Cams Classic - What about Japanese colours (colors)
Shane Weier
Hi all,
Some time back - maybe 1 to 2 years - Cam Lynch (I think) posted an
excellent manuscript on Japanese WW2 aircraft colours. I carefully
saved it for future reference, but now find that I must just as
carefully have deleted it since.
Has any one else actually kept a copy? Is Cam still lurking the group?
Was it really him?
Regards
Shane Weier
Roger Wallsgrove
Yup, Cameron posted an excellent piece on Japanese colours, which we
copied (WITH his permission) in Mushroom Model Magazine, together with
some additional information and a colour photo of a Ki43 cockpit. The
article spread over two issues of Volume 1, and copies of the 2 issues
can be had post free anywhere in the world! Just send £6 (Sterling),
cash or cheque (made out to "Mushroom Monthly"), or US$10 (cash) to:
Mushroom Model Publications
36 Ver Road
Redbourn
Herts AL3 7PE
UK
There's lots of other stuff in the 2 issues as well which should interest
most rms-ers (ask Greg Meggs for a review of MMM if in doubt!).
Roger Wallsgrove
Editor, MMM
BRIAN BRAINARD
Shane,
Cameron Lynch's informative article on Japanese cockpit colors can be
found using Dejanews (http://www.dejanews.com/). I just checked it.
Click on the Search Filter, enter the newsgroup (rec.models.scale),
enter "cameron" for author and "cockpit" for subject and you should end
up with 12 entries (I did). Cameron Lynch's article will be among them.
good luck.
Brian Brainard
BRIAN BRAINARD
Cameron Lynch
Everything you ever wanted to know about IJAAF/IJNAF cockpit colors.
Well, having had a chance to gather my references and refresh my memory
on IJAAF/IJNAF cockpit colors I thought I'd reply with something a
little more detailed and substantiated.
If you're looking for a single definitive source for the colors and
markings of Japanese aircraft during the Second World War you're out of
luck. There simply isn't one. This is due to several major factors.
First of all Japanese aircraft were, compared to most other major
combatants, largely undocumented. You could spend a lifetime digging
through photos of American combat aircraft during the war and only
scratch the surface. The same can be said for British/Commonwealth and
Luftwaffe aircraft. Only Soviet aircraft even come close. The second
major factor is the gradual evolution, both in quantity and quality, of
scholarly work on Japanese aircraft markings and paint schemes. I've
been fortunate enough to have access to almost everything worth having
on Japanese Aircraft (at least everything that has ever been available
in the US!). I was ecstatic last July when Aeromaster released its new
line of Japanese aircraft decals at IPMS/USA Nationals in Albuquerque.
The flagship of this series was the Eagles of the Rising Sun set
(hereafter ERS) with its comprehensive book on Japanese markings and
paint schemes, and provides an excellent basic reference for moderate
Nipponophiles. For those of you who are truely afflicted with this
incurable disease I recommend the two superb books on Japanese Navy and
Japanese Army colors and markings written by Ian Baker. Unfortunately
these two books were produced in limited print runs of 500 copies each
about 5 years ago and are now very difficult to find (no mine are not
for sale). ERS is superb and is surpassed by only Experten Decals in
its completeness and if you follow this book 9 times out of 10 you will
be pretty close on the colors and markings of Japanese aircraft, and I
highly recommend it. However (you could see this coming couldn't you),
with all deference to Dr. Nagao, I must take issue with some of the
colors that ERS would have you paint the cockpits of your Japanese
aircraft.
According to ERS IJAAF cockpits were "usually Transparant Green-Blue,
except for the Ki-27, which was dark blue-gray, close to FS 5164, and
the Ki-61 Hein, which was Khaki-Yellow, close to FS 0400.
(Incidentally, the Ki-84 was usually NMF)". They continue "IJNAF
cockpits were usually painted a solid color and, for the
Mitsubishi-built Zero, an interior green close to FS 4098, probably
applied over Transparant Green-Blue. The Nakajima Zero used an interior
green close to FS 4583, and the Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden-Kai a
'yellow-green' like Humbrol 38, mentioned in Koku-Fan Illustrated #42.
Instrument panels and side consoles of Army fighters are flat black. In
Naval aircraft, only the guages are black, with instrument panel and
side consoles in the 'Cockpit Well' color shown." For the "Cockpit
Well" color ERS lists several FS equivalents based upon aircraft type.
