Japanese WWII aircraft landing gear color?

[seadude]

What was the color of landing gear and also the wheel well bays on Japanese World War II aircraft?
What would be the approx. Testor and/or Tamiya paint colors to use?

[CANSO]

What was the color of landing gear and also the wheel well bays on Japanese World War II aircraft?
What would be the approx. Testor and/or Tamiya paint colors to use?

It's the (in)famous AOTAKE.
Check this article and this too or google for who's making the paint for modelers.
And of course it also depends on the type of a/c you're modellin'.

[Dizzyfugu]

To be correct, it's called Aodake Iro, and this was actually a clear lacquer over aluminum. Testors offers a metallic tone, which looks pretty good, but you can simulate the effect well with light blue transpanet paint on silver, too. The struts remained aluminum, though, only the hull interior carried the blue tone.
Besides, there have also been several other interior tones, one being close to the US cockpit green (much like zinc chromate primer), and then there was a yellow-ish/brown/Khaki tone which is often referred to as "Bamboo". Best way is to check reference resources, if possible.

[zenrat]

I'm sure that whichever colour you choose, however carefull your research and no matter how much reference material you have someone (not from here) will tell you it's wrong.

[PR19_Kit]

I'm sure that whichever colour you choose, however carefull your research and no matter how much reference material you have someone (not from here) will tell you it's wrong.

But as this is WhiffWorld it won't matter a damn, it's YOUR model after all. 

[NARSES2]

Naval and Army aircraft tended to have different colours and then the manufacturer's had their own shades/interpretations of the official colours. Japanese external colours are a nightmare and internal ones are just 

I use Colourcoats enamels and Tamiya shades for my Japanese models and I've been told they are good representations of the actual things. Although as the War progressed Japanese quality control got worse so the representation of accurate schemes becomes even more difficult or perhaps even easier depending on your point of view 

Tamiya do half a dozen or so Japanese external colours in their range and reflect the differences between the Army and Navy greens and greys. So probably the easiest to go with.

Colourcoats do Aotake as do Xtracolour in their enamel range. (Colourcoats are now produced by Soveriegn Hobbies and sold in the US by H & B Hobbies)

[seadude]

Read here for my color choice.
http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php/topic,44285.0.html

[jcf]

The landing gear were most commonly natural metal, black or a combination of the two.
Some Army aircraft might have had a dark green.

The assumption that the wheel wells of all Japanese aircraft, IJN or IJA, were by default
aodake has been shown to be unfounded, e.g. "a mid-toned slightly metallic looking
bronze green, a colour I have seen associated with Ki-44 wheel wells and undercarriage covers".
- Nick Milman, Aviation of Japan blog. Ditto cockpit interiors.

A6M2 Zero wheel wells depended on who built it, Mitsubishi having aodake wheel wells, Nakajima
being painted the overall airframe colour. Wheel wells painted in the underside colour were also
not uncommon e.g. the J2M3 Raiden amongst others, also some Army aircraft wheel wells could
be unpainted.

The painting instructions in most Japanese kits are a usually an OK starting point.

[NARSES2]

The assumption that the wheel wells of all Japanese aircraft, IJN or IJA, were by default
aodake has been shown to be unfounded, e.g. "a mid-toned slightly metallic looking
bronze green, a colour I have seen associated with Ki-44 wheel wells and undercarriage covers".
- Nick Milman, Aviation of Japan blog. Ditto cockpit interiors.

I must admit I only tend to use "aodake" on IJN aircraft and then only on ones from the earlier War period. Can't prove it but just feels right. And as Jon says Mitsubishi and Nakajima in particular tended to go their own, separate ways. Ki-61 Hein's also tended to be one offs in so far as interior colours went, although I'm not sure if their re-engined Ki-100 cousins were the same ?

I do have to admit however that a lot of my references have probably been overtaken by more modern research which I've not kept up to date with.