Hey Guys!

Posting again for the first time in a long while. This is the Finemolds kit in 1:48 scale. It is a REALLY nice kit, and in my opinion better than the Wingsy offering of the same aircraft. However, that's not why I am submitting this. In keeping with the theme laid down by Tom, I am hopeful that whatever discussion is opened on account of this post, that it may really help to better get a more complete understanding of the markings and schemes used on Japanese Navy aircraft in that time period.

First off, yes...the model looks more brown that it actually is. That is due in no small part to lighting issues, and the glaring fact, that I am a terrible photographer. That being said, there are very definite reasons as to why I chose this scheme.

I found online, a color profile of an A5M assigned to Shoho. It sported an overall silver aircraft with a blazing red tail. The time frame was posted as being in 1940, before hostilities opened between Japan and the US. Once the war heated up, I thought that, not unlike the US Navy, the Japanese would begin to camouflage their aircraft as well. Silver aircraft with red tails do not quite meet that requirement. Since the A5M was built by Mitsubishi, and they were also producing the A5M's successor, the A6M, I imagined that they would be pretty much in a similar scheme,: black cowl with a greenish-brown fuselage.

As further evidence of this, I have the ACA report filed by LtCdr James Flatley, in which he described enemy VF as being "Desert Tan with red discs on the wings..."

Shoho was part of the Fourth Carrier Division, along with IJN Ryujo and IJN Jun'yo. The fourth carried yellow stripes on their fuselages. Since Shoho was the second carrier inside the fourth division, I used two yellow stripes. DII were also the letter code for Shoho.

In retrospect, it could have been a little bit lighter in color, but not by much. I think the idea of early war aircraft appearing to be grey was more due the oxidation of the paint in the many months at sea after Pearl Harbor and the many other actions the Japanese were involved, in it's aftermath.

So, the gauntlet has been thrown and I would like to hear what everyone else has to say.

8 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Great job indeed, my friend @fjs3! Your color interpretation really makes sense!

Thanks guys

I would also like to get differing viewpoints on this. I know there are many schools of thought as the correct colors used by the IJN in the early war period, and frankly I’d like to hear them. For instance, the Aichi D3A1 was often painted in a ‘light grey’. Is it also the same as the Mitsubishi version? Lots of questions and few concrete answers. Even on this model. While I feel the evidence supports my argument, there is no slam dunk, “That’s it!” Again, chime in lads, let’s help each other out.

And thanks to Tom for starting this thread, I think it has potential to be really informative, as long as everyone plays nicely and respects others.

Nice work. That is an awesome kit.