This is contradictory with many other previous scholarly articles on the
subject. The crux of my disagreement is that ERS's emphasis on
Transparant Green-Blue (hereafter "Aotake Blue") is both incorrect and
overdone. To understand why this is mistaken you must know a little
more about the IJAAF and IJNAF. First of all they disliked each other.
The level of interservice rivalry between the IJA and the IJN was beyond
anything that we can conceive of. They were competitive for money,
prestige and political influence. The only western equivalent I can
think of would be the USAF and USN during the debate between the B-36
Bomber and the "Supercarrier". This behavior was borne out in
everything the IJAAF and IJNAF did, from organization, training, design
and acquisition to camouflage and markings. This is most obvious when
you notice that while the Army and Navy both widely used shades of light
grey or dark green, but each was not content to use the same shade and
had their own. Those familiar with the black art of logistics will
shake their head and grumble about the absolute stupidity of producing
and transporting two different shades of what logically should be the
same color, but that quantifies the relationship between the air
services.
This is also exacerbated by the profound logistical chaos that
surrounded Japanese aircraft design and production throughout the war.
As in the US production of successful types of aircraft was often
subcontracted (Grumman TBF/General Motors TBM, Vought F4U/Goodyear FG1,
Consolidated B-24J/Ford B-24M, etc.). This was also prevalent
throughout most of the other combatants including Great Britain and
Germany. What made the Japanese situation unique was the discretion of
the major aircraft companies to paint the aircraft they produced to
whatever standards they chose, rather than having their manufacturers
build the aircraft and paint them in standardized shades, each Japanese
manufacturer was merely told to paint it "green over grey". As a
result, it is almost as important to know who made the aircraft you're
modeling as it is to know what kind of aircraft it was! For example it
isn't widely known that while Mitsubishi designed the A6M "Zero"
fighter, more of these aircraft were produced by Nakajima than by
Mitsubishi. Furthermore the cockpit colors of the Nakajima Zero was
different from the color used in the Mitsubishi produced Zeros. Wait,
it gets worse. The IJNAF exterior shades on Nakajima Zeros also
differed from those on the Mitsubishi Zeros! As if that wasn't bad
enough the paint demarcation lines, styles of Hinomarus ("meatballs"),
and their locations were also unique to Nakajima and Mitsubishi produced
Zeros. Now, add in the fact that the IJAAF colors (which were different
from the IJNAF greens & greys) were also subject to the same
subcontractor problems and you begin to consider quitting the hobby.
This was all before you consider that each manufacturer used a different
quality of paint (affects the rate of fading after long term sun
exposure), and each also varied in the quality of their painting
technique (affects the durability of the paint when exposed to high
heat, humidity, coral runways, etc.). By now you should be just about
to jump off of a bridge. But I digress...
IJNAF Cockpit Colors
The IJNAF was obsessive about the corrosion problems on shipboard
aircraft and required everything to be primed and protected with a
protective coating. The IJNAF developed a unique, and very effective,
clear phenolic lacquer used to protect their aircraft that has
subsequently become known as "Aotake Blue". This was derived from the
unique green-blue tint of the lacquer . Understand that this was a
transparent application and you can still see NMF (natural metal finish)
through the Aotake Blue. The best way to replicate this color is to
paint the area NMF and then give it a light misting of Tamiya
Clear-Green mixed with some Tamiya Clear-Blue. While there are many
exceptions to the rule with Japanese paint schemes, Aotake Blue was
religiously used by the IJNAF until relatively late in the war when, due
to economies required by the declining war situation, many aircraft were
completed without the coating. Given that primer (sorry couldn't
resist) lets get to the $5 question. What exactly are the colors of
Japanese Navy cockpits? Let me begin this subject by quoting from Ian
Andrews comprehensive article in the Asahi Journal Vol 2, Number 3. The
Asahi Journal (AJ) is the publication of IPMS/USA's Japanese Special
Interest Group, Japanese Information International. "In general,
liberal use of the 'aotake' translucent blue-green color for cockpit
interiors should be avoided. Use of the translucent protective coatings
to visible sections of the cockpit was limited and usually only on
structural members. Most color photos of wartime aircraft indicate the
visible cockpit interiors were either painted in greens or the same
color as the exterior." Ian Baker describes the use of Aotake in his
excellent Navy Colors book, "Possibly because of the rather lurid colour
of the phenolic lacquer, those internal metal surfaces most exposed to
view in cabins and cockpits were often (but not always) finised with a
topcoat of nondescript military grey-green, olive green or a khakiish
sort of green, somtimes lighter and somtimes darker. Use of an
ochre-like colour has also been mentioned. Even an 'off-white' has been
recalled." Now you ask where do you use Aotake? Any interior area that
would otherwise be bare metal would receive a coat of Aotake. Still
confused about Aotake in the cockpit? The sheet metal, ribs and
stringers would be painted with Aotake, anything else bolted onto the
cockpit sides would be a shade of green depending upon the
manufacturer. While not perfect, acceptable out of the bottle matches
for Aotake are Gunze-Sangyo Interior Metallic Blue or Floquil Japan Blue
Interior. Ian Andrews continues "Towards the end of the war, many
interiors were not painted or coated with the exception of areas that
might be a source of glare." This decline in quality control was almost
universal and can be applied to both IJNAF and IJAAF aircraft.
