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Mitsubishi Zero A6M2a Type 11


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Don't worry, Tim. Regardless of how I try to describe the color, we all know how it's supposed to be. Everyone's eyes see things a bit differently. We know that the early A6Ms were darker or "more olive" than what was thought say, 30 years ago.

That's definitely true. There's no white zero's, nor purple-rose Rufe's.

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What is interesting with regards to your comment on the Rufe, is that there is an often-seen black and white aerial photo of two Rufes in formation, with one in the early overall color, and the other in the two-tone scheme with the dark green uppers. The overall lighter colored Rufe has white surrounds on the hinomarus, which is curious to me, as I've never seen an early plane in the color we were discussing with the white surround on the insignia, with the exception of the currently flying restored aircraft seen in a pic several posts back.

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The 75mm white surround on the fuselage Hinomaru only, was used by Nakajima on the overall olive-grey aircraft as an identifier to distinguish the Nakajima built A6M2 Model 21 from the Mitsubishi built A6M2 Model 21. It was used on the A6M2 Model 21's and the A6M2N. I don't have an answer as to why some of the A6M2N's don't have the 75mm white surround to the Hinomaru other than possibly it was painted out or that the 75mm identifier was added after production started and some aircraft were delivered without the white surround or conversely, the application of the 75mm white surround was dropped some time during the production run. If all the Hinomaru have white surrounds then it's most likely a field applied modification as I have not yet seen an overall olive-grey aircraft with white surrounds on all topside Hinomaru from factory photos.

Edited by timc
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  • 2 months later...

Hello Gentlemen,

I know I am coming late to the party, but please let me add a few details to what Tim has said. Nakajima only began to apply he white surround to the fuselage hinomaru in late August 1942. Thus before this date the appearance of the fuselage markings would be identical on both manufacturer's Zeros. That also is why the very early A6M2-Ns are pictured with the plain fuselage hinomaru. The wing hinomaru remained without any white surround until the beginning of factory applied dark-green upper-surface camo. (Note though, that in some instances field-camoed Zeros had a white surround added to the hinomaru - 204 Kokutai in particular adhered to this practice.)

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  • 1 month later...

Hello Gentlemen,

I know I am coming late to the party, but please let me add a few details to what Tim has said. Nakajima only began to apply he white surround to the fuselage hinomaru in late August 1942. Thus before this date the appearance of the fuselage markings would be identical on both manufacturer's Zeros. That also is why the very early A6M2-Ns are pictured with the plain fuselage hinomaru. The wing hinomaru remained without any white surround until the beginning of factory applied dark-green upper-surface camo. (Note though, that in some instances field-camoed Zeros had a white surround added to the hinomaru - 204 Kokutai in particular adhered to this practice.)

Thanks for that explanation Ryan. I knew there had to be some reason that some had the surround while others did not.

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  • 6 months later...

Way off topic but I haven't found my answer elsewhere.

If I was painting a Tojo in the green color usually seen, which should I choose?

Maybe a reference?

(I'm pooped looking on this dinky iPhone..)

Thank you and sorry for the hijack

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  • 9 months later...

Good Evening Gentlemen,

 

I think I'm lucky to find that topic.

 

I have two Airfix Zero in my stash (the new tool, the "basic" edition and the starter set edition with paint and glue).

In the first box, Airfix provides markings for an aircraft painted in a two tone camo (dark green and... " a light color"), while in the second box, we have an aircraft in "a light color" overall...

 

About that "light color", Airfix recommends to use the Humbrol n°90.

Humbrol calls it "Beige Green". For me, it's a very light green color (but "beige" in general seems to not be easy to define - yellow, green, brown...).

 

I tried some research about IJN colors...

So, some said the "light color" was a grey-green shade, other said it's a caramel color (a modeler suggested a 1:1 mix of light grey H41 and Hemp H168). We also have "pistachio" !

But what Airfix propose with that pale green is a plausible option ?

 

I have a book about Tanaka Katsuyori's models. It's all in japanese but the Zero A/C seems to be painted in a pale green color.

 

And about the engine cover, for a Mitsubishi-build aircraft, a 1:1 mix of black and midnight blue is OK ? (if it's supposed to be a blue-black color ?)

 

It's horrible to be stuck because of these small things ! :bandhead2:

 

 

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It seems that people prefer Tamiya's range.

 

I just discovered that Airfix will re-release their new Zero with a new box-art and a new paint scheme option. Here, the color suggested will be Satin Hemp (n°168). Which is rather a light brown shade.

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8 hours ago, Jan-Pawel said:

It seems that people prefer Tamiya's range.

 

I just discovered that Airfix will re-release their new Zero with a new box-art and a new paint scheme option. Here, the color suggested will be Satin Hemp (n°168). Which is rather a light brown shade.

Any greenish cast of this early Zero IJNAF "hai-iro" J3 standard overal color is caused by lighting perception a.k.a. metamerism and was due to very little contents of blue pigment in predominantly neutral gray (50-50 black and white pigment) with some yellow ochre. Best verbal description is olive gray.

No gray-GREEN (as certain "researched" has been yelling all over cyber space) neither "pistacchio". This paint was based on license for German paint for light metal alloys, not far off RLM02, was of high quality and glossy.

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Thank you for your answers. :thumbsup:

 

The AK Interactive paints set seems to be interesting. However, I have drawers full of paints.

Maybe just to buy the blue-black and the bamboo green for to try the paint. Otherwise, I fear that to buy the full set won't be reasonnable. :hmmm:

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  • 1 year later...

Hi all

 

Joinig in here now as well...

I watched the "Zero" movie on Amazon last night...then started looking for a 1/48 model and found the Tamiya limited Edition with the movie decals...ordered! ;-)

Started reading on Hasegawa's earlier models and hence ordered on of those...

I have built the 1/32 Tamiya Zero when it first came out...OOB...and it was a pure pleasure and an eye opener back then but I have not build a Zero ever since...so now it will happen!

 

cheers

Uwe

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