Vamp missile launcher - The Switcheroo

[Flophouse]

So every time I see a Vamp Mk II mold that has the missile launcher with the "vent" side on top, I think some kid put it together wrong and the now adult owner has just never corrected it. But I now think Hasbro designers and artists couldn't decide either. Look at the blueprints for the original Vamp Mk II in 1984, the blueprints show the top of the missile launcher to have the three parallel lines on top, and the exhaust vent side underneath. Oddly though, the box back photo shows a prototype launcher that isn't the final production part. It's a hybrid that has both the long parallel lines and an exhaust port towards the rear of the launcher, instead of closer to the front;

http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/84/vam...box_back.shtml

Then on the 1989 Tiger Sting the missile launcher it shown with the launcher flipped over and the exhaust vent on the topside. Both the blueprints and box photos show it this way.

I'll assume when the Tiger Sting was assembled for production photos back in the day, the person doing it happened to put the launcher on upside down. Box photos done, then an illustrator doing the blueprints used those images to draw the missile launcher and would have drawn the missile launcher as it appeared in the photos, upside down.


'84 Vamp Mk II
http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/84/vam...ueprints.shtml

'89 Tiger Sting
http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/89/tig...ueprints.shtml


I use the box art and blueprints to decide where parts and decals go exactly, so when I photograph the Tiger Sting for the archives I'm going to go by the blueprints and put the vent side up on the launcher. Even if I think it's a design mistake.

- '84 Vamp Mk II - vent side DOWN
- Late 80's Vamp Mk II mail away (light brown) - vent side DOWN
- '89 Tiger Sting - vent side UP


Anyone agree, disagree, with my silly little observation?

[Falcone]

I'm not basing my opinion on anything like box art or blueprints. To me it seems logical from a realism standpoint to have the vents on the top. You don't want the vented air blowing onto the vehicle. Also from a toy standpoint I think it should be up. Simply because that side has a lot of detail, while the other side does not. It makes sense that toy sculptors would put more detail on a visible part.

[Volleydan]

I haven't messed with mine in a while, but I seem to remember that if you put it on one way, the launcher wouldn't elevate without having to 'click' it past the chassis. To me that means that it was clearly designed to be the other way.

I think vent side up is what works better....which supports what you guys are already saying.

[Tolan]

I use the box art and blueprints to decide where parts and decals go exactly, so when I photograph the Tiger Sting for the archives I'm going to go by the blueprints and put the vent side up on the launcher. Even if I think it's a design mistake.

- '84 Vamp Mk II - vent side DOWN
- Late 80's Vamp Mk II mail away (light brown) - vent side DOWN
- '89 Tiger Sting - vent side UP


Anyone agree, disagree, with my silly little observation?

On the Tiger Sting, the half circle humps limits the missile box's rotation if the vent side is up, this is the only reason that, as a toy, that I wouldnt have the vent side up.

Also be careful if you use the solely use the box art for assembling and decaling vehicles, ie DEMON/Razorback...you will have "incorrectly" have it done...ask me how I know ..

[Flophouse]

On the Tiger Sting, the half circle humps limits the missile box's rotation if the vent side is up, this is the only reason that, as a toy, that I wouldnt have the vent side up.

Also be careful if you use the solely use the box art for assembling and decaling vehicles, ie DEMON/Razorback...you will have "incorrectly" have it done...ask me how I know ..

I generally go 99.9% off of what the blueprints indicate for decals, but occasionally the blueprints can be vague because the print is so small or hard to make out. In that case I look at box art.

Now with the Demon, the blueprints and box art contradict each when it comes to the big "DESTRO" on the front of the cockpit. Blueprints show it underneath cockpit (which makes sense), and the box art shows it right on the glass canopy (which is dumb for many reasons).

And I'll play along, How do you know........?

[Tolan]

Now with the Demon, the blueprints and box art contradict each when it comes to the big "DESTRO" on the front of the cockpit. Blueprints show it underneath cockpit (which makes sense), and the box art shows it right on the glass canopy (which is dumb for many reasons).

I actually think the sigil is great on the canopy glass. It can be easily explained as a one way decal or coating that doesn't inhibit the drivers view at all ..

And I'll play along, How do you know........?

I built and decaled my Razorback and Demon to the box images ... and according to the instructions, both are "wrong". Despite this, I still prefer them both this way rather than the instruction way.

[Flophouse]

Since there's more tumble weeds than input from other people, I'll just go with '84 Vamp has the vent facing down and the '89 Tiger Sting will have the vent side up.