For other cockpit equipment in IJNAF aircraft I will quote Ian Baker,
"Instrument panels were most usually black, but sometimes they could be
that dull red-brown (found on prop blades and later on spinners), always
with white-on-black dials. Controls were colour coded, using various
bright colours: for instance, throttle knobs, gun triggers and landing
gear levers were red, whilst gun selectors and prop pitch controls were
yellow." He continues, "Interior plywood panels had been varnished in
earlier times and would still have been found finished like this in
older types still serving. But now plywood was being topcoated with the
same nondescript gre-green/olive green/buff-green that was used
generally in cockpits and cabins. Seat and webbing fabrics were
likewise a typically nondescript military-type khaki."
Here are a few approximate Federal Standard numbers with which to
start. These numbers are not gospel and anyone who pulls out a fan of
FS chips at a competition and begins clucking about the colors not being
exact is missing the point and needs to have them forcibly inserted into
an orifice in his nether regions.
JNAF Grey/Green (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking, radial engine
gear case) FS 34226
JNAF Buff-Green (cockpit wheel wells, interior decking) FS 34255
JNAF Olive Green (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking) FS 34151
Mitsubishi Interior (Gunze mix of colors 04:07:06 in a ratio of 13:4:3)
No FS # Available
Nakajima Interior (Gunze mix of colors 01:04:07 in a ration of 16:2:1)
No FS # Available
IJAAF Cockpit Colors
The original reason behind this article was to shed some light upon the
confusion about the colors found in IJAAF cockpits, including the Ki-43,
Ki-44, K-61, Ki-84 and Ki-100. While ERS would have you paint your
IJAAF cockpits Aotake, there has been considerable evidence to the
contrary. Let me begin with a note on IJAAF protective finishes and
primers. The general rule is that, unlike the Navy, they weren't used
very much. Where you would find Aotake Blue on Navy aircraft you would
most likely find NMF. Baker tempers this with the statement, "As
regards army aircraft, there is some occasional evidence of application
to internal and structural metal surfaces of the translucent blue-green
phenolic laquer used on navy aircraft as they were built." If you must
use Aotake on an IJAAF aircraft, I would only use it on an aircraft
manufactured by a company that also manufactured aircraft for the Navy
(Nakajima) who would already have stocks of that paint around the
factory anyway. I would find Aotake on a Kawasaki Ki-61 "Tony" very
dubious indeed.
If not Aotake, then what? Ian Baker says "Cabin and cockpit internal
surfaces could be finished with a topcoat of light olive green (e.g. a
Ki-67); variously-reported khakiish sorts of shades (e.g. 'light khaki'
in a Ki-61-II, 'greyish brown-yellow' in Ki-61s, Ki-100s and a Ki-54); a
'dark bluish grey' (e.g. in Ki-27s); or translucent blue-green (e.g. in
a Ki-84)." Ian Andrews in AJ 2,3 concurs. Ken Glass in AJ 1,4
undertook an exhaustive analysis of the color chips found in Model Art
Specials and then compared them to interior colors found in other
Japanese books on the various IJNAF/IJAAF aircraft (Maru Mechanics,
Famous Airplanes of the World, Koku-Fan and Model Art Specials). He
concluded that the Ki-43, Ki-61 and Ki-100 interiors are a yellow-brown
shade. This was supported by examinations of the sole Ki-100 while he
was in England in 1985. He describes the interior of the Ki-44, Ki-45
and Ki-46 as a dark yellow-green shade. While Ken studied secondary
sources and photographs which can be misleading when trying to identify
specific shades of a color, his research refutes the colors stated by
ERS. Ian Andrews concurs in AJ 2,3. According to all of these sources
the colors of IJAAF interiors were almost universally a shade of brown
or green and not Aotake. The only point of agreement between one of my
sources and ERS on IJAAF interior colors is the use of NMF in the Ki-84,
interestingly Ian Andrews contradicts this unanimity with his statement
that, "Ki-84 interiors were known to be painted in a blue-grey color."
