Matsushiro Jetfire question

[Skull Leader]

So... either my search-fu has failed me, or else I'm imagining things...

Wasn't there a definitive list of all the different micro-variations of Matsushiro Jetfires and their progression from the originals in 84 to when Bandai took them over? Am I smoking crack? Maybe it was on the old Valkyrie-Exchange website? I've got a loose one enroute to me, and I'd like to be able to date it in the progression if I can.

[jenius]

There was one! I remember offering to host it at some point but whoever made it had another plan for it. I don't know what became of it after that.

[SpaceCowboy]

I believe it was this site:
http://nvolz.com/Jetfire.htm

However, it now just returns a 404.

[TheLoneWolf]

http://www.oocities.org/futuristgroup/vauto.html#jetfire

This is the most comprehensive site that I've found, with 7 different Jetfire variations listed. But be warned, it's an old site and won't win any aesthetic awards. The only potential inaccuracy I see is that it lists all of the Matsushiro Jetfires as having "ridged/notched" head lasers. But I've seen a couple of people claim to have bought Matsushiro Jetfires that were still taped shut by the factory and have "smooth/fat" head lasers. With fans Frankensteining their Jetfires together for various reasons, I don't know if we'll ever be a definitive answer.

[Skull Leader]

I've seen  Matsushiros unboxed that had the fat head lasers, so there are legit ones out there. Pretty sure they just used up the remaining matsushiro stock and went to the other ones.

 

Thanks again, guys!

[Skull Leader]

unless it was franken-valked (which is always a possibility), this is indeed a legit matsushiro. It's missing the ridged head lasers and the higher-up autobot symbol on the nose, but it's got the backpack, wing, canopy, and manufacturer's plate of a matsu....  interestingly enough, unless it was peeled off and cleaned up VERY well (the part has yellowed uniformly on top), this jetfire was also pre-rub symbol....

 

fun fact, evidently one of my jetfires is a "transition" variant... huh, I didn't know that was a thing (I just thought someone frankenvalked it)

Edited June 27, 2018 by Skull Leader

[GrampaStump]

Old topic, but I've been working on this. It is pretty clear when you take them apart that literally every single part was remolded between the original Matsushiro version and the final Baindai versions. Many of the differences are only on the inside; mold or cavity marks, ejection pin mark locations, sprue mark locations, additional supports around bosses, and some marks - I assume they are ejection pin marks, but I don't really understand - that are "innies" on one version but "outies" on others (I say I'm unsure what they are because I don't understand how an ejection pin mark can be an outie, but they are far too neat and clean to be sprue marks).

I don't have any special knowledge, just taking apart all the junker Jetfires I have bought over the last few years and looking closely at the parts.

The most obvious differences are between the {Matsushiro and undated Bandai} versions and the {1984 and 1985 Bandai} versions. But there are very subtle differences even between the Matsushiro and the undated Bandai, where additional supports were added over time.

So I'm sure reading about this is pretty uninteresting to 99% of Jetfire fans, but I'm not ready to put out pictures. Still taking pictures and making side by side comparisons. But SOMEDAY in the not too distant future, I plan to have a catalog / database / list / pictures of literally every difference in every piece, and which pieces tended to go together. After-market Frankensteining of course makes this last part challenging, but I'm trying.

One thing I have not done is take apart my Takatoku Valkyries to see what they look like on the inside, although I assume they will incredibly similar to Matsushiro Jetfires.

Anyway, my hope is that after I put out a list of all the mold marks and variations I've found with pictures, people can submit pictures of any different versions they find.