A6M2 Color Question?

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dollar19

dollar19

Airman
78
9
Nov 20, 2010
Bristol, VA
Here comes the can of worms.....

I'm planning my next project, an A6M2 Zero from the Akagi on Dec 7, 1941. We all know the gray-green/ Light-gray discussion that has gone on forever, so I 'll say right off the bat, I'm going with WEM's ACJ16 Mitsubishi Zero Gray-Green. Enough said about that.

My question is: Are the wheel wells and doors the same color as the underside? Or some other color? I've read very positive arguments on both. I'm strongly leaning towards the same gray-green in the wells and doors.

Am I mistaken?
Thanks in advance!
Greg
 
If I ever did more zeros id do that interior green combo, the bamboo green hideous color although most likely correct, looks hideous like some 2 year old decided to paint it :S and since no one can really prove other wise, although the gaudy greenish aqua color is usually considered correct. It just seems off for a military aircraft
 
Greg, MITSUBISHI made zeros used the same colour in the wheel wells and covers as the overall colour.

NAKAJIMA made Zeros (None at Pearl Harbour) used the green/blue Aotake in the wheel wells and the small cover, while the main leg cover was the same inside and out as the lower surface colour.

Cowling was blueish-Black as was the internal upper decking beneath the canopy.
Cockpit colour was in the range of FS34095 to 34098
 

Attachments

  • 34095, 34098 Cockpit colour range A6M2 Zero.jpg
    34095, 34098 Cockpit colour range A6M2 Zero.jpg
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Thanks Wayne! Great info there.

As I said I'll be using WEM paints on this and have already purchased the Mitsubishi gray-green and Mitsubishi interior green. Now what does surprise me is the blue-black under the canopy. I had "ass"umed this to be interior green. Thanks for keeping me on the right path.

I'm won't be getting to this till October, it's part of a cancer benefit build that will start in Oct.

If anyone's interested let me know and I'll link you to it.
 
Somewhat related. I shot this Zero at the Wright Patt museum up the road from me. Everyone I talked to who was there with me looking at it, the staff, and those who have seen it. This is tan. I have also seen this pics of this specific plane outside. At what part of the war and what group flew this zero with this color? It's obviously a carrier plane with the hook on the bottom.

 
A1-3-102 represents a shotaicho (Flight leader-White tail stripe) from the IJN Light carrier Zuiho during early 1943.

A1 means 1st Koku Sentai or Carrier Division This was a new designation for the reorganisation of the carrier Groups that occurred on 1st Nov 1942.
3 means the Third carrier in the division ( 1 was Zuikaku, 2 was Shokaku)
102 is 1 represents a fighter while 02 is the individual aircraft number.
The tan colour represents the I3 Tsuchi-iro (Earth/Mud colour) sort of a brownish Khaki, different from the Olive-Grey or alternatively titled Grey-Green colour also primarilly used on the Zero.
 
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