Unfortunately for me, while a good 1:1 scale replica of the Maska was put on sale for airsofters last year the price was prohibitive and, worse, the quality of the shield was so poor that the manufacturers finally removed it all together. As the shield is the most distinctive part of the Maska - and most practical for CQB airsoft - I ruled out it's purchase and decided to have another go at making my own fake.

This time I managed to find a more reasonable starting point for the helmet as I came across a very reasonably priced surplus British police ARGUS riot helmet - just £19 on eBay! Now, the reason this is a good basis for the project is that the general shape isn't as bulbous as the motorcycle helmet and it is already fitted with a protective face shield.

Left: The real Maska 1Sch1 - the earlier and most recognizable version of the Russian bullet-proof helmet used by Spetsnaz forces. As you can see, the face shield is the most distinctive feature of this helmet and will be the focus of my 'replica'.

The Argus's face shield in particular is the key to this mod, as it will make the imitation of the distinctive MASKA bullet-proof shield easier to achieve. In fact, with a realistically replica of the MASKA's shield on the front of the helmet I will be well on the way to having an acceptable fake Russian military helmet.

Today I am examining my newly delivered Argus helmet, deciding how I should proceed and I am also doing some research into the real dimensions of the real Maska's face shied so I can replicate a facsimile.

Above: My Argus riot helmet - a bit scratched up but perfect for my purpose. Importantly this helmet comes with it's own clear plastic face shield - the mechanism for which I will be using to hang the MASKA style solid face shield on.

The condition of the used Argus isn't too bad - mainly surface scratches - and it fits nicely, but it is a bit uncomfortable so will need some additional padding, and I will have to remove the rear neck protection. As for the Maska shield dimensions I struck gold at the Red Alliance Forum (where else) as someone else is undertaking a similar project.

Above: Schematic for the MASKA-1Sch face shield. Hopefully by faithfully recreating this component of the Maska my fake-Maska will pass for the real thing...At a distance at least! Source: Red Alliance Forum

In the next part of this build project I will be fitting a mock-up template of the shield to the Argus in order to figure out the best way to join the final shield (which will be constructed of sheet aluminum). I will also fitting the additional foam padding needed to make the helmet comfortable in use.

Company: Heroshark, UK
Product: Custom and modified airsoft face masks and goggles

Every since I first started airsoft the search for the perfect face protection has been uppermost in my priorities for kit. I have tried countless permutations, military goggles, airsoft face masks, polycarbonate, steel mesh, low profile and high profile, full masks and half-masks - but each seems to have it's own advantages and disadvantages, so the perfect mask is still an elusive creature!

However, the chances of getting close to that ideal protective eye and face wear just got considerably better now that I have discovered HEROSHARK.

This small one-man operation has been involved in making personalised airsoft face protection since 2000, when the founder started - as these things always seem to start - by making a mask for himself and then hrs friends. From there the word simply got around and he now ships his custom products worldwide.

But Heroshark's flagship product is a fully personalized mask making service which relied on a very individual touch...

"To get the ideal mask suited just to your shape idealy I need a cast of your face. I can supply a guide on how to do this easily or, if you're prepared to travel, you can pop in and visit me for a mold session. As this isn't always possible for people. So I can also work directly from photos of the face, and measurements."

This results in some very unique designs which have the great advantage of being tailor made to your own dimensions. This is very important as many of the plastic face masks out there are made in Asia, and I find this a problem as the smaller Asian sizes mean that these mass-produced masks seldom fit properly, can be uncomfortable and don't always give full face coverage.

Above: Here you see how Heroshark masks excel in comfort and fit. This is an area where cheap mass-produced masks fall down big time - it really is worth spending the extra money for this level of customization. Remember, the more comfortable a mask is the less likely you are to have to adjust it, or worse remove it, so the safer it is.

Aside from this fantastic product Heroshark also breaths new life into your old favourite masks and goggles. Perhaps you own a very comfortable pair of goggles but are fed up with the constant fogging problem - no problem, Heroshark can replace the polycarbonate lenses with it's own punched steel mesh.

I am sending a pair of my faithful Bolle X500s to Heroshark to have this mesh replacement done and I am also ordering a custom mask (am just working on teh design at the moment), so I will do a full report on the quality of these items when they arrive. But for sheer uniqueness and custom fit, you can't get any better than Heroshark!

Check out their website and galley: Heroshark - Performance without Compromise

So I started planning a slow upgrade path using Laylax accessories to build a tricked out version with EBR stock and RIS system...

This month I can buy the RIS system, only there are two versions and I am at odds about which one to get! One keeps the long rifle format while the other turns the Type 89 into a nice little CQB buster (Laylax also produce the special outer barrels require to finish off the custom job).

Decisions, decisions!

And finally, a very frustrating video!
While on the subject of my Type 89 upgrade process I happened across this frustrating video on You Tube. Someone has managed to get an electric blow-back system working with the Tokyo Marui Type 89 (which means it would work with my BE version) - but being in Japanese there is no further information I can glean about who made it, if it's an upgrade kit or whatever! How bloomin' frustrating!

