon giftset. Both Japanese toys were sold into 1988.

Star Dub episode #87: Roar of the Robot Truck!

StarDub has a new video on YouTube and it's a Poundland special: Star Dub episode #87: Roar of the Robot Truck!

TK-01 Afterburner

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Afterburner

The Technobots are, like many of the 1987 Autobots, futuristic vehicles. Afterburner is a futuristic motorcycle, a mode which has always reminded me of the
Tron Light Cycle. Mainly orange,with a painted white window over the passenger compartment the toy features a grey & white structure holding the 2 wheels in place. A close look reveals two small grey stabiliser wheels concealed in the bodywork. The vehicle mode comes armed: with the front towards you he has his Incendiary Missile Launcher on the left side and his Plasma Pulse Cannon on the right. Both are removable and are mounted on 5mm pegs so Computron can use them as hand weapons.

Transformation: remove the weapons. fold the passenger compartment forward 180 degrees. Fold the rear of the passenger compartment under the toy to form a heel spur and stand. Fold the back wheel down behind his head. Swing the sides of the bike round to form the arms and peg his Sonic Blaster Pistol into the side of his hand.

Afterburner's robot mode is mainly orange with a brown body, painted silver on the sides of the chest. The only white on the robot is in the middle of the waist. His shoulders turn and he can also bend forward. He can't use the Plasma Pulse Cannon in this mode because the 5mm peg holes don't allow enough clearance form the floor for it to be mounted, but the Incendiary Missile Launcher will peg into his right ankle.

Afterburner's robot mode forms the basis for both limb modes. Remove the gun and fold the arms to the sides to start

Arm mode: Fold the head forward to form the Scramble City connector. Plug a fist into the robot's feet.

Leg mode: Plug a foot into the hole in the robot's feet.

The instructions show Afterburner serving as Computron's right arm. When in arm mode Afterburner can mount both of his vehicle mode weapons as extra firepower for Computron. I put the Plasma Pulse Cannon on the top of the arm with the Incendiary Missile Launcher underneath.

Two decent modes, lots of weapons and a transformation that's different from the other Scramble City limbs. Fab.

Afterburner was released in the west in 1987 at Technobot TK-01 and also in the Computron giftset. In Japan he was Transformers toy C-90 also available in the C-91 Computicon giftset.

Ask & You Shall Recieve

They asked....

they got !

Phil's TF Reviews will now be blogged