[Nicholas]

Hello Skyraider3D

The Ki-43 III model was rather distinctive. It was factory painted by Tachikawa with upper surfaces in an Army colour known as 'Ohryoku 7 go shoku' (literally yellow-green number 7 colour) also referred to as Homeland Defence Khaki and sometimes mistakenly identified as 'Late War Brown'. This was actually the standard IJA equipment colour - a brownish olive green somewhere in the range FS 33070 to 34088. Could be browner, could be greener but exposure to the sun faded it to a khaki shade, degrading the green pigment. The undersurfaces were said to be expediently painted in a mix of the upper surface colour and titanium oxide - white - giving a creamy grey appearance. This was close to FS 36405.

Sometimes the JAAF field depots applied dark (jungle) green mottles over this colour but this was unusual in the case of the Ki-43 III and most sources depict the 71st in plain single colour schemes. Combat reports describe brownish green or greenish brown colours!

The propellor and blades were painted a grey-green, close to FS 24172 although one Japanese source has provided a sample closer to FS 34079. Prop blades had a 50mm yellow-orange tip.

Underwing drop tanks were a neutral or mid grey - or a similar grey green to the prop.

Most aircraft had a 200mm wide white 'senchi hiyoshiki' or so-called 'combat stripe' painted around the fuselage in front of the tail. The wings had the usual yellow orange IFF strips on the leading edge, to a width of 200mm and about half the length of the wing. The yellow orange colour was similar to FS 33538.

The tail marking for the 71st was a stylised "71" in red or orange. If I could work out how to attach pictures here I would provide some!