According to Baker "Late in the war, any painting of interioirs of new
aircraft, apart from the instrument panel and any decking which might
cause worrying reflections, would have been rather unusual. Aircraft
built in the great 1944 production effort could not be expected to have
an extended operational life ahead of them, and so painting of interiors
would have seemed a waste of tiem, effort and paint." This would seem
to confirm the use of NMF in the Ki-84 which was only entering service
during this period.
The remainder of the cockpit in IJAAF aircraft varied depending upon the
type and time period. Instrument panels were usually black, sometimes
red-brown, dark blue-grey, or whaterver color happened to be applied
generally to the rest of the cockpit or cabin interior. Instruments
were always white on black. Unlike the IJNAF, the IJAAF did not begin
color coding the controls until later in the war. Like the IJNAF
thottle/mixture knobs/handles, gun triggers and landing gear levers were
red. Gun selectors and prop pitch controls were yellow. Apparantly,
the use of this color coding was not universal and there are numerous
examples of late war IJAAF aircraft that did not have color coded
controls.
Here are a few FS numbers to start with. Again, these numbers aren't
gospel but will provide you with a place to start.
JAAF Dark Blue-Grey (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking) FS 35164
JAAF Khaki (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking) FS 33448
JAAF Yellow-Brown (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking) FS 30260
JAAF Dark Yellow-Green (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking) FS
34255
JAAF Light Grey-Green (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking) FS 34226
overlaps with similar Navy shade
I hope that this helps you draw your own conclusions about the cockpit
and interior colors for IJNAF and IJAAF aircraft. If I'm good (and more
than a little lucky) this will answer more questions than it raises. A
couple of aspirin, a shot of good scotch and this article is all you
need to accurately replicate the interior of any Japanese aircraft you
care to build. Yeah, right! For those of you who love WWII Japanese
aircraft, ships, armor (yes, they had tanks), or just history consider
joining the Japanese Information Internation, the Japanese Special
Interest Group of IPMS/USA. Dues are $25 for US addresses $30 for
Canadian or Mexican addresses. For more information contact:
Japanese Information International
c/o Carolee Hoffman
8809 Kentucky
Kansas City, MO 64138
USA
References used:
Andrews, Ian., WWII JAPANESE COMBAT AIRCRAFT COLORS, Asahi Journal, Vol.
2, No. 3 Fall 1995.
Baker, Ian K., JAPANESE ARMY AIRCRAFT COLOURS & MARKINGS IN THE PACIFIC
WAR...AND BEFORE, 16 Immarna Road, Camberwell Victoria 3124, Australia,
1992.
Baker, Ian K., JAPANESE NAVY AIRCRAFT COLOURS & MARKINGS IN THE PACIFIC
WAR...AND BEFORE, 16 Immarna Road, Camberwell Victoria 3124, Australia,
1989.
Francillion, Rene, JAPANESE AIRCRAFT OF THE PACIFIC WAR, Naval Institute
Press, 1990.
Glass, Ken., THAT MIX DOESN'T MATCH, Asahi Journal, Vol. 1, No. 4,
Winter 1992.
Klaus, David H., THE IPMS COLOR CROSS-REFERENCE GUIDE, IPMS/USA, 1988.
Mikesh, Robert C., JAPANESE COCKPIT INTERIORS, Parts 1 (Vol. 14), 1976,
& 2 (Vol 15), 1977, Monogram Aviation Publications.
Various Model Art Specials.
Various Koku-Fan Specials.
Various Famous Aircraft of the World.
Various Maru Mechanics of the World.
Some other stuff I've probably forgotten.
This article is copyright (C) 1997 by Cameron Lynch. All rights
reserved. Duplication or retransmission is strictly prohibited.
Publication of this article, electronically, in print or in any other
form without the permission of the author is prohibited.
Shane Weier
BRIAN BRAINARD wrote:
>
>
> Shane,
>
> Cameron Lynch's informative article on Japanese cockpit colors can be
> found using Dejanews (http://www.dejanews.com/). I just checked it.
> Click on the Search Filter, enter the newsgroup (rec.models.scale),
> enter "cameron" for author and "cockpit" for subject and you should end
> up with 12 entries (I did). Cameron Lynch's article will be among them.
