Photo BBS |
Naval Aeronautic Headquarter Color identification Standard for Naval airplane –Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume |
By Ryoichi Watanabe Translated by Mangkhut |
Preface Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force which had used imported at the beginning produced naval airplanes domestically for the first time in 1921. At that time, those were biplanes made by woods and clothes, after then as the technology was improved, the biplane changed to the monoplane and wooden planes changed to metallic them gradually. The materials used in an airframe changed from woods and clothes to metals, at the same time the paints for airplanes changed from dope to paints for light-metal. Benzyl cellulose paints named “T-T metal paints” was developed in 1930. As the paint’s weight was light and had good adhesiveness and oil proof, the Navy adopted from May 1931. (Army Aeronautic Headquarter adopted them as the formal light metallic paints for airplanes in 1930.) After that, the paints for airplane such as alkyd resin, lacquer and polyurethane coating, have advanced. |
Standard of paints To this day, not apply only to airplane, paints has many standards. Their applications and colorings have many variations. Some readers reading this paper may imagine that color chart “FS-595” is representative in color samples, however, you must know that “FS-595” is uncommon in Japan. “FS-595” means 595th standard in Federal Specification and Standards, which is not international specification. So to speak, it is only domestic specification in US, and there are many other specifications with color names and numbers. MIL Specification and ANA157 (Army-Navy Aeronautical Bulletin) are common. It is natural that there are similar specifications and standards in other countries such as BS-381(Great Britain), RAL (Germany), AS-2700 (Australia), in a similar way, JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) and JPMA (Japan Paint Manufactures Association) decide color names and color numbers etc in Japan. |
Color of airplane Mainly, the color of Imperial Japanese Navy’s airplane is fully silver-colored at the beginning. When they were painted in camouflage, there had been painted all body of airplanes in gray color, in some cases, the upper side was painted in dark green color and the lower side in camouflaged dark brownish color etc. How was the color decided? What specifications were there? And what other colors were there? The answer is described in “Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume”. As this specification, which is not perfect, was discovered and I could clarify the whole picture, let me introduce this. I think the publication of “Temporary Specification No.117” is the first time in postwar days. |
26NOV1938 Naval Aeronautic Headquarter 10APR1942 Naval Aeronautic Headquarter Naval Aeronautic Headquarter |
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Left photo This is a front cover of Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume |
What is Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume? Imperial Japanese Naval Aeronautic
Headquarter was decided the standard colors for painting airplanes on 26th November in 1938. Until now we have guessed the color from a portion of color
numbers in the documents, which was published already, but by this discovery,
we can understand the systematic assignment of color number and colorings. |
Above photo These
are color chips in Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume, shown in
fan-like fashion. From below the top, color number A1, and subsequent numbers
set out in numeric order. |
The content The color card, which I confirmed, is described in “10th APRIL 1942 revised by Naval Aeronautic Headquarter”, 206 mm wide by 114 mm length. The two sides of this card are black, and there are total 42 colors divided by standard codes in this color code. Originally this card may have total 54 colors, but some colors could lose in long history. However we can know that Temporary Specification No.117 set down total 54 colors, and is divided into 17 series from A to Q. Note As this color code went on more than 60 years, we must think of discoloration under aging phenomena. However as this was not exposed to the sun, and stored with caution, this is in good preservation. |
In the second place, it is difficult to write down “What kind of color is the color?”, and I could not find the right color in other documents. I got the color card “Japanese traditional colors”, “Chinese traditional colors” and “French traditional colors”, and found some near colors in these books at supply stores, but it is difficult to explain the color tones by written down color names in them. If you know airplanes in world war two or some Japanese colors, you can imagine the color tone to some extent. And I think it is difficult to express the color by written down, and the reason comes from the culture of the coloring language too. A typical example is traffic signal in the town. We say “blue signal”, but it is green in fact (recently blue signals have increased.). If we say blue signal, we can communicate each other from habitual practice of Japanese language. “Blue” is explained as “kusa-iro (grass green color)”, and “green” is explained as “koi-aiiro (indigo blue)” in Kojirin dictionary. |
How is the color? The color will be explained by later mentioned “Approximate Color Reference Table” and the color code based on “Standard Color Code for Paints” published by Corp. JPMA (Japan Paint Manufactures Association). It is difficult to imagine by only codes and numbers, and so I will explain the color by introducing unique color names (Japanese name), custom names and custom colors.
In context, RLM** indicates the color codes which is according to Luftwaffe Specification of painting L.Dv.521. |
Painting Color Standard is established in Table 1 Table 1
Above photo Table 1 is a list of content. Color names are limited, as you can see. Naturally there is no amber color or tatami straw color as the color name. |
Above photo These color codes printed in black color at the upper right on color chips. Right photo is from “Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume”, and left photo is from“Standard Color Code for Paints” |
Details |
A. Bark I confirmed 3 in 4 colors.
|
B. Red
I confirmed 3 in 4 colors. |
C. Yellow
I confirmed 2 in 4 colors. |
D. Green
I confirmed 4 in 6 colors. D, M and N sequences begin from number |
E. Blue
I confirmed 3 in 4 colors. |
F. Indigo blue
I confirmed 2 in 3 colors.
|
G. Amethyst
This G sequence is only dark blue, whish is similar to the official color of England Royal Family or Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company’s image color.
|
H. brown
I confirmed 3 in 4 colors.
|
I. Soil color I confirmed all 3 colors. |
J. Ash color I confirmed 2 in 3 colors. |
K. Copenhagen blue
I confirmed 3 in 4 colors.
