I thought his backpack was inspired by the pack on G1 Jetfire, myself.
Personally, I approve of the autobots using actual gadgetry & skill to upgrade instead of...just combining or "powering up" anime style.
I'm sure they're just going to devide & conquor the "big clones" due to a certain someones lack of multitasking skills. I'm going to be so dissapointed if I'm right