> good luck.
>
> Brian Brainard
Brian,
Yup, did this, got a lot of hits too, but not *the* article I was after unfortunately.
Happily Cam and a couple of others still had the article I wanted (which apparently has rotated
out of the archive - they can't keep everything indefinitely)
Thanks anyway, since the use of dejanews is a technique that more of us needed to know
Regards
Shane
Jim MacKenzie
Shane Weier (s...@qld.mim.com.au) writes:
<snip>
> Yup, did this, got a lot of hits too, but not *the* article I was after unfortunately.
> Happily Cam and a couple of others still had the article I wanted (which apparently has rotated
> out of the archive - they can't keep everything indefinitely)
<snip>
Sounds like good stuff. Any chance of someone re-posting the
article. Thanks & Cheers, Jim.
Cathy/Andy Irving
Shane Weier wrote:
>
> BRIAN BRAINARD wrote:
> >
>
> >
> > Shane,
> >
> > Cameron Lynch's informative article on Japanese cockpit colors can be
> > found using Dejanews (http://www.dejanews.com/). I just checked it.
> > Click on the Search Filter, enter the newsgroup (rec.models.scale),
> > enter "cameron" for author and "cockpit" for subject and you should end
> > up with 12 entries (I did). Cameron Lynch's article will be among them.
> > good luck.
> >
> > Brian Brainard
>
> Brian,
>
> Happily Cam and a couple of others still had the article I wanted (which apparently has rotated
> out of the archive - they can't keep everything indefinitely)
>
>
> Regards
>
> Shane
-- FWIW, I retrieved it yesterday(08 19 97) and printed with no problem
Andy
William Reece
Here is a copy of Cameron Lynch's excellent article.
William Reece
Fly Navy!
Everything you ever wanted to know about IJAAF/IJNAF cockpit colors.
Well, having had a chance to gather my references and refresh my memory
on IJAAF/IJNAF cockpit colors I thought Iąd reply with something a little
more detailed and substantiated.
If youąre looking for a single definitive source for the colors and
markings of Japanese aircraft during the Second World War youąre out of
luck. There simply isnąt one. This is due to several major factors.
First of all Japanese aircraft were, compared to most other major
combatants, largely undocumented. You could spend a lifetime digging
through photos of American combat aircraft during the war and only scratch
the surface. The same can be said for British/Commonwealth and Luftwaffe
aircraft. Only Soviet aircraft even come close. The second major factor
is the gradual evolution, both in quantity and quality, of scholarly work
on Japanese aircraft markings and paint schemes. Iąve been fortunate
enough to have access to almost everything worth having on Japanese
Aircraft (at least everything that has ever been available in the US!). I
was ecstatic last July when Aeromaster released its new line of Japanese
aircraft decals at IPMS/USA Nationals in Albuquerque. The flagship of
this series was the Eagles of the Rising Sun set (hereafter ERS) with its
comprehensive book on Japanese markings and paint schemes, and provides an
excellent basic reference for moderate Nipponophiles. For those of you
who are truly afflicted with this incurable disease I recommend the two
superb books on Japanese Navy and Japanese Army colors and markings
written by Ian Baker. Unfortunately these two books were produced in
limited print runs of 500 copies each about 5 years ago and are now very
difficult to find (no mine are not for sale). ERS is superb and is
surpassed by only Experten Decals in its completeness and if you follow
this book 9 times out of 10 you will be pretty close on the colors and
markings of Japanese aircraft, and I highly recommend it. However (you
could see this coming couldnąt you), with all deference to Dr. Nagao, I
must take issue with some of the colors that ERS would have you paint the
cockpits of your Japanese aircraft.
According to ERS IJAAF cockpits were usually Transparent Green-Blue,
except for the Ki-27, which was dark blue-gray, close to FS 5164, and the
Ki-61 Hein, which was Khaki-Yellow, close to FS 0400. (Incidentally, the
Ki-84 was usually NMF). They continue IJNAF cockpits were usually painted
a solid color and, for the Mitsubishi-built Zero, an interior green close
to FS 4098, probably applied over Transparent Green-Blue. The Nakajima
Zero used an interior green close to FS 4583, and the Kawanishi N1K2-J
Shiden-Kai a yellow-green’ like Humbrol 38, mentioned in Koku-Fan
Illustrated #42. Instrument panels and side consoles of Army fighters are
flat black. In Naval aircraft, only the gauges are black, with instrument
panel and side consoles in the Cockpit Well’ color shown. For the Cockpit
Well color ERS lists several FS equivalents based upon aircraft type.
