When information of the invention of Quetzalcoatlus first started breaking again within the late Seventies, it impressed a wave of paleoart depicting a fairly weird and considerably unnerving creature that ended up bearing little or no resemblance to the mighty azhdarchid. The very first rendition seems to have been by Giovanni Caselli in 1975. The same portrait was created by Bob Hersey in 1980. And even by 1984, the tiny-headed look was nonetheless a factor, as proven in this piece by David Orr. The actual Quetzalcoatlus could also be far eliminated, however it will be sort of neat if such a freaky pterosaur like that really did exist!
My second TNG assessment is their second model of Quetzalcoatlus, launched in 2023. The first one, launched in 2022, was the very same sculpt with a really completely different color scheme, being largely brown with a yellow invoice and a blue crest. This one right here is all carried out up in shades of gray. The wings are darkish gray with pink airbrushing, very darkish gray scutes on the palms and toes, and shiny black claws. The again of the torso is grey-blue whereas the entrance is painted over with beige. The neck is mild gray with just a few blue spots and a pink throat. The yellow eyes are surrounded by sensible blue patches and the crest is yellow with mild brown stripes. Lastly, the invoice is darkish gray with darker stripes and light-weight pink for the within of the mouth. I feel this seems method higher than the earlier model.
The Quetzalcoatlus is sculpted in a decidedly majestic strolling pose with its wings folded up and the left foot prolonged again. The pinnacle is raised excessive, angled upwards, and turned to the correct. This makes it barely greater than 20 cm tall, 11 cm broad, and 12.5 cm lengthy. Granted, it’s not as colossal as CollectA’s Deluxe pterosaurs, nevertheless it is among the largest PVC Quetzalcoatlus figures to come back alongside in recent times. Its official scale is listed as 1:35, nevertheless it really appears nearer to 1:32 or so.
The higher invoice is generally clean, however the decrease one is roofed in faint grooves. The pinnacle crest additionally has faint grooves and there are seen wrinkles across the eyes. The mouth has a grooved palate and a wrinkled tongue. The neck, torso, and limbs are coated in small pycnofibres whereas the palms and toes are scaly like a theropod dinosaur’s. And at last, the wings have a crisscrossing texture to them, together with loads of thick folds and wrinkles. It truly is all fairly excellent craftsmanship, simply on par with something from CollectA, Haolonggood, PNSO, or Schleich.
And as you’ve seen by now, the decrease invoice is hinged, permitting the mouth to open to 30 levels. And when you’ve got any small baby dinosaur toys useful, they will certainly be gripped in mentioned mouth!
Few collectors if any would fail to recognise this toy as a Quetzalcoatlus. The cranium options eyes which are set far again and an unlimited, sword-like invoice with exactly zero dentition. The crest is smaller than in sure different depictions, however that’s fantastic on condition that its exact form and dimension continues to be unsure. The folded wings are additionally very spectacular. All of the joints are bent within the right method and the three-fingered palms are oriented outward. The propatagium, which extends from the shoulder joints to the carpals, and the uropatagium, extending from the hips to the ankles, are current and clearly seen. The 4 digit toes are comparatively small, very like pterosaur skilled Mark Witton’s skeletal restoration.
However as you may see from that very same restoration, there’s positively one thing off with this toy. The torso is simply plain too massive. Too deep within the chest and too lengthy within the backbone to be in correct proportion to the pinnacle. And whereas the invoice and the neck are lengthy, they aren’t fairly lengthy sufficient, significantly the latter. Certainly, the extra I take a look at this toy, the extra I really feel that it nearly looks as if a brand new species of azhdarchid altogether, one that’s too hefty to fly. Say, perhaps it’s a transitional kind between Quetzalcoatlus and the lank?
General, whereas the TNG Quetzalcoatlus has its share of anatomical flaws, it nonetheless finally ends up being top-of-the-line renditions of this species at the moment obtainable due to its imposing dimension, magnificent sculpting element, and pleasing colouration. Plus that articulated decrease invoice will increase its enjoyable issue. TNG appears similar to Mojo Enjoyable in that they make fairly frobly-mobly dinosaurs, however excellent non-dinosaurs. I stay up for seeing what they’ve in retailer subsequent.
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