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Painting a Nakajima Kikka
Topic Started: Apr 24 2012, 07:05 PM (924 Views)
typhoon
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Beast
[ * ]
Hi to all,
I've almost completed the build of a MPM Nakajima Kikka (with some difficulties cause the poor fit of some parts, even if partially relief by the extras resin and photo etched) and I' now approaching the painting phase.
Indeed only one single prototype of this plane actually flew (crashing at second flight) and B/W picts are available of this.
I've found webbing around several profiles, but this generated to me some confusion. The upper part of the aircraft was most likely the dark Jap navy green, but I still have two questions in my mind.
1) What color was the bottom? Navy light grey? Orange (like many Jap protos)? or natural metal as for several german plane at the end of the war?
2) Were the yellow marks on wing leading edges there or not? These were operational marks and so I'm not sure about thei application on a proto.
All these combination (but the natural metal) are shown by the found profiles.
Anybody expert on Jap aircraft has ideas about what may have been the most realistic combination? I really would like to paint the model in the most realistic way.
Many thanks in advance for any input.
Giampiero (typhoon)
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InchHigh
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It's a good day to build.
[ * ]
In Monogram Close-Up 19, Mikesh shows the Kikka finished in a Dark Green over Light Gray scheme with yellow leading edge ID panels. Hope this helps.
Jeff

Time spent modeling is not deducted from your lifespan.

I spent most of my money on beer and women. The rest of it I just wasted.
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Graham Boak
Hero
[ * ]
If you don't get a defnite answer here, give j-aircraft.org a try. I've a feeling there's a Pegasus Kikka somewhere in my stack, I haven't seen it for a while.....so I'd be interested in the answer too. I must admit not to having considered bare metal undersides, but it is logical.
Lancashire, UK
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typhoon
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Beast
[ * ]
Many thanks for the answers.
Graham, I suscribed to the site you indicated (very good one, although subscription is a bit complicated), and going through the forum I come to the conclusion that the bottom was that orange yellow typical of Jap proto's. In fact the site comments were indicating the proto as initially full orange yellow, then painted green on top surfaces.
So I'll paint my model this way, with no yellow bands on wing trailing edges. The problem now are the decals, model ones are completely unusable cause the white ring is completely offsetted. My bag of Jap decals is a bit unfit.
Cheers
Giampiero (typhoon)
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dogsbody
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Beast
[ * ]
The references that I have.

Pegasus paint guide

Posted Image


From " World War Two Jet Fighters " by Don Berliner, published by Kalmbach

Posted Image


From Monogram Close-Up No. 19

Posted Image

Posted Image



Chris
"What young man could possibly be bored
with a uniform to wear,
a fast aeroplane to fly,
and something to shoot at?"
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typhoon
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Beast
[ * ]
Thanks Chris for your inputs.
Unfortunately I’m afraid to say I do not personally believe they are reliable.
Compared with the only few available pictures and in particular to the one showing the only fly worth proto, they have a number of inaccuracies, like the demarcation lines between upper and lower colors and the presence of the antenna that is not there in any of the pictures I’ve found. Also the yellow bands on wing leading edge is not so visible in the pictures and, being them a combat sign, it seems to me quite unlike they have been applied to Kikka for the only flight it did (second flight was aborted at take off with heavy damage to the aircraft due to a wrong installation of RATO’s).,
On the base of the witness reports, that could be found here http://www.j-aircraft.com/ and on the base of the fact that the other Nakajima proto the "Rita" four engines bomber was in a color picture shown in orange-yellow overall, I still believe Kikka was initially painted overall orange-yellow with later upper dark green paint applied.
Thanks again for your inputs and my best regards.
Giampiero (typhoon)
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InchHigh
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It's a good day to build.
[ * ]
Giampiero - have you seen this picture? http://www.warbirdphotographs.com/NavyJB&W/Kikka-2.jpg

I would not discount the yellow wing ID panels as missing on the Kikka because they were a "combat sign". They were used as an identification marking, and what aircraft needs identification more than a prototype with an unfamiliar profile?

In addition, the canard J7W was also a prototype tested during the same time period. It survived the war and was taken to the US, where it still exists at the US NASM. There are several pictures which show the yellow wing ID panels painted on this aircraft, and the undersides were light gray. The painting of the J7W says nothing conclusive about the painting and markings of the Kikka, but it does show the use of ID panels and light gray undersides on Japanese prototypes. Draw your own conclusions, I hope this helps! :)
Jeff

Time spent modeling is not deducted from your lifespan.

I spent most of my money on beer and women. The rest of it I just wasted.
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typhoon
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Beast
[ * ]
Thanks HinchHigh.
Yes I've seen that picture. If you look at it although on the right wing the leading edge looks light, the same light seems to extend for the whole of left wing. That, combined with the non evidence of the yellow band on other picture (not saying absence) brought me to the conclusion they were not fitted.
For my model I'm following this profile: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/album/pro...jima-kikka.html

Cheers
Giampiero (typhoon)
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