This is contradictory with many other previous scholarly articles on
the subject. The crux of my disagreement is that ERSąs emphasis on
Transparent Green-Blue (hereafter Aotake Blue) is both incorrect and
overdone. To understand why this is mistaken you must know a little more
about the IJAAF and IJNAF. First of all they disliked each other. The
level of interservice rivalry between the IJA and the IJN was beyond
anything that we can conceive of. They were competitive for money,
prestige and political influence. The only western equivalent I can think
of would be the USAF and USN during the debate between the B-36 Bomber and
the Supercarrier. This behavior was borne out in everything the IJAAF and
IJNAF did, from organization, training, design and acquisition to
camouflage and markings. This is most obvious when you notice that while
the Army and Navy both widely used shades of light gray or dark green, but
each was not content to use the same shade and had their own. Those
familiar with the black art of logistics will shake their head and grumble
about the absolute stupidity of producing and transporting two different
shades of what logically should be the same color, but that quantifies the
relationship between the air services.
This is also exacerbated by the profound logistical chaos that
surrounded Japanese aircraft design and production throughout the war. As
in the US production of successful types of aircraft was often
subcontracted (Grumman TBF/General Motors TBM, Vought F4U/Goodyear FG1,
Consolidated B-24J/Ford B-24M, etc.). This was also prevalent throughout
most of the other combatants including Great Britain and Germany. What
made the Japanese situation unique was the discretion of the major
aircraft companies to paint the aircraft they produced to whatever
standards they chose, rather than having their manufacturers build the
aircraft and paint them in standardized shades, each Japanese manufacturer
was merely told to paint it green over gray. As a result, it is almost as
important to know who made the aircraft youąre modeling as it is to know
what kind of aircraft it was! For example it isnąt widely known that
while Mitsubishi designed the A6M Zero fighter, more of these aircraft
were produced by Nakajima than by Mitsubishi. Furthermore the cockpit
colors of the Nakajima Zero was different from the color used in the
Mitsubishi produced Zeros. Wait, it gets worse. The IJNAF exterior
shades on Nakajima Zeros also differed from those on the Mitsubishi
Zeros! As if that wasnąt bad enough the paint demarcation lines, styles
of Hinomarus (meatballs), and their locations were also unique to Nakajima
and Mitsubishi produced Zeros. Now, add in the fact that the IJAAF colors
(which were different from the IJNAF greens & grays) were also subject to
the same subcontractor problems and you begin to consider quitting the
hobby. This was all before you consider that each manufacturer used a
different quality of paint (affects the rate of fading after long term sun
exposure), and each also varied in the quality of their painting technique
(affects the durability of the paint when exposed to high heat, humidity,
coral runways, etc.). By now you should be just about to jump off of a
bridge. But I digress...
IJNAF Cockpit Colors
The IJNAF was obsessive about the corrosion problems on shipboard
aircraft and required everything to be primed and protected with a
protective coating. The IJNAF developed a unique, and very effective,
clear phenolic lacquer used to protect their aircraft that has
subsequently become known as Aotake Blue. This was derived from the
unique green-blue tint of the lacquer . Understand that this was a
transparent application and you can still see NMF (natural metal finish)
through the Aotake Blue. The best way to replicate this color is to paint
the area NMF and then give it a light misting of Tamiya Clear-Green mixed
with some Tamiya Clear-Blue. While there are many exceptions to the rule
with Japanese paint schemes, Aotake Blue was religiously used by the IJNAF
until relatively late in the war when, due to economies required by the
declining war situation, many aircraft were completed without the
coating. Given that primer (sorry couldnąt resist) lets get to the $5
question. What exactly are the colors of Japanese Navy cockpits? Let me
begin this subject by quoting from Ian Andrews comprehensive article in
the Asahi Journal Vol. 2, Number 3. The Asahi Journal (AJ) is the
publication of IPMS/USAąs Japanese Special Interest Group, Japanese
Information International. In general, liberal use of the aotake’
translucent blue-green color for cockpit interiors should be avoided. Use
of the translucent protective coatings to visible sections of the cockpit
was limited and usually only on structural members. Most color photos of
wartime aircraft indicate the visible cockpit interiors were either
painted in greens or the same color as the exterior. Ian Baker describes
the use of Aotake in his excellent Navy Colors book, Possibly because of
the rather lurid color of the phenolic lacquer, those internal metal
surfaces most exposed to view in cabins and cockpits were often (but not
always) finished with a topcoat of nondescript military gray-green, olive
green or a khakiish sort of green, sometimes lighter and sometimes
darker. Use of an ochre-like color has also been mentioned. Even an
off-white’ has been recalled. Now you ask where do you use Aotake? Any
interior area that would otherwise be bare metal would receive a coat of
Aotake. Still confused about Aotake in the cockpit? The sheet metal,
ribs and stringers would be painted with Aotake, anything else bolted onto
the cockpit sides would be a shade of green depending upon the
manufacturer. While not perfect, acceptable out of the bottle matches for
Aotake are Gunze-Sangyo Interior Metallic Blue or Floquil Japan Blue
Interior. Ian Andrews continues Towards the end of the war, many
interiors were not painted or coated with the exception of areas that
might be a source of glare. This decline in quality control was almost
universal and can be applied to both IJNAF and IJAAF aircraft.
