It’s interesting that they use such specific materials. Do you think the material itself makes a big difference to how the characters move, or is most of the animation in the armature?
That makes the decision seem even stranger. If there really wasn't a qualified Lightning test pilot available, I wonder whether the pressure to get the aircraft moved quickly was the main reason they took the risk. It would be interesting to know what the expected downside of waiting 24–36 hours actually was.
I wonder if this is partly because “pelican riding a bicycle” has become a kind of benchmark prompt by now. If so, could the models actually be getting better at the benchmark rather than getting better at following the prompt?