Hi all

While I'm waiting for some AM parts for my La-7, I thought I'd start on my George. I have seen in many photos that the Japanese paint flaked off easily, but I have not seen whether or not the underside paint did as well. Most photos (including models) show only the profile or top. What would you do? Also, what interior color should be used? The instructions just list "cockpit interior color", which is no help. I was just at my LHS and they looked it up as a metallic blue. Is this correct?

Secondly, I would love to participate in a group build or do a duel of sort. I'm real new at this model thing and I think it would help me a lot to join in a bit of competition.

Thanks,

-Derek

What's up Derek?
Why don't you start an "unofficial" duel of some sort to see if some bites the bait, you might get lucky and catch an ugly fish! :-) :-)
I'm new at this as well after some years of AWOL!

Thanks Jan,

So how do I propose a duel?

Hi Derek,
I can partially answer your question on the cockpit interior color. There are better authorities here that I am sure will be able to help you. A lot of Japanese aircraft used a metallic blue for interior surfaces. But that was mainly for areas such as inside the wings, the wheel wells etc..etc...
Some aircraft may have used the metallic blue in the cockpit but most Japanese cockpit interior colors that I have seen are usually a shade of green.
Do your instructions give you any color numbers at all when mentioning the cockpit interior color? Is there a color chart anywhere on your instruction sheet?
Here is a link to a chart for Japanese aircraft colors that may help you out.
http://ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/stuff_eng_colorcharts_japan.htm

Wayne

Wayne,

Thanks for the info. No, Hasegawa did not include color numbers for the cockpit. Just the words "cockpit color" The rest of the instructions are based the Gunze-Sangyo paint numbers. I bought a bottle of their light metallic blue that was organized along with the other Japanese military colors, but of course that does not mean anything!

-Derek

Hi Derek,

From what I have found, do not use ‘metallic blue’ for the cockpit.

Imperial Japanese cockpit colors are varied, as have been the opinions of what to use. I have been gleaning everything I can find about the subject; J-Aircraft.com Historical Research being an excellent source, hosted by and with participation of some of the world’s experts on the subject. Several of the participants lived in Japan and have more than a pedestrian knowledge of the language, artifacts (many now turning up from estates of vets) as well as Japanese friends to assist in them. Contributor David Aiken, a Director: Pearl Harbor History Associates, Inc http://www.pearlharbor-history.org has thoughtfully posted a large number of links at https://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewforum&forum_id=107&g_id=23&page=1


Kawanishi used a light green, suggested mix Gunze H 4 - 45 % + H 7 - 5 % + H 6 - 50 % Color Mixes by Joern Leckscheid.

Former NASM. Senior Curator Robert Mikesh lists FS 34127 as a close match.


It is a safe assumption that if the upper color paint peeled off, the lower paint would peel away for the same reason: bad sub preparation of the surface prior to painting. Of course, one can consider that the upper layer might peel easier due to more assumed wear distressing the paint.

Hi Derek!

Don´t have much to add, but If you want enamel paints try White Ensign Models Japanese color set!
They sell individual tins too, but you get a better price on the set.

I have used WEM colors the last few years and I´m very pleased with those paints.

They are wonderful If you use an airbrush, but You can use them for paintbrushing too.

http://www.whiteensignmodels.com/acatalog/index.html?http%3A//www.whiteensignmodels.com/acatalog/catalogbody.html&CatalogBody


Cheers!

Stefan E

Hi all,

thanks again for the info, however I'm still confused. Based on the link :http://ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/stuff_eng_colorcharts_japan.htm and if you scroll to the bottom you see a metallic blue called Aodake Iro listed as an interior color. Whould this color be for the wheel wells and such? After doin the google search it seems there are many opinions as to what colors are accurate. Since lives are not on the line as to whether or not I get the color right, I will wing it (no pun intended).

Thanks again!

-Derek

Well, I have the Eduard Ki-115 Tsurugi lying around. There they recommend "wood" for the seat and the floor (Humbrol 110, Tamiya XF 55, Testors 2021) for the rest of the cockpit i.e. sides etc. they recommend "Nakajima green" (Mr. color 127, Humbrol 151, Testors 1716)

Normally Eduard has researched their subjects pretty throughly, but whether it is the same for your kit I do not know. The Ki-115 never got to be used in action and was a late war machine so earlier machines might have used other colors.

Hi Percheron,
The George was classified by the JNAF as a Land-Based fighter. From what I can gather from J-Planes and other sites JNAF LAND BASED aircraft displayed natural metal undersides; ergo, peeling paint wouldn't be a problem.

That said some of the earlier N1K1-J may have had grey undersurfaces.

As for how much the paint peeled? Personally I believe that it can be over-emphasised - the life expectancy of a JNAF fighter in 1944-45 was short. I don't think many of them had time to peel heavily.

Many photos of JNAF aircraft with badly worn paintwork were taken post war, after the aircraft had been standing for a few months. Even so, there was a mix of wear - most aircraft appeared have reasonable paintwork. Clearly some weathered more easily than others;







The paintwork on the N1K1-J looks in reasonable order, with a few bare metal patches - impossible to say what the undersurfaces looked like, unfortunately.

The J2M3 in the middle of the third photo is heavily weathered - compare with the A6M5 in the foreground. A well worn B6N2 can be seen to the left background.

Your N1K (which version 1-J or 2-J?) doesn't have to look like like a refugee from a scrap yard.


These photos came from http://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/


Hope this might help.
Jeff W.

Jeff,

Thank you for the info. Mine is the J-2. It is interesting that some of the underside were bare aluminium. I have not seen any photos of this before.

-Derek

You're welcome. There's a good site mentioned by David Aiken in his 'Japanese aviation urls and Pearl Harbor' thread (also mentioned by Fred); http://groups.msn.com/japanesemodelaircraft/ which is worth browsing...