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I have a question. I recently got a Thundercracker body and it was in pretty bad shape so I thought really nothing about it. Then, When I had him side by side with my other Thundercracker I noticed that the beat up one has a grey canopy. Here's what I mean...
Now I know what you're thinking. I can't tell my Thundercracker from a Dirge in the wall. But that's not true. Thundercracker has what I can only describe as sparkly plastic where as Dirge is a flat blue color. Dirge and Thundercracker are both dated Takara 1980, 1983 as is this grey canopy Thundercracker. Also, Dirge has different stickers. The Thundercracker (if that's who he is) is sparkly and has stickers that go to Thundercracker. Is this a varient? Did someone switch canopies when I wasn't looking? And what is it about those rubber tipped jets that dogs and kitties liked so much to chew on so many of them....
well, dirge did have black metal, not silver. and the stickers are t-cracker. the canopies are a pain to change, so i doubt it's that. maybe the black canopy one is the diaclone thundercracker.....jose?
I believe there was a Hasbro thunkercracker and another type seems the hasbro was a darker blue also,its been so long I forgot but I rember there was two diffrent thundercrakers copyright issue I think.
As far as I know only the prototype of the Hasbro Thundercracker had a smoked canopy, while all production Thunders have the traditional yellow canopy.
My Thundercraker had no canopy and it's very easy to switch them. First I borrowed one from a beater Thrust, and now I placed on it one from a Skywarp. The secret to dissasemble this part is by tapping gently the axle which swivels the cockpit. Then you'll see you can take the canopy off with no problem at all. Check if the axle on your doubtful Thundercracker has signs of being forced. In my opinion this is not a variant as it's too easy to make up.
Nevertheless, there are indeed Thundercrackr bodies variants; check the copy stamps on its legs. I have found at least four different patterns, not counting the accesories' differences too.
