1:72 Japanese helmet M30-32 (detail)

Japanese M30-32 helmet 1:72 - the detail version

This accessory belongs to a line of small parts for figures in 1:72 scale. You use it when converting a figure, when bringing the equipment of a whole group of figures into line, or as an object of its own in a scene. It is not a model of an aircraft or a vehicle and a figure is not included in the package. The manufacturer makes the pattern in two versions, in this one, marked detail, and in a standard one; both exist in larger scales as well, so watch the full wording of the name.

The real subject

The Japanese steel helmet used in the 1930s and 1940s has a shallow round bowl and a short edge, which sets it apart at first glance from European patterns of the same period. It was worn bare, with a cloth cover and with a camouflage net, and in period photographs a tied cloth band often goes with it. In 1:72 scale it is a detail the size of a pinhead, which all the same decides whether a scene looks convincing or not.

Usage and painting tips

Degrease the part before gluing and clean up the place left by the casting block: in a small scale every remnant of material shows. Glue with cyanoacrylate glue, ideally applied with a toothpick, so that the glue does not run onto the surrounding surfaces. If you paint with an airbrush, keep the pressure low and lay the base on in several passes; when painting by hand it helps to stick the part onto a stick. A final wash and drybrushing will pull out the shape of the bowl and the edge.

Who the set is for

• Modelers building figures and scenes from the Pacific and Asian theaters
• Conversions of figures with inaccurate headgear
• Dioramas and vignettes where the equipment is to be set down
• Those who build the same subject in several scales at once

The accessory is supplied unpainted and without a figure. Paints, glue and other accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.