Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: oboe on April 18, 2015, 10:25:48 PM
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Is this Ki.61 scheme real or from someone's imagination? I believe its from the HQ Chutai (blue tail) of the 244th Sentai, but I haven't been able to find any other examples in art or photographs. Its a real pleasing color scheme:
(http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd148/tjlaven/HomeFront44A.png)
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Wonder if someone's took some artistic license and changed the red tail to blue?
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I found this profile, and its close:
(http://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Ki-61/Kawasaki-Ki-61/images/Artwork-Tony-Ki-61-I-244-Sentai-HQ-Shinten-Japan-1944-0A.jpg)
And here is a model of a blue-tailed 244th Ki.61, the subject of which I've seen profiles for:
(http://www.eztoys.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/a/c/ac015.jpg)
AFAIK, blue signified command or HQ, White meant 1st Chutai, Red, 2nd, and gold, 3rd. But its not always that way.
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When in doubt, call in the lyric1. :D
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Best plane I can find that matches is of the model photo you posted. It is #43 shown below. No mention of a pilot though who flew anything with a blue tail. One of the photos below says they changed to blue stripes on the fuselage & wings no mention of tails for the Headquarter Ki-61's though?
I would go with the Japanese magazines they seem to be the most historically accurate with their profiles.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/132966410/39700954-Aircam-Aviation-Kawasaki-Ki61-Ki100-in-Japanese-Army-Air-Force-Service-pdf
https://www.scribd.com/doc/146273926/118-Kawasaki-Ki-61-Hien-pdf
https://www.scribd.com/doc/148750114/Bunrindo-Famous-Airplanes-of-the-World-17-Kawasaki-Ki-61-Hien-Army-Type-3-Fighter
https://www.scribd.com/doc/211363601/Monografie-Lotnicze-No-5-Kawasaki-Ki-61-Hien
https://www.scribd.com/doc/230252472/Model-Art-428-Ki-61-Ki-100-IJA-Type-3-5-Fighter
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/Ki-61/31-1848f860d4_zpsovwqt1ik.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/Ki-61/31-1848f860d4_zpsovwqt1ik.jpg.html)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/Ki-61/23-a00ac5ab1a_zpsfo9hozpo.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/Ki-61/23-a00ac5ab1a_zpsfo9hozpo.jpg.html)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/Ki-61/24-6af8099975_zpszdfq1rso.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/Ki-61/24-6af8099975_zpszdfq1rso.jpg.html)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/Ki-61/62-16f06965fc_zpsimtc95dz.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/Ki-61/62-16f06965fc_zpsimtc95dz.jpg.html)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/Ki-61/65-cf89d3bce7_zpszppf0hw7.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/Ki-61/65-cf89d3bce7_zpszppf0hw7.jpg.html)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/Ki-61/82-edf38ff480_zpsxpm4vqwm.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/Ki-61/82-edf38ff480_zpsxpm4vqwm.jpg.html)
(http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af142/barneybolac/Ki-61/74-ad83e4e2a1_zpshlw69i8f.jpg) (http://s1002.photobucket.com/user/barneybolac/media/Ki-61/74-ad83e4e2a1_zpshlw69i8f.jpg.html)
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Sorry to say the blue-tailed Tonys are bogus. The tails on some Tonys were red and this meant they were part of an aerial ramming flight (Shinten Seikutai).
For a completely up-to-date survey of Ki-61 and Ki-100 markings, watch out for Osprey's upcoming title on Ki-61 and Ki-100 Aces. It corrects many mistakes currently prevalent in Ki-61 profiles, scale models and artwork.
https://ospreypublishing.com/ki-61-and-ki-100-aces-pb
As a generic pointer I can say the following:
* Tonys with blue tails didn't exist;
* Anti-glare panels well blue-black, which in practice was black or very dark grey (depending on age), with a blueish tone. They were not blue;
* Blue was indeed used for the HQ flights, but this manifested itself mostly in blue stripes and wheel door numbers - never blue tails;
* Spinners were usually painted glossy dark brown. Coloured spinners did exist, but typically only the front part was painted;
* There were no known operational Tonys with red leading edges (unlike what's suggested by some recent sources);
* Droptanks were typically olive brown (officially: "yellow green nr.7") from 1943 onwards and usually blue-grey before that time. Only one well-decorated 244th Sentai Tony was reported to have yellow droptanks, but this was an exception, definitely not the rule.
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Thanks for the info, SkyRaider3D.