NOTE: This article was originally posted in 2008. It has been significantly updated here with many new discoveries.

Magazine ad (1978) absolutely meant to capitalize on “Yamato Part II” mania

Animation fans of all ages think of just one line of Japanese mecha when they see that catchphrase, but it applies equally well to something else that existed several years before any semi-truck even considered changing into a robot: The Redhawk model kits. Space Battleship Yamato fans who occasionally trip over one of these kits may be tempted to laugh it off as yet another lame attempt to leech some excess fame, but a deeper look into the Redhawk line reveals quite a lot more going on.

Created by Japanese model and toymaker Aoshima (which is still in business Visit Aoshima’s home page today) the Redhawk line was one of many sub-groups in the “Gattai Machine” series. “Gattai” means “Combine,” and the gimmick was that you’d assemble different vehicles (usually four) and then combine them into a bigger one. As you can guess, that means the number of models to be chased down was simply staggering, certainly an indictor of strong support from the Japanese children they were aimed at.

Though Aoshima was clearly riding the coattails of Space Battleship Yamato, the first of their Redhawk models rolled out in 1976. At that time, the first Yamato TV series was not yet in the mainstream, and few suspected that it would achieve blockbuster status just a year later. With all that in mind, let’s give Aoshima the benefit of a doubt and have a look at the single most successful faux-Yamato anyone ever invented…

Gattai Kyokan Yamato (1976)

The gimmick: it was composed of four smaller mecha that combined into one battleship with a giant robot (called the Gattai Robot Musashi) in place of a bridge tower. Each of the four sections had its own name and purpose, which will be revealed below. Two boxes are shown here, the original 1976 version (left) and a 1980 reissue (right). Note: “Gattai Kyokan” means “Combine Giant Ship.”

Click the box art image at right to see an enlargement.

This photo chart gives you a good idea of the crazy variability built into these models. The largest ones not only broke up into four main segments, each of those segments could be further broken down to form a fleet of support vehicles. What’s more, most of them were offered in smaller scales. Many years before the invention of Pokemon, that “gotta catch ’em all” impulse was already a driving force.

Giant Carrier Redhawk (1977)

The second (and even more colorful) ship in the line, this carrier was also designed to split into four subsections numbered R1 to R4. When divided up, they had their own names: the R1 Derrick Machine, R2 Parabola Machine, R3 Commander Machine, and R4 Cosmos Machine. This was in addition to numerous smaller mecha that could launch from various attachment points. As a unit, the carrier and its vehicles were referred to as Red Cosmic. The boxes shown above are from the first release in 1977 and a reissue in 1979.

Click on the art at right to see an enlargement

Advertising for the Giant Carrier Redhawk: one for the model kit and one for a motorized version (keep reading).

Gattai Redhawk Yamato (1978)

The third warship was the one actually called Yamato, and it’s no coincidence that it bears a much stronger resemblance to the anime Yamato than either the Gattai Kyokan or the Red Cosmic(which, incidentally, can both be seen in the background on the box art). 1978 was the year of Farewell to Yamato and anything even slightly similar to the real thing was guaranteed to capture a fan’s attention. The box at left was for the original release. At right is the 1981 reissue.

Click on the box art at right to see an enlargement.

In keeping with the gimmick, Redhawk Yamato could break up into four subsections that functioned as independent vehicles. Promoted at 1/500 scale, this whopper of a kit stretched to almost 21 inches when completed, easily nosing past Bandai’s 1/500 Yamato released in the same year. Because of its well-timed release in 1978, this kit became Aoshima’s biggest seller and is thus the one most remembered by Japanese fans who were lucky enough to be there.