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Interior colors for a KI-46 III Dinah


Jim Kiker

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Hi all,

I have had one of Tamiya's 1/48 scale Dinahs for a long time and recently have added the Eduard zoom set and some resin exhausts to the box to go with a Falcon vacuform canopy. I found a nice build-up on-line of an overall gray-green scheme with white panels under the hinomaru markings that I really like, and there seems to be evidence to back up this scheme.

The next question then becomes, what about the colors for the cockpits, engine cowling interiors, and wheel wells? I have seen the Dinah at Hendon myself, looked at a lot of pictures and models on-line, and have also studied Nick Milman's blog. I have also searched in what I think are the applicable forums here on BM.

I have seen light olive green, Japanese metal primer, dark blue gray, and something that looks close to RAF interior gray-green in one image or another of the cockpits.

Frankly, I tend to go with Nick's data, although in his blog I do not think the sample cited was a type III reconnaissance aircraft. Would any of you like to take a stab at this, including references, for the interior spaces on later-war KI-46 II recon aircraft? I am only going to do one of these and I'd like to get the details right.

Thanks, Jim

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FWIW the extant interior paint in the surviving Ki-46 III (s/n 5439) was reported to match Munsell 10 Y 4/2 or close to FS 34127 or 34098. Robert C Mikesh categorised that as a 'new' Army/Navy Thorpe colour - A/N 34. Personally I think it probably represents age darkening of a colour similar to those already identified by Thorpe as N5 Light Olive Green (10 Y 4/4) and N6 Buff Green (7.5 Y 5/4). In Army terms they are similar to a yellowish-green anti-corrosive interior paint # 29 ki midori iro - yellow-green colour, commonly found in many Army cockpits mid-war and which equates closely to the so-called 'Nakajima Interior Green'.

The main pigment component was strontium chromate which darkens and becomes more grey-green (less yellow) with exposure/age. When new the paint was lighter and yellower but there are no close FS matches to its original state. Closest is FS 34259 @ 4.13 (where < 2.0 = a close match).

Here are the comparisons:-

10 Y 4/2 - FS 34127 @ 3.18 where < 2.0 = a close match

10 Y 4/2 - FS 34098 @ 3.53

10 Y 4/4 - FS 34151 @ 2.15

7.5 Y 5/4 - FS 14255 @ 2.96

There are two White Ensign paints that straddle this range light to dark - ACJ04 'Nakajima Interior Grey-Green' and ACJ18 'Mitsubishi Interior Green' but the Gloy railway colour R220 'S.R. Light Olive Green' is about spot on for what might be considered 'average' new paint and that colour probably exists in other railway paint ranges too.

Vallejo have a match to FS 34259 in their Model Color range - 881 Yellow Green - that might also be useful although I haven't tried it.

Nick

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Hi Nick,

Thank you very much for chiming in here, and I apologize for dropping one of the "L's" in your name; very sloppy on my part. Hope you and yours are well and happy.

I note that you used the term "interior paint" in your post; just so I am clear, was this color used throughout the interior spaces (such as wheel wells), or confined to the crew compartments?

Thanks and cheers, Jim

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Hi Jim

That's ok and thank you for your kind thoughts, reciprocated. The surname is an English phonetic corruption of the original anyway and exists with both one and two 'L' variants!

Although the RAF Museum Ki-46 III has a coat of spurious 'aotake' over the wheel wells traces of the original yellow green colour remain in those and all other interior spaces. Evidence from one airframe is always risky to presume to be a common standard but in the absence of anything else it is valid to warrant the painting choice on a model of the same type.

However, when LAC I C Morton examined and documented abandoned Japanese aircraft at Meiktila in July 1945 he usefully recorded that "in common with most Japanese aeroplanes seen, the three Oscar 2s had a yellowish-green finish all over the interior" and on a Navy 'Tabby' he examined at Don Muang, Thailand in December 1945: "all interior metal work was painted light yellowish green". As the cockpit and crew areas of that particular aircraft were described to be in different colours it is clear that he was referring to the other interior areas. Other contemporaneous reports describe this colour as 'bilious' (sickly)! It was also used to paint Army drop tanks.

I wouldn't suggest that this yellowish-green was absolutely identical across all manufacturers but in terms of a range of inherently similar protective paints and their known ageing characteristics it permits some leeway on a model.

Having followed up on the railway paints angle I should advise that my Gloy Railway R220 is lighter and yellower than other 'S.R. Light Olive' versions appear to be! Happy to send you a sample of it if that would help.

Nick

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Hi Nick,

Of course I'd like to have a sample! I have an idea what color might work here, but I'd much prefer to see a sample and mix to that. Feel free to post a sample to me via the private board or by e-mail, as you wish.

Thanks, Jim

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