Lunadiver Stingray
Allegiance: Mercenary Army

Kit currently in production from Hasegawa Hobby Kits, available from HobbyLink Japan.

I am pleased to offer a review of the Maschinen Krieger Lunadiver Stingray, as currently produced by Hasegawa Hobby Kit and obtainable from HobbyLink Japan (click the link above). This is the first of what will probably be many 1/35th injection plastic kits, packaged in a box showcasing Kow Yokoyama's splendid art. I believe this is the best way to offer the larger designs that would be cost prohibitive in 1/20th scale... and Hasegawa was even cool enough to include two 1/35th suits!! A Fireball SG and a Prowler!

So let's start with the box art. Kow's painting depicts the new skull themed deco, with matching suits traveling nearby. It's a large sturdy box - thick cardboard!

The back gives you stats, a broken English description of the Lunadiver, and more beautiful art.

The sides of the inner box show more deco possibilities.

The Lunadiver sprues are cast in a nice cream colored plastic.

Great care was taken in how the Lunadiver was broken up for molding. I'm in an interesting position with this particular kit, fresh off my personal project of recreating Yokoyama-san's original 1/20th scale Lunadiver, which I engineered to sell as a kit. I can immediately see how parts can be engineered from a different direction, to suit the media. Great stuff!

The stand is an interesting piece - it features a socket that plugs into the rear of the Lunadiver's main body, and is the same shape/profile as a USB plug!

The figures and cockpit included are stunning - simply stunning. You can choose a pilot seated, or climbing from the hatch!

This cockpit is a JEWEL.

The suits are also works of art in their own right - amazing detail!

Each sprue gets a unique sub-sprue, for Fireball or Prowler designs.

Can you believe that we get slide-mold one-piece engine bells in 1/35th scale?!

Two sprues are identical, and these reproduce the engine bells, tanks, and other details you see two of on the Lunadiver. You also get bolts!

Instructions for the Lunadiver itself, the suits, a camo card, and a gorgeous waterslide decal sheet.

Here's the USB-friendly port!

Decals and camo card come bagged.

As do the parts - it's a massive amount!

Here's some comparison shots to my 1/20th scale kit.

Hasegawa has perfectly replicated a lot of the original donor parts in the 1/35th scale.

Some parts have been idealized, like the omission of the weld seam along the "shield".

And some shapes have been altered/simplified slightly.

Happily enough, my simplification of the underside (which features large voids on the original scratch build - impossible to replicate for a kit) was also embraced by Hasegawa!

My scratch built/sculpted elements on the gun hold up!!

Slightly simplified, but pretty amazing nonetheless!

Pipes are attached to the Hasegawa piece, where they were arranged differently on my kit - the end result is the same though!

Dish detail simplified on the 1/35th kit, but again - not really necessary.

A slight change to the curves, but almost the same.

This part is much simpler on the Hasegawa kit, which I believe is a function of it being part of the radar hinge.

Same.

Same.

This is interesting... I guess I got the tail's plane fuselage nose re-shaping wrong?

Engine mounts are simplified a little more than I'd like, but hey, it's still a gorgeous kit.

If you want to hyper-accurize this piece, drill out the inset circular areas.

These are almost exact!

Also so nicely done!

These helicopter bits are also simplified a bit.

This side too.

My scratch built tanks have a gentler curve, but I'm happy to report I got the overall dimensions correct!

Another miniaturized jewel!

I'm happy they replicated this detail inside the Porsche doors, but they left off the spindly protrusion... probably for the best!

I love this kit!

And here's the last photo... this 1/35th kit is absolutely gorgeous - GET ONE NOW!

Next up - assembly!

Maschinen Krieger © Kow Yokoyama