One model per (non-working) day

[Don Boose]

Karol -

Keep in mind that I am not an expert. All of my pronouncements on Japanese colors, markings, force structure, organization, and operations should be prefaced by, "As near as I can tell based on the references available to me and subject to correction by someone with more expertise . . ."

With that caveat, and based largely on Don Marsh and Peter Starkings, Imperial Japanese Army Flying Schools 1912-1945 (Atglen, PA: Shiffer Publications, 2011) and other sources, it appears that aircraft specifically designed as trainers were painted orange-yellow at the factory and delivered in those colors. Some of them may have had the upper parts overpainted in green or camouflage once U.S. aircraft started attacking the home islands, but I don't know of any general rule.

Operational aircraft seem to have been delivered to flying schools in their operational colors.

In the case of the Ki-54, unless you can find a photograph or an eye-witness account that says otherwise, I believe that all of the ones sent to training schools were gray or camouflaged. Marsh and Starkings provide several side view paintings of Ki-54s assigned to the Akeno, Gifu, Hokota, Kumagaya, Mito, and Tachiarai Army Flying Schools (Rikugun Hikō Gakkō) and the Mito Army Air Communications School (Rikugun Kōkū Tsūshin Gakkō). They are all painted overall light gray. A painting of a Ki-54 assigned to the Army Air Academy (Kōkū Shikan Gakkō) shows an aircraft in overall green-gray-tan camouflage and a yellow fuselage band. None of them are orange-yellow overall or on the bottom.

That's the best I can do for now.

Don

[Butelczynski]

Thank you.That's exactly what I was wondering.

[scissorsandplanes]

Originally Posted by Don Boose

I've been out of town and am on the run, but here are my best guesses as to identifications of the latest Ki-43s (Bruno - Do you mind me doing this? I enjoy it, but will stop if you find it annoying):

Don

I don't mind at all, Don.

and don't forget BrUNo 3125, 3127 and 3131

[gomidefilho]

Wow Finally a good 1/100 Ki-43 in all versions! Thank's Bruno!

[Rata]

Originally Posted by gomidefilho

Wow Finally a good 1/100 Ki-43 in all versions! Thank's Bruno!

Echoing that. Plus now I won't have to bother with repainting and making landing gear for his old one!

[PacificWind]

Originally Posted by Rata

Plus now I won't have to bother with repainting and making landing gear for his old one!

Landing gear is actually extremely easy to design. I can do it on every Bruno's plane within 10 minutes.
Wing root fairings are a real horror!

[scissorsandplanes]

Originally Posted by gomidefilho

Wow Finally a good 1/100 Ki-43 in all versions! Thank's Bruno!

I'm not sure about the term "good" yet. I first need to do a test build.
Perhaps this evening after work.

[Rata]

Originally Posted by scissorsandplanes

I'm not sure about the term "good" yet. I first need to do a test build.
Perhaps this evening after work.

I think with the amount of 'practice' you've had it's a pretty safe bet it will be 'good'.

[scissorsandplanes]

As Kacper said it: Wing root fairings are a real horror!
So I want to check first

[Don Boose]

Bruno: "don't forget BrUNo 3125, 3127 and 3131"

3125: Third Squadron (yellow tail marking) of the famous 64th Flying Regiment. I think it is the Squadron Leader's (Chutaichō) airplane, although the diagonal Chutaichō stripe was usually in the squadron color, so the red diagonal stripe may mean something else. The 64th flew the Ki-43-I during 1942 in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaya, and Burma).

3127: Second Squadron, 25th Flying Regiment, Vietnam or China 1943 or 1944.

3131: Tentatively, Second Squadron, 102nd Flying Regiment established at the Akeno Flying Training School in the summer of 1945. I need to do more investigation of this one, but am off now to Japanese class.

Don