...Postscript...And even more frustratingly, I tracked down the kit - it's made by TOP - but it turns out it's a Goddam GAS blow-back conversion kit! :(

In conclusion, Heroes of the Pacific is most defiantly showing it's age now and will not pose any significant challenge to contemporary gamers. Having said that, as a budget title it passed some time and was fun in a very casual sort of way. Normally I would look for an updated version of this franchise, but reviews of the sequel - Heroes of Europe - are quite scathing, so I will wait until I can afford a proper flight stick and buy 'Wings of Prey' instead.

Info from www.spitfiresociety.demon.co.uk: A good aircraft, too late. 2200HP of Griffon 87 drove a contra-rotating propeller, which virtually eliminated the torque reaction from the power available. It had the huge Spiteful tail section, and a folding wing. Unfortunately it was overtaken by technology (mostly the jet) and only 90 were built.

Q. How much space do you need to run a fun airsoft game?
A. Not a lot!

The overwhelming dependency of woodland airsoft in the UK has a rather adverse effect of denying access to the game to a lot of individuals, by it's very nature woodland sites tend to be some distance from urban areas and if you don't have your own car, or understanding car-driving friends, then it's game over! Despite the slow growth of so-called CQB sites over the past year or so these sites are simply mimicking some of the worse aspects of the average airsoft site owners propensity to think that all that is needed to make money in 'this business' is to have a plot of land or a run down old building - it's what I call the 'build it and they will come' theory (but without much building).

Yet few of these people actually put much thought into what people want over and above an area in which to play airsoft. By and large there is a complete lack of imagination as to what makes for an interesting play format.

Above: Airsoft fun on a shoe-string! Now come on guys, surely we all have access to some indoor facilities where we can set up some interesting shooting exercises like this? Why aren't there more urban airsoft clubs in the UK? Source: JTSA, Japan Toygun Shooting Association

At the other end of the scale there is SSA - Small Site Airsoft - ideally suited to inner-city locations where floor-space is at a premium. Naturally, this idea started in Japan but the template is just as relevant to British towns and cities where airsofters want to practise their game skills at a regular interval but do not have easy access to larger out of town sites.

Above: While to the uninitiated some of the exercises performed in this video might seem a bit silly, they are all based on *real* tactical firearm competition formats. In particular they follow the example of 'Practical Firearm' or 'Three Gun' competition events - but as you can see, the minimal props make this just as ideally suited to a small group of dedicated urban airsofters.

I recently posted some information about the new Grimsby based Arena Airsoft and mentioned that what impressed me most about this venture was the high level of imagination that was behind the idea. Despite it's (relatively) small space the team who run it are placing much emphasis on themed fabrication to make an lively arena of obstacles and props for players to use.

But even if money and time are in short supply creating a SSA site is within many players grasp - as the above video demonstrates - especially if they have an interest in 'practical' or 'tactical' gun operations. For me this niche area has huge potential particularly as by it's very nature encouraged competitive sport. Not to mention the fact that it finally gives pistol and shotty lovers a platform which really panders to their particular guns.

I would hope that in the future we might see many more of these small site airsoft arenas around the country, not least because their would provide a convenient community hub for urban airsofters where they could congregate to practise, hone and develop their skills on a more regular basis than the usual once a month trip to the countryside!

Above: Perhaps at the extreme end of SSA, but exemplifies what a bit of imagination can do to turn a empty bit of warehouse into a pretty cool indoor arena. There are some full-blown 'CQB' sites in the UK that aren't this interesting!

Aove: At the other end of the scale, and very minimalist, here the guys (and gals!) of the PSSC Cologne practical airsoft club undertake one of their speed pistol competitions. This sort of comp could be done in minimal space - an old church hall or factory space, how many unused industrial buildings are standing idle in your town?

Heroes of the Pacific: Splash another meatball! My P38F-15 Lightning takes down this nimble Zero despite my heavy bomb load!

Heroes of the Pacific: Dusk dogfight as my Corsair F4U1 gets the better of this Nakajima Ki-84 'Frank'.

This is brilliant! Someone has designed a papercraft model of a Russian Spetsnaz soldier. You can download and make the model by following this link: Papaercraft-Replika.com - Spetsnaz GRU

I am gonna have a go at this - will let you know how mine turns out!

Source: Airsoft Arena Ltd.

I have been trailing the news on this brand new airsoft site for a while now and was really excited to hear that they have now conducted their first live 'play test' and are open for business. Arena Airsoft of Grimsby offer me, and those from the Humberside & Lincolnshire region, a very novel and exciting indoor facility right on our doorstep (well, compared to some of the treks one has to do to get to a decent site these days).

"Imagine 10,000sq ft of purpose built arena, complete with atmospheric lights, sound effects and some of the coolest looking equipement and props. Grab your shotgun and pistol and head off into the claustrophobic corridors of a spaceship chasing aliens."

There is obviously a lot of grass-roots enthusiasm at the heart of this project as these guys have put an extraordinary amount of effort into the preparation and planning for this site. The first thing that caught my eye is that the Grimbsy gang are willing to fabricate imaginative 'sets' in which players can conduct themed games. This approach has to be applauded - and supported - as too many site owners think that just having a pice of land is all that is required to create a site these days.

Please give the Arena Airsoft site a quick look - I am sure you will be impressed, despite it's smaller size it has huge promise...

Link: Arena Airsoft Ltd., Lincolnshire UK

View Larger Map