A6M2 Zero in beige?

[Doug Hughes]

I'm researching a 1:72 Zero, looking to build an IJN all grey version around the time of Pearl Harbour. It looks like the question of the shade of grey used is a bit of a minefield, with a couple of online articles (http://modelingmadness.com/earlya6mcolors.htm, http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2010/10/on-accuracy-purple-rufes-and-real.html) suggesting a distinct creamy shade to the grey, almost beige, or even khaki. I have two queries for your collective expertise:

1) What are your opinions of the most accurate shade of grey to use?

2) How do you reproduce IJN grey - do you have a ready-to-use paint for, or do you mix?

Many thanks,

Doug

 

[eddiesolo]

Hi Doug regarding IJN grey:

The grey is a very pale colour, Humbrol 64 and using Humbrol 147 light grey. The biege/green is Humbrol 90. Tamiya XF 12 Japanese Navy grey and XF 76 grey/green also give great results. The interior of the IJN planes are lacquered in a green/blue colour, doesn't matter too much as the painting from one manufacturing plant to the next varied so there isn't a distinct colour pattern shown.

Maybe of some use to you.

Si

 

[Ian M]

My best shot is find the exact airframe you wish to build and research that. As said the colour varied from factory to factory so if you want to go into the arena of right/wrong the best shot is to build a specific machine.

Beige-green is in the area. but that's not much help is it!

Which paint brand and type do you use? Maybe some one knows just the one.

Personally, I would paint it in aluminium then go for the weathered lacquer look. It is said that the Japanese made good aircraft but really terrible paint!

After a month or two most of it had fallen off!

Ian M

 

[flyjoe180]

Humbrol 28 (camouflage grey but has a tinge of tan or something like that in it) is a pretty good shade pretty close to the Mitsubishi paint.

The original paints were:

I-2 Tsuchi-iro (FS24201) on metal surfaces

J-3 Hai-iro (FS24424) on fabric surfaces

They were of a smei-gloss finish.

 

[The Migrant]

The A6M2 interiors were painted Mitsubishi cockpit green, which is a pale-greenish shade not too far off RAF Grey-green (Tamiya XF-71). For their 1/32 Zero, one of the best researched kits of Japanese a/c out there, Tamiya specifically released XF-76 Grey Green (IJN). Although they're only screen representations, these should give you an idea:-

http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=81771

http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=81776

 

[yak face]

I agree totally with Mike , I always use Tamiya acrylics if I'm doing a Japanese aircraft , my reasoning being that a big Japanese company like Tamiya should be in the best position to get their research right . Their colours always look right to me so I would go for either XF 12 or the new XF 76. A good case in point is the Aichi m6 a Seiran I'm doing at the mo , the instructions give XF 22 for the cockpit , a slightly greenish grey , but the colour pics of the Seiran under restoration show it to be a dark green . With this being a restoration this colour is probably not the original spec , so Ive trusted in Tamiyas research and gone with their recommendation of XF 22 . Right or wrong the chances of them knowing more about the subject than me or most other people are very high!! cheers tony

 

[Doug Hughes]

Thanks for the responses, folks. I normally use Vallejo Model Air - I haven't found a colour in their range dedicated to IJM grey. There's no reason why I shouldn't try the Tamiya XF-76, though. I'll look at the Humbrol 28, too, though I think that's only available in enamel and I'm a bit reluctant to spray those. Tony, you make a good point about trusting Tamiya's research. Given the effects of weathering and the limited (easily available) sources, it does often come down to trusting one source or another. For the interior, I expect I'll easily find a green that will look good enough for 1:72

 

[Doug Hughes]

...or maybe Vallejo Model Air 23 (RAF Hemp), which seems to have more brown in it, similar to one of the available colour samples. Of course I'm trying to match colour patches viewed on a computer monitor with published colour charts, so any attempt at precision is pretty well doomed. I think I'd better stop now and go and do some modelling instead!