>>11571485I say this all the time, bit the biggest issue is that Transformers designs are largely trying to adapt show/media designs where the robot modes are largely made up of parts not in their jet mode, and their jet modes are largely based off real models. outside of the legs vaguely being made of engines(with way more parts than are on the actual one), the jet intakes, and the cockpit, very little of Starscream's robot mode is on the jet mode. So they have to be stuffed in and reveal themselves that way. And that's one of the more workable TF jet modes. The aerialbot robot modes have nothing from the jet modes on their robot mode facades.
It's not that Bandai and Kotobukiya are doing it better themselves, it's that Macross designs are made from the ground up by Kawamori to work out as sleek, functioning models. If you look at how Macross jets are designed, very often their thrusters and fuselage are slightly thicker or more pronounced than real world jets to allow for it to be more seemlessly worked into robot mode parts, and outside of the head/hands and some panels being revealed, there's very little parts unique to the battroid modes that aren't on the jet. In a sense it's like the jet is made up of bits intended to go somewhere as the robot, and the robot is made of jet parts. even the heads are meant to be more naturally integrated.
