I am in the process of putting together my first diorama. It is of a Judy, either a D41Y or D4Y2 being worked on, with portions of the cowl being off.

My questions pertain to primer and engine colors.

Manufacturers paint the case and rocker boxes(rocker arm covers). Every manufacturer chooses a paint color or set of paint colors, usually shades of grey, although black can be used, as in the case of the "Shaky Jake"(the Jacob R755).

I've been researching the DB601 and the Atsuta, and have had no luck in finding color photos of either engine. In fact, I have been unable to find many color photos of pretty much any engine, although there are some photos of a few museums. So, I'm asking for help in this.

Also, what primer color did the Japanese use, as the in side of the cowl with be visible. Did they use a shade of grey, as the Germans used, of more a chromate as did the US?

On the subject of engines, I've been trying to find information, in the form of photos or illustrations of engines(as I have a few other "irons in the fire" with respect to model subjects for dioramas), and have not much luck in finding such for specific engines, which is leading me to try to put together a web page which would deal with that subject. While there are plenty of photos of aircraft with the engine being exposed(such as radial engines), I've found few photos of the engines themselves, or, when a particular engine has been found, such as in Wikipedia, it is a representative of the line of engine, not a particular model or mark.

So, what I plan to do, or desire, is to try to put together a website of nothing but engines. I might be biting off more than I can chew, but I'd like to try to put something like this together to not only help in my researches,but for other modellers. But, I might have to make this a subscription for others, as this is something which will not only be a lot of work, but a labor of love.

The reason I'm mentioning this is because I have little or no experience in putting together a web page or a website, and so it is a learning process for me, and I'm asking any members for helpful hints.

Part of this was the result of trying to put together a Lindberg Grumman Goose, and trying to build the engines a tad more accurately than what was illustrated on the box.

The best place to find information of Japanese aircraft colors is here http://www.j-aircraft.com/ If you can't find what you are looking for in their various sections try asking in the message boards.

The Air Force Museum has quite a collection of aircraft engines and a listing can be found here http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/exhibits/r&d/index.asp

If you click on the listings it will bring up history and usually a photo of the engine.

Hope this helps !

Cheers,

Gary

I appreciate the links. While the Air Force museum doesn't have either the DB601 or the Atsuta engines, it did spark a few ideas for later.

The other link I joined to be able to post on the message boards, because I also have a 1/48 scale Dinah vacuform kit.

What do you think about the idea for a website? Were I able to pull something like this off, would this be helpful for others?

Max, try Private Messaging JPTRR, he might be able to help you. He is a member of the Aeroscale staff. Russell

How do I find an icon with his letters on it to click on?

Try this e mail. You should be able to reach him through it. If you don't, I will tell him to contact you Max. Russell

[email protected]

I clicked on the link you supplied and got nowhere, because internet explorer was asking me for a POP of some sort.

I appreciate you contacting him.

Just copy that address and paste it into the TO: field of an e-mail. POP is Post Office Protocol; your browser is not set up to do e-mail so it complained at you.

O, ok. Thanks. I attended high school BC(before computers), and am more familiar with radial engines than I am with computers.

Hi Max,




Japan specs were to paint crewed areas colors ranging from olive through khaki, depending on the manufacturer, although there were some bombers found with unpainted fuselage crew areas (presumabley for more reflected light).

Cowl interiors were almost exclusively [i]Atoke{/i], the famous 'metallic blue,' which was not so much a paint as a translucent blue laquere applied over NMF (Natural Metal Finish), which gave the appearance of a metallic blue paint.

Wheel wells ran the gamut of unpainted to [i]Atoke{/i] to solid 'interior greens' through the underside camaflauge color, again depending on the manufacturer.