G2 Skyjack

Series: Generation 2
Allegiance: Decepticon
Categories: Cyberjet
Year: 1995

Trust me if you dare!
Rumoured to be sympathetic to the Autobot cause - once photographed meeting with Optimus Prime. In reality, a master spy who can't be trusted. He'll buy you a glass of high-octane turbo juice one minute, then steal secrets from you the next. Activates stealth armour to cloak body from Autobot radar. Practices shooting at cars with missile launcher alongside his mentor, Dreadwing.

Robot Mode: Just like his fellow Cyberjets, Skyjack makes for a very posable little robot, thanks to ball-jointed shoulders and legs. He's also pretty decently detailed, though his mainly black colouring swallows some of that up. Still, a very nice-looking Transformer in the typical jet-style, meaning the front part of the jet forms the torso of the robot and the wings form the back.

Weapon-wise Skyjack has the same claw / missile launcher combo for a right arm that all of the Cyberjets have. He can either use it as a claw for close-quarter combat or insert one of his missiles. He can also use his missiles as staffs, holding one in each hand. So all in all, a pretty good robot mode. No complaints.

Alternate Mode: Skyjack transforms into a stealth bomber, not sure what the exact model is called. This mode also features the one big flaw of this figure. Skyjack's right arm is supposed to form the rear fins of the plane, sitting at the very back. Unfortunately because of the way the joints are assembled this rear part only sits straight when it sticks out too far from the back. If you want to have it fit tightly with the rest of the jet, it sits at an angle. And the missile launcher between the two rear fins just seems wildly out of place here, much more than with the other Cyberjets.

The rest of the jet looks pretty decent, including the flame-like pattern on the wings and rear (though I doubt any real stealth bomber has patterns like this, they'd ruin the whole stealth thing, after all). It also features a fully functional landing gear. So bottom line, a good jet mode, but with one pretty major flaw.

Remarks: Skyjack is the third Cyberjet in my possession, Decepticons all so far. While he has potentially the most interesting vehicle mode (a stealth bomber), the problems with the tail fins and a somewhat awkward transformation sequence drag him down a bit. Still a good toy, no doubt about it, but far from the best of the Cyberjets.

Rating: B-