Japanese Navy Aircraft Markings Question

[Geoff]

There are some pics on HLJ of the Sweet 1/144th A6M2 "green" in 2 variations of the white winged scheme. One in green with an orange tail and another in grey with a white fin.

As for the photo I believe it was taken late war and is of an early war A6M2. I know what you mean about the angle of the leading edge, but I think it is down to the foreshortened view of the plane.

[Geoff]

artwork -

[sequoiaranger]

...this, with a greater-diameter white ring around the fuselage Hinomaru AND a much-smaller diameter Hinomaru on the wing. Notice that in the actual photo the wing Hinomaru is only about 1/3rd the chord of the wing, whereas the Marsh illustration had the Hinomaru about 1/2 the wing chord.  The Marsh illustration represents a "normal" Zero with wing and fuselage Hinomarus having larger red areas than the Zero shown in the photo. The Zero in the photo is definitely NOT regulation as far as Hinomarus go.

>As for the photo I believe it was taken late war and is of an early war A6M2.<

Yes, definitely a "long-span" wing (not the A6M5 fer sure), but it also might be the Model 22 A6M3, or even one of the two-seat trainer models.

PS--by official Japanese specification, the white ring surrounding the Hinomaru was supposed to be a uniform 75mm (roughly three inches) regardless of the size of the Hinomaru, and not a "proportion thereof". That is why on large bomber aircraft, with large Hinomarus, the white ring looks disproportionately thin (find a picture of an "Emily" flying boat and you'll see what I mean!). That is also why (unlike, say German aircraft where the crosses and white outlines are proportional to the size) you shouldn't use 1/48 fighter Hinomarus on your 1/72 bomber aircraft, even though the Hinomaru itself is the right size (the white ring will be too thick).

[Geoff]

That looks more like it.

[Taiidantomcat]

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://godihirschi.ch/&ei=mIUTSr7oDJqwtgOnv6HnDQ&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://godihirschi.ch%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DJLy%26sa%3DG

tried to get this to work but this is the best i could do 

click on 'fighter aces' then go to japan, a dazzling array of profiles! 

[Geoff]

Thanks, I had not seen that page before.

[Taiidantomcat]

Nakajima B3N1 -Love this Biplane...someone made a model of it from scratch but i haven't been able to find it...





The unsuccessful "Scare Corsair" 

More unusual Japanese Machines here:

http://rareaircraf1.greyfalcon.us/JAPAN.htm

[Taiidantomcat]

Found it!



http://hsfeatures.com/features04/b4n1fm_1.htm

[Geoff]

Oh that is a beauty!!!!!!!!!!!!