A6M Zero cockpit colors

[Bryan McLarty]

From my research, the later war A6M Zero variants which were mainly Solid green upper and Solid light gray ventral surfaces, had a green cockpit interior.

My question is the color of the cockpit interior color to the earlier light gray IJN Zero aircraft? Was it the same throughout the war or some other color? Any documentation of this? I am missing it.

 

[fubar57]

Away from my books at the moment but I think we also have to look at the manufacturers as well. Mitsubishi and Nakajima both produced the aircraft and had different interior colours

 

[special ed]

These endless discussions about interior colors are one of the reasons I drifted away from plastics and stayed with flying scale models. Our club, which had all forms of scale models, flying and static, would waste time on interior colors. At the time, I was in the Air Force reserve and brought to the meeting spray cans of zinc chromate to the meeting made by different manufacturers who had the lowest bid. The three colors differed, and I was branded a heretic. I also brought to show and tell, a large sticker by 3M of our national insignia which supply gave me as it was too small for our C-119s. When I asked members opinion if the blue of the stars and bars was really insignia blue, great chaos erupted. Then when I told of my most recent drill where I was volunteered to the paint crew on the 119 in the hangar there was discussion of who should be allowed membership. At drill, my job was to get on the scaffold and paint the blue cheat line down the fuselage. Although I worked in the propshop some one told of my spray painting old cars so I was volunteered. The paint mixer was an old DeVelbis maybe from WW2 and mixed the paint and then was pressurized for spraying. The aircraft were being painted gray underside for corrosion resistance and white in top for heat reflectance. A blue cheat line would go between the natural aluminum and white top. After I was on the scaffold, a committee below decided we didn't have enough blue so 2 or three gallons of gray were added. The finished product still looked insignia blue.

 

[fubar57]

It looks like the Model 22 was made soley at Mitsubishi according to this site...Zero Facts and Figures

 

[Wurger]

As memo serves .. the Mitsubishi used a paint of the FS *4082-*4095 and *4098 range while the Nakajima used the FS *4373. A couple of cockpit details could have been of the Aotake Iro colour. And a note here... the all early Zeros used at the beginning of the war were of the Mitsubishi production. The Nakajima started assembling of the Zeros just about the end of 1942, IIRC.

 

[Bryan McLarty]

This application is going to a Top Flite Giant Scale Zero make over that will have some reasonable cockpit details. All I need to know is if the early IJN A6M2s and M3s that were of the all light gray color scheme had green interior or some other color like gray, perhaps? Not looking for museum scale color chips or anything that fancy. Appreciate the input! Thanks!

 

[fubar57]

From this site which is very good with Japanese aircraft...Aviation of Japan 日本の航空史: Zero Interior Colours

 

[Shinpachi]

Equipments color also shows the standard color of IJN.

Dead stock. Radio controller Type3 Ku-1

Source: http://www.roswitha.jp/zerosennopuropera1.html

 

[Shinpachi]

Zero fighter seat found in Russia.

 

[Wurger]

Yep.. it matches the FS 34094 that is one of the range of the Mitsubishi colours mentioned above.

 

[fubar57]

Humbrol 75 Bronze green, which I have, is a perfect match