Taianan FG A6M3

[Greebo]

Thanks to Lyric1 for finding me the info for this skin. It is an update of a skin originally done by Busa01 in 2011. The new version has all the new effect maps and so no longer suffers from AH3 shiny syndrome.

This A6M3 was flown by Lt Inano Kikuichi of the 4th Squadron of the Tainan Fighter Group in New Guinea in 1942. The writing on the fuselage states it was presentation aircraft number 874 paid for by public subscription. When the Allies overran the Japanese airbase at Buna they discovered this aircraft mostly intact and examined it in detail.

[lyric1]

Very nice.

Just an observation per J-aircraft.

"BUNA Hamp [V-177], s/n3018, was the only one which had a faded blue-slash marking. BUNA Hamp [V-190] had a very dark (perhaps black) slash marking."

http://www.j-aircraft.org/smf/index.php?topic=8871.msg70970#msg70970

[oboe]

So well done in every way, Greebo.    Very effective screenshots too, with palm trees and mountain in background.

[Greebo]

Thanks Oboe and Lyric1. I'll change the colour of the fuselage band before submitting it.

[Vraciu]

Good work, G. 

[Devil 505]

Excellent work.

[Nefarious]

Looks great!

[puller]

 

[Shifty]

Greebo, according to my copy of Eagles of the Southern Sky. A6M3 V-190 belonged to the 3rd Chutai flying from the Buna detachment and indeed had a black fuselage band. There is some confusion on if the black band on the model 32s represented the 3rd or 4th Chutai, because by the time the Model 32s were getting into theater the Guadalcanal campaign was grinding the Tainan Kokutai down so bad a lot of organizational niceties were thrown out the window.
 
I don't know if you plan on doing anymore Taianan skins but if you do here's a little info I have on what they intended the organization to look like.

Model 21s
V-101 through V-119 1st Chutai red sash
V-121 through V-139 2nd Chutai blue sash
V-141 through V-159 3rd Chutai yellow sash
V-161 through V-179 4th Chutai black sash

Model 32s at Buna
V-170 through V-179 1st Chutai blue sash
V-180 through V-189 2nd Chutai yellow sash
V-190 through V-199 3rd Chutai black sash.

Hope this helps, your work is awesome. The Tainan Kokutai is my favorite IJN squad
and the 244th Sentai my favorite IJAAF squad. Your last two efforts with both units are just awesome. You bring a lot to the game my friend.

[Greebo]

Thanks for the information Shifty. I have no immediate plans to do another Tainan FG skin but this info will help if I do. At some point I will skin at least a couple more 244th FG Ki-61s, one in NMF and one in solid green. I will likely do a couple more from other groups as well.

I did change the stripe to black before uploading this skin to HTC.

[Shifty]

That is just awesome looking Greebo.    Sorry I didn't realize you had uploaded it already. Unfortunately where I live now I'm on wireless internet in the middle of nowhere and not able to enjoy the game. One day they'll upgrade out here.