Royal Thai Air Force Ki-43

[moot]

Yeah I was thinking that.  The tail makes sense - then they both face forward.  But the wings ...

I was just curious, thanks.

[Mitsu]

http://www.aviationofjapan.com/2008/03/royal-thai-air-force-oscars.html

hmm...

[moot]

Aha!  Nice find Mitsu .. Although there's no pic of the wing top surface.

[Krusty]

I've seen that photo Mitsu posted. I've searched for info on this particular plane markings before. I remain skeptical that it looked like that. The one photo showing that looks heavily edited, almost as if it was a painting rather than a photo. Possibly a touch-up or something over the original?

If it IS the original the quality of the photo varies from section to section, while the upper surface of the same plane's right wing is visible and appears to be a solid color with possibly a rising sun on it.

I believe the squiggly markings were rare and mostly post-war. I believe that for the most part the Ki-43s were marked as with any IJA Ki-43 -- they were green in varrying degrees of wear and tear, and the wing and tail markings were added on top of the craft as they received them.

The squiggly markings only show up on the same set of color artist profiles, and on some rare model kits. The one photo makes me suspect it's authenticity, and all other photos appear to have a solid color on the upper surfaces.

Such as:



and



That's why I suspect this paint scheme never existed on the Ki-43 during WW2, and why I never called "dibs" on it or anything.

[Nathan60]

and

(Image removed from quote.)

That's why I suspect this paint scheme never existed on the Ki-43 during WW2, and why I never called "dibs" on it or anything.

Look at the hangers behind that aircraft in your photo. Looks like the scheme or something like it was common, and could be slapped onto a Ki?

[Krusty]

Yes.... because building paint schemes and aircraft paint schemes are the same thing... 

An overspray of a single squiggle pattern (as on the hangars) is not the same thing as an intriciate dark/light tigerstripe scheme painstakingly laid out over the entirety of an airframe.

With the (IMO) suspect nature of the one and only picture supposedly showing this scheme on an aircraft, all other photos show... guess what? They show NOT this scheme.

[Greebo]

The scheme I did was based on the photo at the top of Mitsu's link. It is one of a series of stills taken from a Japanese propaganda movie shot at the handing over ceremony for the Ki-43s in Singapore. I also have a front quarter shot of what may be the same aircraft from the same film. They don't look touched up to me. The RTAF aircraft in stills from the film have a variety of schemes, I picked this one because it had the clearest photo. Any RTAF aircraft with the elephant markings is WW2, they changed back to their pre-alliance roundels ASAP when Japan surrendered.

Note that Ki-43 Is and IIs were supplied from the factory in bare metal, with only the black anti-glare panel and the Hinomaru markings applied. Any camouflage was applied at a depot or squadron level and this varied from overall green, to squiggles, blotches and brown and green schemes. Only Ki-43 IIIs had an olive and grey scheme factory painted scheme.

[Nathan60]

Yes.... because building paint schemes and aircraft paint schemes are the same thing... 

An overspray of a single squiggle pattern (as on the hangars) is not the same thing as an intriciate dark/light tigerstripe scheme painstakingly laid out over the entirety of an airframe.

So a pilot or crew chief cant say 'hey that would look good an an aircraft'? The hanger cant inspire something similar on an aircraft? What do you think the tigerstripe scheme would look like in black and white? Still think the scheme on the hangers could have easily been the genesis for the scheme on the a/c.

[lyric1]

I do have a picture of the underside of the wing.
Quality is not so hot though.

[lyric1]

.

[Greebo]

That's a very useful photo. It shows where the IJAAF markings have been overpainted before the RTAF insignia were applied, which is something I guessed right on the skin. Also that the elephant is pointed towards the fuselage, which is the opposite of what I did. So either the wing insignia all had elephants with their head facing left or they all pointed towards the fuselage. The rectangle around the elephant on the wing looks bigger than the one on the tail, but the elephant is the same size.

That aircraft with the "tiger stripes" is one I have seen profiles of but not a photo. I am tempted to redo the skin to match this scheme. The profiles show it as a brown base with green stripes, but I'd guess its the other way round or dark green over light green.

[Ack-Ack]

Very nice.  I am glad to see this as it is rare to see wartime Japanese aircraft in colors other than Japanese, barring captured examples undergoing testing.

I guess that leaves the Manchuko air force yet to be represented.

There's also the collaborationist air force (National Government of China Air Force) of the Reorganized National Government of China (Inner Mongolia) that was also given the Ki-43 by Japan. 

ack-ack

[lyric1]

There's also the collaborationist air force (National Government of China Air Force) of the Reorganized National Government of China (Inner Mongolia) that was also given the Ki-43 by Japan. 

ack-ack

I tried finding information on those KI-43's a while back & I have not had much luck.  Most info I have found says the Japanese did not trust them so they only got Biplanes.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~alevrass/Nanking_China.html

Lot of contrary stories on the web though so they may be out there.
I just have not found it yet.

[lyric1]

I do have a picture of the underside of the wing.
Quality is not so hot though.

Not sure why that link is broken.
Here is the picture again.

[Karnak]

I think I like the tiger stripes better, but....why not both?