For other cockpit equipment in IJNAF aircraft I will quote Ian Baker,
Instrument panels were most usually black, but sometimes they could be
that dull red-brown (found on prop blades and later on spinners), always
with white-on-black dials. Controls were color coded, using various
bright colors: for instance, throttle knobs, gun triggers and landing gear
levers were red, whilst gun selectors and prop pitch controls were
yellow. He continues, Interior plywood panels had been varnished in
earlier times and would still have been found finished like this in older
types still serving. But now plywood was being topcoated with the same
nondescript gray-green/olive green/buff-green that was used generally in
cockpits and cabins. Seat and webbing fabrics were likewise a typically
nondescript military-type khaki.
Here are a few approximate Federal Standard numbers with which to
start. These numbers are not gospel and anyone who pulls out a fan of FS
chips at a competition and begins clucking about the colors not being
exact is missing the point and needs to have them forcibly inserted into
an orifice in his nether regions.
JNAF Gray/Green (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking, radial engine
gear case) FS 34226
JNAF Buff-Green (cockpit wheel wells, interior decking) FS 34255
JNAF Olive Green (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking) FS 34151
Mitsubishi Interior (Gunze mix of colors 04:07:06 in a ratio of 13:4:3)
No FS # Available
Nakajima Interior (Gunze mix of colors 01:04:07 in a ratio of 16:2:1) No
FS # Available
IJAAF Cockpit Colors
The original reason behind this article was to shed some light upon the
confusion about the colors found in IJAAF cockpits, including the Ki-43,
Ki-44, K-61, Ki-84 and Ki-100. While ERS would have you paint your IJAAF
cockpits Aotake, there has been considerable evidence to the contrary.
Let me begin with a note on IJAAF protective finishes and primers. The
general rule is that, unlike the Navy, they werenąt used very much. Where
you would find Aotake Blue on Navy aircraft you would most likely find
NMF. Baker tempers this with the statement, As regards army aircraft,
there is some occasional evidence of application to internal and
structural metal surfaces of the translucent blue-green phenolic lacquer
used on navy aircraft as they were built. If you must use Aotake on an
IJAAF aircraft, I would only use it on an aircraft manufactured by a
company that also manufactured aircraft for the Navy (Nakajima) who would
already have stocks of that paint around the factory anyway. I would find
Aotake on a Kawasaki Ki-61 Tony very dubious indeed.
If not Aotake, then what? Ian Baker says Cabin and cockpit internal
surfaces could be finished with a topcoat of light olive green (e.g. a
Ki-67); variously-reported khakiish sorts of shades (e.g. light khaki’ in
a Ki-61-II, grayish brown-yellow’ in Ki-61s, Ki-100s and a Ki-54); a dark
bluish gray’ (e.g. in Ki-27s); or translucent blue-green (e.g. in a
Ki-84). Ian Andrews in AJ 2,3 concurs. Ken Glass in AJ 1,4 undertook an
exhaustive analysis of the color chips found in Model Art Specials and
then compared them to interior colors found in other Japanese books on the
various IJNAF/IJAAF aircraft (Maru Mechanics, Famous Airplanes of the
World, Koku-Fan and Model Art Specials). He concluded that the Ki-43,
Ki-61 and Ki-100 interiors are a yellow-brown shade. This was supported
by examinations of the sole Ki-100 while he was in England in 1985. He
describes the interior of the Ki-44, Ki-45 and Ki-46 as a dark
yellow-green shade. While Ken studied secondary sources and photographs
which can be misleading when trying to identify specific shades of a
color, his research refutes the colors stated by ERS. Ian Andrews concurs
in AJ 2,3. According to all of these sources the colors of IJAAF
interiors were almost universally a shade of brown or green and not
Aotake. The only point of agreement between one of my sources and ERS on
IJAAF interior colors is the use of NMF in the Ki-84, interestingly Ian
Andrews contradicts this unanimity with his statement that, Ki-84
interiors were known to be painted in a blue-gray color. According to
Baker Late in the war, any painting of interiors of new aircraft, apart
from the instrument panel and any decking which might cause worrying
reflections, would have been rather unusual. Aircraft built in the great
1944 production effort could not be expected to have an extended
operational life ahead of them, and so painting of interiors would have
seemed a waste of time, effort and paint. This would seem to confirm the
use of NMF in the Ki-84 which was only entering service during this
period.