|
L. Gray
I confirmed all 3 colors. |
M. Sage green
I confirmed 3 in 4 colors. |
N .RUSSET I confirmed all 4 colors. “N0”is kurochairo (Japanese) or blackish brown, that is to say chocolate brown. Generally speaking, “N1”is dark brown. “N2”is chocolate brown in some milk. I wonder if 'N3' can be included in this group, because is only little more thinner than color vote number “H4”. |
O. White P. Silver Q. Black As these 3 colors are not necessary to explain, I will omit. |
Review “Kuugihou 0266 (The study of camouflage of Zero fighter), as you know, may be the most famous document about the painting of Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force. Naturally, we know the printed color tone has changed, however I will compare this published color code with Color identification Standard for Naval airplane –Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume. As I mentioned before, the color sample is not perfect, and so I compared a part of them. Let me review this content. I could compare D1 with D2. I will explain D1 first. D1 is described as dark greenish black in “Kuugihou0266”, and it looks like dark green painted Zero Fighters etc. On the other hand, it is described as field gray in Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume. J2 is described as bluish ash color in “Kuugihou0266”, and it looks like the same, on the contrary, is described as dark green added to ash color in Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume. Seeing those colors, it is difficult to understand those differences even for considering change in color or allochroism and color degradation, Considering these differences, can we say that color code which was adopted in “Kuugihou0266” is according to the specification of paints except Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume? We may assume the color code in “Kuugihou0266” as Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume’s color code, but the word “Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume” is never described in “Kuugihou0266”. Or “Temporary Specification” is of a temporary nature, and so it is no wonder that there was “Formal Specification” separately. Actually, “Japan Aircraft Standard Code No.8606 Paints for aircraft Color Code” was published from Aero Industry Society 2nd Chemical Industry Association 6th Section on 5th February in 1945, which is not divided into Army and Navy. At that time, this color code was not used in “Kuugihou0266” (published in 1942). Is this color code different from “Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume”? I wrote down the paper about paints of Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force. I hope you find it informative. |
Remarks This “Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume” is stored with caution by a big painting company named A company, and they agreed to release this to the public. I could make up APPROXIMATE REFERENCE COLOR TABLE in cooperation with a manager in A company. For your information, if readers of this paper have any questions, A company may refuse to answer. |
REFERENCES Revised Subject-book of Color by Nippon
Shikiken Jigyo Co., Ltd, 1988 |
COLOR IDENTIFICATION STADARD for NAVAL AIRPLANE –TEMPORARY SPECIFICATION No.117 ADDITIONAL VOLUME | ||||||
APPROXIMATE COLOR REFERENCE TABLE | ||||||
TEMPORARY SPECIFICATION No.117 | APPROZIMATE COLOR | REMARKS | ||||
CODE | COLOR NAME | COLOR No. | JPMA No. | FS595b | SUBJECT-BOOK of COLOR | |
A | BARK | A1 | B09-20D | 10049 | 63 | |
A2 | B07-30L | 10076 | - | |||
A3 | MISSING | |||||
A4 | B09-40L | 20109 | - | |||
B | RED | B1 | - | 30160 | 27 | |
B2 | MISSING | |||||
B3 | B05-50V | 21400 | 21 | |||
B4 | B09-50T | 22203 | - | |||
C | YELLOW | C1 | MISSING | |||
C2 | B17-70X | 13432 | - | |||
C3 | MISSING | |||||
C4 | B22-80V | 13655 | 75 | |||
D | GREEN | D0 | - | 26081 | - | |
D1 | - | 16081 | 217 | |||
D2 | MISSING | |||||
D3 | - | 24108 | 124 | |||
D4 | MISSING | |||||
D5 | - | 14110 | 117 | |||
E | GLUE | E1 | B75-20L | 15048 | 154 | |
E2 | B77-40L | - | - | |||
E3 | B72-50L | - | - | |||
E4 | MISSING | |||||
F | INDIGO BLUE | F1 | - | 25045 | - | |
F2 | - | - | 125 | |||
F3 | - | (24108) | - | bluer than 24108 | ||
G | AMETHYST | G1 | B77-30T | - | 155 | |
H1 | B19-40D | 20095 | - | |||
H2 | MISSING | |||||
H3 | B17-50F | 10219 | - | |||
H | BROWN | H4 | B19-60H | - | - | |
I1 | B25-40D | - | - | |||
I2 | B22-50D | - | - | |||
I | SOIL COLOR | I3 | B22-60D | 20318 | - | |
J1 | BN-40 or B75-40B |
36118 | - | |||
J2 | B45-40B | 34159 | - | |||
J | ASH COLOR | J3 | MISSING | |||
K1 | - | 25109 | 166 | |||
K2 | B69-50D | - | - | |||
K | COPENHAGEN BLUE | K3 | MISSING | |||
K4 | B45-70B | - | - | |||
L1 | B15-40B | 30097 | 219 | |||
L2 | B25-50B | 16350 | - | |||
L | GRAY | L3 | B65-60B | - | - | |
M0 | B37-50D | 34226 | - | |||
M1 | MISSING | |||||
M | SAGE GREEN | M2 | - | 34227 | - | |
M3 | B42-50L | - | - | |||
N0 | - | 20045 | 63 | |||
N1 | B15-30B | 10045 | 62 | |||
N | RUSSET | N2 | B15-40D | 20140 | - | |
N3 | B19-60F | - | - | |||
O1 | BN-93 | 17925 | 201 | |||
P1 | - | 17178 | - | |||
O | WHITE | Q1 | BN-10 | 17038 | 220 | |
P | SILVER | |||||
Q | BLACK |
REMARKS: This reference
table is quoted from the documents as below: |
January 1, 2005 public presentation. Renewal of the January, 2006 English-language edition.