I’m sure Paul would be the best one to answer this question, but maybe others have had similar experiences.
I’m wondering, does Hasegawa not replace broken parts? None of the other builds or reviews I’ve found on this kit mention the problem that Paul faced, so I assume his was a fluke.
It also could be that, due to deadlines, Pual couldn’t send away for a replacement and get the part in time to finish the review. But, I think I’ve read of other modelers having trouble getting replacement parts from Hasegaway.
I don’t know what the policy is on replacement parts, but the current distributor for Hasegawa kits in the US is Dragon Models USA (advertise in FSM). I don’t know if they are set up to replace broken/missing parts, but you could give them a try. I decided not to try or wait. This crack had occured right at the sprue attachment point, and I might have done it when snipping it from the sprue. There is a mold parting line going down the middle, too, and this may have created a “weak spot.”
If you go to www.hlj.com, you can get replacements. It takes a while sometimes, but never longer than two months or so. When you get to the website, click on “contact us” on the left hand side. The address you are looking for is parts@hlj.com. You will need to include such details as the manufacturer, kit number, sprue number, payment info, etc. Note that they only get sprues, not individual parts. I have gotten replacement parts (sprues) twice now without any complaints.