The remainder of the cockpit in IJAAF aircraft varied depending upon
the type and time period. Instrument panels were usually black, sometimes
red-brown, dark blue-gray, or whatever color happened to be applied
generally to the rest of the cockpit or cabin interior. Instruments were
always white on black. Unlike the IJNAF, the IJAAF did not begin color
coding the controls until later in the war. Like the IJNAF
throttle/mixture knobs/handles, gun triggers and landing gear levers were
red. Gun selectors and prop pitch controls were yellow. Apparently, the
use of this color coding was not universal and there are numerous examples
of late war IJAAF aircraft that did not have color coded controls.
Here are a few FS numbers to start with. Again, these numbers arenąt
gospel but will provide you with a place to start.
JAAF Dark Blue-Gray (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking) FS 35164
JAAF Khaki (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking) FS 33448
JAAF Yellow-Brown (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking) FS 30260
JAAF Dark Yellow-Green (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking) FS 34255
JAAF Light Gray-Green (cockpit, wheel wells, interior decking) FS 34226
overlaps with similar Navy shade
I hope that this helps you draw your own conclusions about the cockpit
and interior colors for IJNAF and IJAAF aircraft. If Iąm good (and more
than a little lucky) this will answer more questions than it raises. A
couple of aspirin, a shot of good scotch and this article is all you need
to accurately replicate the interior of any Japanese aircraft you care to
build. Yeah, right! For those of you who love W.W.II Japanese aircraft,
ships, armor (yes, they had tanks), or just history consider joining the
Japanese Information International, the Japanese Special Interest Group of
IPMS/USA. Dues are $25 for US addresses $30 for Canadian or Mexican
addresses. For more information contact:
Japanese Information International
c/o Carolee Hoffman
8809 Kentucky
Kansas City, MO 64138
USA
References used:
Andrews, Ian., W.W.II JAPANESE COMBAT AIRCRAFT COLORS, Asahi Journal, Vol.
2, No. 3 Fall 1995.
Baker, Ian K., JAPANESE ARMY AIRCRAFT COLORS & MARKINGS IN THE PACIFIC
WAR...AND BEFORE, 16 Immarna Road, Camberwell Victoria 3124, Australia,
1992.
Baker, Ian K., JAPANESE NAVY AIRCRAFT COLORS & MARKINGS IN THE PACIFIC
WAR...AND BEFORE, 16 Immarna Road, Camberwell Victoria 3124, Australia,
1989.
Francillion, Rene, JAPANESE AIRCRAFT OF THE PACIFIC WAR, Naval Institute
Press, 1990.
Glass, Ken., THAT MIX DOESNąT MATCH, Asahi Journal, Vol. 1, No. 4, Winter 1992.
Klaus, David H., THE IPMS COLOR CROSS-REFERENCE GUIDE, IPMS/USA, 1988.
Mikesh, Robert C., JAPANESE COCKPIT INTERIORS, Parts 1 (Vol. 14), 1976, &
2 (Vol. 15), 1977, Monogram Aviation Publications.
Numerous Model Art Specials.
Several Koku-Fan Specials.
Dozens of Famous Aircraft of the World.
Lots of Maru Mechanics of the World.
Some other stuff Iąve probably forgotten.
Haste lavista baby! Good luck and talk to you later.
Cameron Lynch
In article <5teu01$o...@freenet-news.carleton.ca>,
ci...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Jim MacKenzie) wrote:
> Shane Weier (s...@qld.mim.com.au) writes:
> <snip>
> > Yup, did this, got a lot of hits too, but not *the* article I
was after unfortunately.
> > Happily Cam and a couple of others still had the article I wanted
(which apparently has rotated
> > out of the archive - they can't keep everything indefinitely)