I have this love/hate relationship with movie Transformers, you know, i think the 1st one had some of the very best CG i´ve had seen, the mechs not only are there, they feel like they ARE there. But the transformation system? pfsss... like you said, pure cheat. It has no logic or mechanic accuracy. Hated that.
I really would love to do some kind of fan made movie. I loved what my countrymem did with Valkyre Project (sad is the outcome it had with all the linceces issues) but, it felt way off the Macross spirit. Very much more Robotech and Western.
Either way, right know i am still learning, had to turn down SDF1 for that reason. But, i if i think about it, i am modelling things that i don´t even know i will use/show or not. This is accuracy for fun, and learning.
You work on F-16´s??? .... like... inside them!? o_0
PS: If you look it up, the VF-0 (a craft i LOVE) is wat WAY bigger than the VF-1