While still designed by Bandai, as part of Series 3, Raizor was not releasd in Japan for Machine Robo.
Raizor is one of the few repurposed concepts from a Bandai idea that didn't see production. Bandai had planned to release a number of 'Powered Up' versions of the 600 Series figures. Spoiler with extra sections and guns to make it appear more battle ready, Apollo with a huge, body mounted canon, etc. There had been plans to Power Up Phantom Robo and the concept sketch, while slightly simplified for the smaller scale, shows clearly what later became the concept for Raizor; ref Machine Robo Wedge page 49.
Clutch is also one of the few super scale figures to be released without an extra sticker sheet.
Additional Details on the Super Gobots Index Page
Region Codes Used: US United States / CA Canada / AU Australia / EU Europe
NOTE: Location codes only shown where items were known to be released. This list is accurate yet likely to be incomplete.
Super Gobots Series 3 034 US/CA Tonka 1986
Robo Machine Super Gobots EU Bandai 1986
Stamping:
US Gobots stamped '(c) Bandai 1985 Made in Japan'
Robo Machine stamped '(c) Bandai 1984 Made in S'Pore'
* It is unconfirmed whether Raizor was released in Australia for the Machine Men line. The figure along with Super Couper and Night Fright has yet to be seen advertised in catalogues or on packaging figure selection photos. With the limited US and EU release of these three figures and the line winding down it's likely that they did not see an Australian release.
Rotor Placement in Robot Mode While the marketing and packaging art does not show Raizor with anywhere to place the rotor in robot mode, the original production sketch depicts the model with the rotors attached high between the shoulders on its back. On the production figure there is a socket perfectly matching the rotor peg (not a screw hole) and so it's likely that this feature was forgotten somewhere during the marketing process.
White Prototype A prototype for Raizor was showcased in a Tonka product trade catalogue featuring a white head, black hands, eyes and tips on the upper, folding wings. These wings also showed slightly different, possibly painted grey sections. The canopy was clear, non-tined plastic, the front wheel was coloured and the air intake domes were white. The same prototype model appeared as part of an assortment photograph on the rear of some figure packaging boxes.
Tan Prototype Bandai sent Tonka example test casts of what were expected to be final production models for final sign-off. Bandai often used tan in varying darkens as a default test cast resin pigment.
An earlier design sketch showed Raizor with yellow upper legs, head with red inlaid details across the top of the head. The arms were simple, upraised yellow details on the flaps attached to the lower wings with no separate arms under them. The folding wings included long, forward facing wing tip spikes and two small missiles were attached to the side flaps near the arms. In this design sketch the robot mode example showed the rotor attached to the figure's back.
The Robo Machine packaging art shows a design close to the prototype example below but with a red canopy.
CREDIT White prototype image supplied by Jörg Zimmermann. Tan prototype example provided by Chris Ingledue.
