Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]

CLICK HERE to see new posts in last 24 hours
Mark all forums read
Welcome to 72nd Aircraft. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
about Airfix Zero colours
Topic Started: May 8 2012, 11:14 AM (2,650 Views)
Ajay
Member Avatar
Allan
[ * ]
I think Ive told a lie. I did once use Tamiya green on a 1:72 Hasegawa Frank.

This is Tamiyas JAAF green,which looked right to my eyes,so in my opinion the Navy green would fit the bill nicely on the Airfix kit.

There again Ive been wrong before and shot down in flames by experts,but I only build for myself and not competitions .


Posted Image
Bespoke maker of plastic kits to my own low standard that I usually fail to achieve .
Goto Top
 
Graham Boak
Hero
[ * ]
The worst you are likely to get is a query about your choice of colours: in the serious competitions this is not even regarded, as it is your modelling skills that are being judged not your research.

I used Tamiya acrylic green on a Hayate too, though it looked a bit more intense of hue than yours.
Lancashire, UK
Goto Top
 
Ajay
Member Avatar
Allan
[ * ]
Graham Boak,May 12 2012
02:57 PM

I used Tamiya acrylic green on a Hayate too, though it looked a bit more intense of hue than yours.

I must agree Graham,its most probably due to either the flash or brightness/contrast.

"In person" it is richer and darker. :wacko:
Bespoke maker of plastic kits to my own low standard that I usually fail to achieve .
Goto Top
 
plasticdownunder
Beast
[ * ]
hi all, wow lots of inf now!, I m thinking i might investigate Tamiya's enamel paints, seeing they have INJ green & INJ greys.. they look closer to what i want than Humbrols.

For the life of me I dont know whyAirfix didnt release 2 decal options, as i tend associate this plane more with carrier based ops, then maybe bring out a later model Zero ( like 52) & have it in Green? grey colours.
Goto Top
 
Graham Boak
Hero
[ * ]
You are looking at Airfix's new product strategy. The basic Zero kit is produced with one transfer option. It is also released in another, more expensive form, in the Zero's case as a "dogfight double" with their new P-40 and Pearl Harbor colours. It is then released again in yet another scheme as a "beginner's kit" with paints, glue and a brush.

Similarly, their new Mk.I Spitfire is available in a basic kit with one transfer set, or in a larger box at a higher price with additional parts and a choice of variants: early Mk.I or Mk.II.

This doesn't apply to all their new kits, but the Bf109E, Bf110, P-40 and F-86 have been seen in multiple releases with lesser or greater differences.
Lancashire, UK
Goto Top
 
Dave Fleming
Member Avatar
Beast
[ * ]
Graham Boak,May 16 2012
10:43 AM
This doesn't apply to all their new kits, but the Bf109E, Bf110, P-40 and F-86 have been seen in multiple releases with lesser or greater differences.

And it will apply to the A-4 and P-51 this year as well (3 boxings of each I beleive, basic, starter set and dogfight double in the case of the A4 and basic, 'enhanced' and starter set in the case of the P-51D)

Although in the case of the Skyhawk, the starter set (1 decal option) and 'basic' (2 decal options) are the same price, and if the prices on the Airfix site are correct, the 'new' Mustang starter set is £2 cheaper than the existing one based on the 1970s kit!! (You get less paint)
IPMS UK Harrier SIG

http://harriersig.org.uk/
Goto Top
 
Russell M
Member Avatar
Proud Member of the "Twelve"
[ * ]
The P-51D will also have an "enhanced" version as a F-51D release. This is the Airfix marketing equivilant of what Eduard does aimed at a mass market. I think it is a good basic strategy encouraging repeat sales to those of us who consider ourselves "enthusiasts" as well as providing a good affordable product for the pocket change and entry level modeller.
Russell Mapes
Austin Texas U.S.A.

The drive for 12 in 2012 is on!
Goto Top
 
Jonathan
Member Avatar
Destroy All Monsters
[ * ]
Graham Boak,May 9 2012
11:53 AM
Yet the training numbers were retained on the underside?  Not convincing.

Well convincing is relative to amount of time spend actually researching that particular aircraft. Paul mentions he spoke to the artist - that's me folks - so perhaps a little elaboration on the research process might be in order.

My leads came from a couple of guys in Japan researching some stuff for - hopefully - future publication. They were piecing together their information from some rare, and sometimes not too good photos, journals, logs and contemporary eye witness reports.

I have spoken to Nick Millman about this particular aircraft, I think the "controversy" (such as it is) is simply Nick's information covers that aircraft up to a certain period - what happened after that is a parallel track of research going a little further down the line.

