Sorry to bother you guys, just trying to sort out Japanese late war wheel well, cockpit and internal structure colours. I know that its a bit of an ask, but any help would be appreciated, another of my good idea at the time, better think about it now I am committed to it project!!! By the way, a merry xmas, and a safe new years to all!! Don’t drink and eat too much, for all you guys up in the north of the planet, I am swimming every day in nice warm water, nice warm days, no worries about the snow either!!! Take care all!![:P]
Traveller: In general the wheel wells and inside of the gear doors of late war IJAAF aircraft would be unpainted so they’d be natual metal aluminum. Exceptions certainly existed though.
Cockpit would vary with the company. Mitsubishi used a colour that looked something like USAAF interior green. Nakajima used a greyish green something like RAF interior green. Kawasaki Ki-61s used a tan colour.
Early in the war the Japanese used a blue-green varnish on unpainted metal called aotake. It was translucent so the metal showed though. Aotake started out more blue but as it aged turned more and more greenish. Some aotake was probably still in use near the end of the war but in many cases the Japanese stopped using any paint on the aluminum parts so NM would work as well or better.
Sorry I can’t be more specific but there’s not nearly as much known about Japanese aircraft as American, British, and German. Hopefully someone else here can fill you in better than I have been able to.
And Merry Christmas to you as well sir, enjoy the weather- we’re in for more snow here!
I hate to be vague, but it’s probably dependent on which manufacturer built the aircraft you’re working on. Each one had variations of colors used for the cockpit, wheel well, and internal structure.
Hope these help, check:
http://www.j-aircraft.com/index.htm
http://www.jpsmodell.de/katalog/jpsijaf_e.htm
http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/stuff_eng_colorcharts_japan.htm
Gamera gave a good rundown on the basics. Current research tends to show that colors varied according to which company built the aircraft.
This site is great for more detailed info
Thanks for all that!!! Looks like NM for me. As soon as this silly season is over, back into the builds I go!!![:)]