Mr. Color - IJN šedo zelená (Nakajima)

A color tied to one factory

The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service had no single camouflage shade. Every plant mixed the color to its own recipe, so the gray-green from Nakajima differs from the same tone as produced by Mitsubishi. The designation therefore carries both the navy's name and the name of the factory, and it is a piece of information the modeler really needs: without it you would not know which of two close colors to buy.

Properties and thinning

The binder remains a cellulose lacquer, which rules out any water-based thinner. It can be thinned only with a product from the same system, in a ratio you check on a test sample. Ten milliliters of a paint whose film is firm and even once cured.

Building recommendation

• Check in the literature which plant built the particular machine; on license-built types it is not obvious
• A dark engine cowling and colored propeller blades go with the shade
• The worn walkway area where the pilot steps onto the wing is among the documented signs of wear
• The paint has to be stirred again and again throughout the work

The difference between the two gray-greens is visible on a finished model, so choosing the right variant is worth a few minutes of searching in the literature.

Additional notes

• The shade looks richer on a small area than on a color chart, so allow for that on small parts
• A light base helps the paint hold an even tone over plastic and over filler alike
• The dried layer can be polished, which is useful on machines with a well-kept finish

The undersurfaces of Japanese aircraft tended to be in a different material and shade from the upper surfaces, so combining the two colors does more for credibility than the most carefully sprayed green on its own.