I am new to WW II Japanese planes and have some questions about paint schemes.
What color was the primer used for base coat?
Was there a special color for pilot training aircraft?
Was the light grey on the early planes the entire plane or different for top and bottom?
The dark green was standard for all locations? when was it started?
The green squiggle/blob pattern was applied over what color or bare metal? Was this local camoflauge or for all planes?

Information can be found here:

https://www.cybermodeler.com/references.shtml

Thanks Chris, some helpful information, but little on WW II Japanese planes.

Whooo, boy, can of worms time.

-What colour was the primer used for base coat?
Often there wasn't one, which explains why the paint flaked off so easily. This is especially true for late in the war when supplies were running out.

-Was there a special colour for pilot training aircraft?
Yes, it was an orange-yellow. Late in the war, they often had green camouflage on the upper surfaces.


-Was the light grey on the early planes the entire plane or different for top and bottom?
It was overall one colour, but different for Army Vs. Navy aircraft. The Navy 'grey' was more of a brownish cream colour, and weathered to look almost purple, which is where the myth of the purple Rufes in the Aleutians came from.

-The dark green was standard for all locations? when was it started?
Yes and no. The greens varied from manufacturer to manufacturer, and also between the services. The Army green was more of a brownish olive green compared to the Navy's which was more bluish. It started in about mid 1942 or thereabouts but its introduction wasn't uniform and many units painted their own aircraft when and as they could. This is the origin of the mottled, stripy and other non-solid paint schemes.

-The green squiggle/blob pattern was applied over what colour or bare metal? Was this local camouflage or for all planes?
As mentioned above, it was local schemes, painted over whatever paint may or may not have existed before painting.

All of this may or may not be true for your particular subject. If you can find a photo, use that. If there are no photos available, then nobody and prove you wrong.

Jessie_C,
Thanks for that tutorial! You post was very helpful, I wondered about the early war greys being painted the dark green and the paint chipping, so it was natural metal under it.

In the salt air I am going to assume the bare metal was very dull and not shiny!

I might do two training schemes, one early and one late.

I will try to shade my greys and greens.

Thanks!