Japanese Colours

[Catch22]

Hey guys,

I have a couple Japanese planes in the stash, including one that will be in the next GB. I'm not really clear on the top colours of Japanese Air Force aircraft. I know there's the dark green that I used on my recently completed Hien, but looking at other models I've noticed a wide range, being anything from the green mentioned above, to a brown colour. What's correct? I want to make sure I'm doing things properly, and I don't really know my Japanese colours at all.

Thanks!

 

[Crimea_River]

Good questions Cory. Not being up on Japanese aircraft, I'm interested to know as well. Also interior colours: I often see that bright metallic green colour and wonder if there were others. Wayne should be along soon!

 

[Catch22]

Andy, what little I know of interior colours is that it was different depending on the manufacturer.

 

[buffnut453]

Firstly, it's pretty hard to answer your question when you don't identify the aircraft types...imagine saying "I have a couple of British aircraft in my stash - what colour should I paint them?" Given all the changes that took place in RAF markings and camo during WWII, it's an impossible question to answer.

I suggest you ask specific questions on the j-aircraft forum (J-aircraft.com Main Page) - there are some mighty knowledgeable folks on there who pretty much know all there is to know about the subject of Japanese camouflage.

 

[Wayne Little]

Which aircraft Cory, primary interiors were Mitsubishi, similar to British interior green and Nakajima which was a yellow green. most other colours used externally were Dark greens on IJNAF aircraft and Dark Greens, bluegreens and late war brownish Greens similar to Olive Drab as well as natural metal finishes on some JAAF aircraft such as the Ki-43, 44, 61, 84.

 

[Catch22]

Thanks guys, and sorry for not posting the aircraft types, guess I was just looking for general answers across the manufacturers. They are a Ki-46 and a Ki-84.

So for the JAAF greens/browns, either of my planes for instance could be any of those three colours? I plan on building the following plane for the GB:

He obviously has it as green, but as I know of no photos it could just as easily be another colour?

 

[Wayne Little]

it would depend on when the aircraft was constructed to have the best shot at it's true colours. there in lies the problem it is rather difficult to determine the construction so you are looking at a best guess for your shade of Green. Do you have a time frame for this subject Cory?

 

[Catch22]

No idea. I'm going off of one profile and that model. My best bet would be to check the Kagero book and see if it mentions when the pilot, Koki Kawamoto, became head of the HQ Chutai.

 

[Wayne Little]

Cory, he assumed command of the 50th Sentai in April 1945.

 

[Catch22]

Alright, thanks Wayne, saved me looking it up! So does that offer any clues as to the colour? Obviously his plane could be older than that, but does that help nail anything down?

 

[Wayne Little]

Unfortunately it doesn't Cory.....the aircraft could be a hand me down...any colour? But to simplify your decision or choice the late war colour of Brownish Green/Olive Drab shade became standard in the latter part of 1944, seeing as though your aircraft is April 45, it may be likely that it is this colour.

 

[Catch22]

Alright, thanks Wayne. I was reading through your Hayate thread for the PTO build and you said you had a mixture?

 

[Wayne Little]

I used Tamiya Acrylic Olive Drab on mine straight out of the bottle applied over Silver in my usual mottled build up pattern to get light and dark patchyness on the main camo, I lightened the OD 20% with white for the control surfaces, then applied a couple of very light passes of the original OD over the control surfaces to tone it down as the difference with the 20% white is quite a bit, i do it this way as it gives me better control to get a subtle difference to the control surfaces from the main metal surfaces.
I also have a lower surface tamiya mix for the grey-Green/Olive-Grey colour.

 

[Catch22]

Alright, thanks Wayne. I'll probably just us JA Grey for the bottom of mine. Can't remember the XF number off the top of my head though.