Zero under surface colours

[mickmatt]

Hi Scale People

Re the Planes of Fame Zero 61-120 in its first restored finish with the double White Lines on the rear fuselage. Question is what colour did they use for the undersurface, as from the photos i have it appears to be a very light gray and not the greenish hue that is recomended but the Plastic Scale Modelers for a Zero A6m.Hopeing that someone has been this way before and can come up with a paint make and name that would be suitable for a 6 foot span r/c version.

Thanks in advance

Mike

[bouncebounce crunch]

Why not try corresponding with the museum and see how that goes. the pictures i have are only showing a very light grey almost white and unless you are entering a scale competition no one will know the difference.

this is a link to warbird depot with a few good shots.http://www.warbirddepot.com/aircraft_fighters_zero-pof.asp

and this is her in the markings you are after.http://www.airliners.net/photo/Mitsubishi-A6M5-Reisen/0307419/L/&sid=fe60f298c37acaaedf7a99b3212751f9

 

Edited By bouncebouncecrunch on 14/02/2013 19:51:45

Edited By bouncebouncecrunch on 14/02/2013 19:53:55

[cymaz]

A club mate built a Nakajima Oscar ( I know its not the same ). He did some research and said that the Japaneese paint was of such poor quality and so thin it used to wear off very quickly. He did a base coat of silver then the top colour and rubbed it away in places leaving a vey convincing weathered look

Edited By cymaz on 15/02/2013 06:55:33

[kevin b]

They were all supposed to be light grey, but as the war went on paint became in short supply, so they mixed the top surface green with white to give the light green colour. I suppose it depends on what period you are modelling. Also as mentioned above the paint quality got worse and in particular the etch primer, giving us lots of scope for weathering.

kevinb Banzai dept

[mickmatt]

Re the Zero colours,thanks cymaz and kevin b for your replies. It is as I thought a case ot the old 'Mark one eyeball' and a mixing stick, If I was doing a wartime Zero it would be as just as difficult gettig it right.

Mike

[Etigny]

in the french revue AVIONS N°134, Zero on Rabaul( www.avionsbateaux.com) we have :

A6M2 green FS 34077 ( upper surface) grey FS 36357 (undersurface)

A6M2 green FS 34052 ( upper surface) grey FS 36357 (undersurface)

A6M2 grey brown FS16350 ( upper surface and undersurface)+speckled paint green FS 34077

A6M3 grey brown FS16160 ( upper surface and undersurface) +cowl green 34077

A6M3 green 34077 ( upper surface) and grey brown FS14201(undersurface)

A6M5 green 34052 ( upper surface) and grey brown FS16350(undersurface)

FS = Federal standard color

In japenese Aero Detail 7 revue, you can find all colors for each ZERO version (printed in the revue) but without reference to FS color except grey FS36251 for A6M2b

Alain

[mickmatt]

Alain, thanks for the information re the Zero Undersurface Colours, The full size that I am replicating is the Planes of Fame A6M5 in its original restoration colours and markings in 1978/9 . The green was fairly straighforward,the photos I have of 61-120 show a pale gray lower colour,not the green/brown that the IJN used. The mix that I have used looks about right,but hey I might be wrong.Regards Mike.