1:72 Yugoslav helmet M59/85 (detail)

Yugoslav M59/85 helmet 1:72 - the detail version

An accessory for figures in 1:72 scale from a line of small modeling parts. It suits conversions of figures, bringing the equipment of a group of figures into line, and use as an object of its own in a scene: a helmet set down on a crate or on equipment gives a scene life. It is not a kit and a figure is not included in the package. The manufacturer makes the same pattern in a standard version and in other scales as well, so go by the full wording of the name.

The real subject

The M59/85 helmet was part of the equipment of the Yugoslav army, and after the state broke up it is met with in the forces of the successor countries as well. It is a revision of the earlier M59 pattern, in which above all the liner and the fastening changed. The outer shape stayed easy to recognize, and it is exactly that which makes the helmet an unambiguous regional mark: a figure wearing it belongs in the Balkans, not in a western or an eastern scene.

Usage and painting tips

Degrease the part before gluing and clean up the remnant left by the casting block with a fine file: in 1:72 scale every excess of material shows. Glue with cyanoacrylate glue applied with a toothpick. Lay the base coat in several thin passes, so that the edge of the bowl is not filled in; a final wash into the transition between the bowl and the edge and fine drybrushing of the edges will give the helmet its shape. Anyone who wants a more convincing surface can add a light rub of pigments.

Who the set is for

• Modelers building scenes from a Balkan setting
• Conversions of figures with the wrong headgear
• Dioramas and vignettes where the equipment is to be set down
• Those who build the same subject in several scales

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