1:35 Yugoslav helmet M59/85

1:35 Yugoslav M59/85 helmet - an accessory for figures

A modeling accessory of its own in 1:35 scale: a casting of the Yugoslav M59/85 steel helmet. It is not a kit or a whole figure but a single small object with which you alter a figure or fill out a diorama scene.

The real subject

The M59/85 is a Yugoslav steel helmet from the equipment of the Yugoslav People's Army. The designation refers to the original pattern from the end of the 1950s and to its later revision from the 1980s. The helmet has a deep shell with a smoothly drawn-in edge and in this form it served for whole decades, so it appears on figures from the postwar period right through to the 1990s. For a modeler it is a type that hardly ever turns up in ordinary sets of figures, and one that at the same time settles unambiguously who a scene depicts.

Building and painting tips

Separate the casting from the casting block with a saw or a sharp knife, and do not snap it off. Wash a resin part in lukewarm water with detergent before painting and glue it with cyanoacrylate glue; a plastic one is joined with ordinary modeling cement. Wet-sand and do so with respiratory protection. A coat of primer is obligatory on small accessories. Choose the shade according to the period and the unit you are building. The deep shell comes alive nicely with a dark wash along the edge and very fine drybrushing of the crown: a steel helmet should be glossy nowhere, so finish the surface with a matte varnish. Paint it before setting it on the figure.

Who the set is for

• Builders of postwar and Balkan vehicles and infantry in 1:35 scale
• Modelers who are short of a less usual type of helmet
• Diorama builders who want equipment set down in a scene
• More experienced modelers working with small castings

The accessory is supplied unassembled and unpainted. The figure, glue, paints and other accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.