Transformers Generations Autobot Whirl Review

Transformers Generations has given us another re-engineered classic character with this 1985 Deluxe Autobot inspired version of Whirl. Join me as we take a closer look at this newest Transformer.

The box shows that Whirl is a Voyager class transformer meaning he’s a bit bigger and hopefully a little more complex than the Transformers hanging on the pegs. It also means he’s a little more expensive as well.

The back of the box has his tech specs and shows the 3 different modes he can transform into! That’s right, Whirl now has a Gerwalk type of mode similar to vintage Robotech Valkyries.

 

Let’s start off looking at his helicopter mode. All the basics of his original Bell AH-1 Cobra inspired look are there. I like that the red stripe on the tail is actually painted on and not a sticker.

 

While it may be hard to open, the canopy does actually open. I’m not sure there are any figures quite small enough to fit into the cockpit though.

 

Whirl comes with 4 weapon attachments. The great thing about these weapons is that they each have multiple different attachment points (Pegs, Bars, Holes & Clips) that can allow them to be configured in a multitude of ways.

 

They can even be all attached together to form one huge, impossible cluster of firepower!

 

Whirl, himself also has multiple attachment ports. The obvious one is the hole on the side, but there’s also the bar right behind it, then there’s that dark blue bar below that and even the landing gear is the right size to hold the weapon clips.

 

A slight disappointment to me in Helicopter mode is that while there is a hole in the bottom of the nose, the Shell Cannon is too large to allow Whirl an even landing. This would have been bonus points for me as I love the original look of Ovelon Gazzette from Special Armored Battalion Dorvack (Which is where the G1 Whirl toy came from)

 

Next up is the new Gerwalk styled “Heloped” mode. What you basically have is half a helicopter with arms and legs sticking out. It’s interesting and new, but I know for me, I could usually forget about most Gerwalk modes. They always seemed like mid transformation modes to me.

 

Here’s how the Heloped mode looks with the weapons attached. This allows you to see how the helicopter landing skid can be effectively used as a weapon mount…

 

…we also see that the Null-Ray Module still retains it’s classic feature of replacing a hand and now the Shell Cannon can sit under the nose without being in the way.

 

That brings us to the main event, Whirl’s robot mode. As you can see there are many of the classic design aspects still seen in bot mode. The pincer claws, cockpit for a chest, etc… Really the only big change is the chicken legs. While I do like the original ski legs, these aren’t bad either. Everything flows well together.

 

The head is an updated version of the original monocled head. The eyepiece has light piping that can be blocked by moving the antenna forward. Unfortunately, either the light piping isn’t big enough in the back to allow a lot of light through, or it’s too dark of a color. Either way, it doesn’t glow as well as I’d like.

 

Now Whirl with weapons in robot mode! As you can see, this is yet another configuration of the weapons. I really like the versatility of all the different connector ports.

 

Another big plus for Whirl is the crazy amount of articulation he has. The arms have the most useful articulation with the ball joint + swivel-hinge shoulders and swivel double hinge elbows. The legs basically have swivel-hinge hips, swivel thighs and double hinge knees, but due to the nature of the chicken legs, you are limited in the useful poses you can make with them. The head also has a ball joint to give you expressive nods and head leans.

 

Another aspect I really liked was that the helicopter blades are attached to a separate piece that swivels to allow the blades to be centered in both Helicopter mode and Bot mode.

 

Also included with Whirl is an actual sticker sheet! Right off the bat I’m seeing some classic stickers and I really like that they have the Dorvack designation “VH-64MR” as a few of the stickers.

There are two slight problems with the stickers and their instructions I want to point out at this moment. If you look at the sticker sheet, you may notice there are three #17 and three #18 stickers (2 in the center and one on the right for each number) Now the ones on the right are not the same as the ones in the center and this wouldn’t be a problem, if the instructions showed the different stickers, but as you can see below, the instructions not only show all the 18’s (Colored Green) as the same looking sticker, they omit one of the 17’s (Colored Red) from the instructions entirely! (I chose to put the similar stickers on the same places on the legs/skid areas and the different ones on the other areas (arm/canopy))

 

Here we have robot mode Whirl with stickers. I have to say, they do make him look better and a bit more detailed. I especially like the vintage look the Autobot stickers give him (even if they did have to be trimmed down a bit) I didn’t use all the stickers on the sheet (I rarely do) as some didn’t look as well and some I figured may wind up peeling off (the red stripes for the helicopter blades)

 

I always enjoy seeing stickers with actual phrases and warnings on them so the arm stickers are big winners with me.

 

On the other side, though, I hate seeing stickers that didn’t take the background color  into consideration like these two that lose detail or are just hard to see.

 

Here’s the bulk of the helicopter stickers. A few nice little details show up and give the helicopter mode some authenticity. There is one hidden gem in these stickers……..

 

….The pilot’s info! That’s none other than the GI Joe Dragonfly pilot Wild Bill! They have the name, rank and even serial number from his filecard which would make sense considering the Dragonfly is also modeled off of a Bell AH-1 Cobra. At the bottom of the sticker is the date 04-20-87. Wikipedia lists that date as the release date for GI Joe the movie so it’s very possible that is what the date refers to.

 

Here’s a family reunion consisting of a KO Takatoku Ovelon Gazzette, G1 Whirl, Convertors Chopper and Generations Autobot Whirl.

 

So that was Transformers Generations Autobot Whirl. I’m really pleased with this update of one of my favorite G1 Transformers. All the classic elements are there along with some updates. The toy feels sturdy and I’m proud to have it in my collection. If you see this in the wild, buy it!