Introduction:

I remember the first 3D printed products I received from Shapeways couple of years ago. These were perfectly designed items, but the printing quality left much to be desired. Getting rid of pronounced printing lines and preparing the rough surface for painting was tedious work, often resulting in many fine details being lost in the process.

Fortunately, the times of poor quality prints are long gone. Recent advances in 3D printing technology and high-resolution printers are revolutionizing the world of modeling. Jason Studio is one of the companies leading the change, offering their products exclusively as top-quality 3D printed items. This review covers the company’s first release: U.S. Tank Crew Helmet (JS-35001).

Review:

The U.S. Tank Crew Helmet (JS-35001) set comes packed in a plastic box. The box features a CAD image showing the three slightly different versions of Combat Vehicle Crewman (CVC) helmets included in this set.

Opening the box reveals a zip lock bag with 3D printed parts and a small leaflet which describes the procedure of removing the pieces from their carrier blocks... As most modelers are still not used to working with 3D printed parts, these tips will definitely come in handy.

I followed the suggested protocol, using Tamiya sharp pointed side cutters for cutting the thinnest carrier supports first and gradually moving to the thicker ones. There are quite a few of these, so I was extra careful not to rush the process and damage the part. The thin boom microphone snapped during the cleanup, but I was able to salvage it using superglue. Finally, I had to do some fine sanding to get rid of the burrs. Under a thin coat of primer, the quality of the print is evident: there are no printing lines or any kind of imperfections visible even under highest magnification. The details are sharp and perfectly delivered in scale.

The set includes three CVC helmets in 1/35 scale. The shape of the helmet shell is faithfully reproduced, with all the helmet exterior as well as interior details (front and rear hanger tabs, inner helmet liner, communication headset with sound attenuating earcups, boom microphone, chinstrap, etc.) superbly defined. Check out the photos attached to this review… Impressive! An added bonus to this set is the fact the three helmets supplied are slightly different from one another, offering a nice variety even when displaying them together on the same vehicle.

Conclusion:

U.S. Tank Crew Helmet (JS-35001) set from Jason Studio offers three 3D printed CVC helmets in 1/35 scale. The pieces are superbly printed with tons of perfectly defined details inside and out, and deliver unbelievably realistic miniature renditions of the famous US vehicle crew helmet.

Well done, Jason Studio!