As Paul says, at some stage it would appear that a Zero from that unit marked 134 flew with grey undersides, underside codes and borderless hinomarus. Why? The thinking was that the grey was hurriedly applied to prepare the aircraft for combat in the last dying days of Japan's involvement in WW2. But the reasons have yet to be fully determined and can join the legion of marking oddities down the years.

Similarly why did she have the markings of one unit but was seemingly recorded as flying with another? Again, this probably (or possibly) was just an expedient of the moment in hand, maybe someone forgot to paint them out, maybe there was no appropriate colour available, maybe - compared to the highly conspicuous yellow undersides - it simply wasn't deemed important.

I read the thread on J-aircraft and as ever, there are some wise heads and much knowledge - but there is also some ambiguity and gaps by default. Any questions I'm happy to talk design_jonathan@me.com

Long story short, anyone unconvinced can just leave off the underside numbers and paint the lower surfaces yellow as per her original training scheme. There's good reason for the final kit scheme and the decision making was not arrived at a whim. At the risk of overusing the railway metaphor, that's the track that was taken, but - as ever - one is always open to other routes and destinations because nothing is final.
Goto Top
 
Graham Boak
Hero
[ * ]
Thanks for the lengthy comment, but you don't address a basic contradiction. The underside was repainted for combat, including changing the hinomaru, but the much smaller area of the unit codes weren't touched. Yet time was found to replace the underwing markings, relevant only to that earlier unit and appropriate for a training aircraft but not for combat. This is inconsistent.

There's the question behind this whether such an obsolete type would have been returned to front-line service anyway, other than as a kamikaze, but the date has not been discussed in what I've seen and it seems to be very relevant.

Earlier in the war (up to late 1943?) there would be sufficient later types available not to require drawing outclassed aircraft from the training units - I gather the ferry transfers to remote fronts are available, though not to me. If we are talking a very late period, there was such a shortage of paint in Japan that types were coming off the production line without underside paint at all. There appears to be a fairly narrow window of opportunity.

Personally, I find the yellow/orange underside a more attractive option than the standard scheme anyway, and welcome the transfer sheet. Shame about having to find the underwing roundels though.
Lancashire, UK
Goto Top
 
Jonathan
Member Avatar
Destroy All Monsters
[ * ]
Graham Boak,Jun 1 2012
10:55 AM
Thanks for the lengthy comment, but you don't address a basic contradiction. The underside was repainted for combat, including changing the hinomaru, but the much smaller area of the unit codes weren't touched. Yet time was found to replace the underwing markings, relevant only to that earlier unit and appropriate for a training aircraft but not for combat. This is inconsistent.

There's the question behind this whether such an obsolete type would have been returned to front-line service anyway, other than as a kamikaze, but the date has not been discussed in what I've seen and it seems to be very relevant.

Earlier in the war (up to late 1943?) there would be sufficient later types available not to require drawing outclassed aircraft from the training units - I gather the ferry transfers to remote fronts are available, though not to me. If we are talking a very late period, there was such a shortage of paint in Japan that types were coming off the production line without underside paint at all. There appears to be a fairly narrow window of opportunity.

Personally, I find the yellow/orange underside a more attractive option than the standard scheme anyway, and welcome the transfer sheet. Shame about having to find the underwing roundels though.

Yes Graham you're right, its inconsistent, I think I made that more than clear when I said "But the reasons have yet to be fully determined and can join the legion of marking oddities down the years.". Yes, there are lots of question, I acknowledged that too. .

Even with the benefit of our native tongue, there are still gaps in our knowledge and understanding of RAF and USAAF schemes/markings, a lot of very scholarly stuff has been written about Japanese aviation down the years, some has survived others have been revised. As I said, one is always open to other routes and destinations because nothing is final.

Goto Top
 
keefr22
Member Avatar
Who, me?
[ * ]
Graham Boak,Jun 1 2012
10:55 AM


Personally, I find the yellow/orange underside a more attractive option than the standard scheme anyway, and welcome the transfer sheet.  Shame about having to find the underwing roundels though.

You don't need to find underwing roundels. At least I didn't! As yellow is such a notoriously translucent colour to paint, I always prime with white before painting it. Using a circle template, cut some tamiya masking tape to the correct diameter for the white outlines, paint the yellow/orange, unmask, apply Airfix's hinomarus in the centre of your white disc - & Roberta is your aunty!

Works a treat, & as soon as I can finally shake off this 'flu & the sun (hopefully) comes back out I'll take some pics of my 4 day build Zero to prove it! It is a really lovely kit to build, top marks Mr. Airfix!!

Keef
Keith Ryder
Swansea UK

'A plan is vital, but is never more than a basis for change'
Goto Top
 
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
ZetaBoards gives you all the tools to create a successful discussion community.
« Previous Topic · Help, I'm about to start... · Next Topic »