Aerialbots

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The Aerialbots (called Airbots in Japan) are a group of five Autobots that transform into aeroplanes and combine to form the giant robot Superion. They were introduced into the Transformers toyline in 1985 and sold as a Superion gift set, and then sold separately in 1986 in most department stores (e.g., Toys R' Us, Sears, Kay-Bee Toys). Their archenemies are the Decepticon car team the Stunticons.

The five Aerialbots are:

Silverbolt (Concorde) : The leader. Afraid of heights. It was due to the fact he was built from a low-level supersonic passenger jet, as opposed to the high-flying fighter jets his comrades were made from. As a result, it was a while before they accepted him as their leader. Motto: Don't look down, look straight ahead. He was voiced by Charlie Adler.
Air Raid (Air Rider in Japan) (F-15 Eagle) : The most impulsive member of the group, he likes to fight Decepticons right up close, Motto: If you look first, you may not leap.He was voiced by Rob Paulsen.
Fireflight (Firebolt in Japan) (F-4 Phantom II) : A reckless flyer, pays no attention to the safety of others as he can get easily distracted by the vistas he sees below while in flight. Motto: When I'm flying, no enemy is safe - nor friend.He was voiced by Jeff MacKay.
Skydive (F-16 Fighting Falcon) : A theorist, would rather research and study battles than fight in them. Motto: Only by studying the past can we win the present.He was voiced by Laurie Faso.
Slingshot (Sling in Japan) (AV-8B Harrier II) : A self-centered, loud-mouth braggart who likes to take credit for others' work. It's his way of compensating for his severe confidence problems. Motto: I'm even better than I think.He was voiced by Rob Paulsen.

US cartoon

They were created on Cybertron around the same time as the Stunticons as a countermeasure to the new Decepticon car team. They are the Autobots' first combiner team, and when merged to form Superion, also considered their strongest gestalt. Unlike the Decepticons' combiner team the Constructicons, their configuration is comprised of five transformers instead of six, or also known as Scramble City. Their first appearance comes in the mini-series Key to Vector Sigma pt. 1 & pt. 2. They were created to combat the Stunticons. During the fight, the Autobots were badly outnumbered by the Stunticons when the newly-formed Aerialbots arrived and battled them. The Stunticons were no match for the Aerialbots and their plane alternate-modes, but once they merged and formed the Decepticon Menasor, things got out of hand. However, the Aerialbots had their own combination, soon they too formed their own gestalt, Superion, to combat Menasor. Superion seemed to easily control the battle, but Menasor began to turn the tides. Menasor was about to land a fatal blow to the Autobot when Omega Supreme arrived, and helped Superion to defeat him, forcing the Stunticons and the Decepticons to retreat. The Aerialbots and Stunticons squared-off again, later in the episode Cosmic Rust, where Superion defeated Menasor in a Gestalt v.s. Gestalt rivalry. Later on in the episode War Dawn they were sent back in time 9 million years ago by the Decepticons in an attempt to get the Aerialbots lost forever in nothingness. At first, they question the motives of the Autobots. But after a series of events, and seeing Megatron's cruelty in the past, they witnessed death of a young Autobot named Orion Pax, who was rebuilt by A3 as their leader, Optimus Prime. They become convinced, and finally accept the ways of the Autobots.

In the episode The Rebirth Part 1, the Aerialbots are destroyed by the Decepticon Sixshot. As the Decepticons arrive and invade Cybertron, they encounter the Aerialbots, who are patrolling the planet. Galvatron orders Sixshot to deal with them, and he easily takes down each of the five Autobots using a different alternate mode. Using the Aerialbots' parts and components, the Decepticons were then able to construct a super engine to move the planet Cybertron.

Dreamwave Comics

The Aerialbots had a very different origin in Dreamwave comics, being a group of Autobot jets from Cybertron, they were part of an experiment to duplicate the combined form of Devastator. Later they came to Earth are were refomatted into Earth-style forms.

Upon the awakening of Optimus Prime in Dreamwave's first Generation One mini-series, the Aerialbots were among the Autobots summoned by Optimus to rescue the remaining Autobots, who had been turned into mind-controlled weapons of mass destruction by a human arms dealer. During a subsequent battle with the Decepticons in San Francisco, the Aerialbots, merged into Superion, sacrificed themselves to stop an incoming nuclear missile, launched by rogue elements in the U.S. military to eradicate both factions of Cybertronians in one fell swoop.

The original Generation One Aerialbots were recolored and released in the Generation Two toy line as well.
==== A group of 5 Autobot combiner jets formed a giant robot called Superion Maximus. Although they had different names in the US, their Japanese names were the same as the Generation One Aerialbots.

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