Kari Kikaku 117 / 仮規117

The 海軍航空機用塗料識別標準 假規117 別冊 (Kaigun kōkūki-yō toryō shikibetsu hyōjun 假規 117 Bessatsu, “Color identification Standard for Naval air plane –Temporary Specification No.117 Additional Volume”), often shorted to Kari Kikaku 117, Kariki 117 or “Provisional Standard 117”. Note that these swatches are not Kari Kikaku 117 itself, but a supplement to it. They are 206 x 114 mm.

The Kariki 117 is a IJNAF specification which describes the colours used for painting aircraft from November 26 1938 onward. It contains 54 colours, divided in 17 series ranging from A to Q. It was published November 26 1938.

Usage of this system was, as far as known, rather limited. The standard itself also does not specify the purpose of each colour. The most famous use was in the 空技報0266 (Yokosuka Kaigun Kokutai Report No.0266), or Kugiho 0266, a report by the Navy about future camouflages for the A6M from March 1942.

Swatch	Code	Colour	Munschell	Gunze	Tamiya	Vallejo	Hataka	MRP	AK	AMMO-mig
	A1 褐色	brown	10R 3/2
	A2 褐色	brown	7.5R 3/6
		Primer for metal surfaces Intermediate coat for fabric surfaces propeller blades and spinners
	A3 褐色	brown	10R 4.5/6
	A4 褐色	brown	10R 5.5/6
	B1 赤色	red	7.5R 3/4
	B2 赤色	red	5R 4/12
		Markings Hinomaru’s
	B3 赤色	red	7.5R 4/14					MRP-411
		Hinomaru colour up and to 1943
	B4 赤色	red	2.5YR 6/14
	C1 黄色	Yellow	5YR 6.5/12
		Warning colour, Propeller tip colour
	C2 黄色	Yellow	10YR 7.5/14
		trainer and experimental aircraft colour
	C3 黄色	Yellow	2.5Y 8/12
	C4 黄色	Yellow	4Y 8/13
	D0 緑色	Green	5GY 3.5/1
	D1 緑色	Green	5BG 3/1		XF-11	71325			AK11893 RC304 AK2063
		upper side camouflage. Experimentally used as an upper surface camouflage on A6M2 “ヨ-109” as mono, and with J3 on “ヨ-107”. The experiment with mono D1 over J3 underside was accepted for standard use in 1944. cockpit panel colour of at least the Kyūshū Q1W Tokai.
	D2 緑色	Green	10GY 3/2			71322		MRP-425	AK11894 RC305 AK2064
		Camouflage paint
	D3 緑色	Green	2.5G 3/3
	D4 緑色	Green	2.5G 3.5/4
	D5 緑色	Green
	E1 青色	Blue
	E2 青色	Blue
	E3 青色	Blue
	E4 青色	Blue
	F1 藍色	Indigo
	F2 藍色	Indigo
	F3 藍色	Indigo
	G1 菫色	Violet
	H1 茶色	Tea
	H2 茶色	Tea
	H3 茶色	Tea
	H4 茶色	Tea
	I1 土色	Soil
	I2 土色	Soil
	I3 土色	Soil
	J1 灰色	Mei kaishoku Grey
	J2 灰色
		Experimentally used as an upper surface camouflage on A6M2 “ヨ-113
	J3 灰色	Haiiro Ash Gray
		Sometimes said to be the famous early A6M overall camouflage, however this is unlikely as kugisho 0266 indicates this to be a distinct shade. Experimentally used as an upper surface camouflage on A6M2 “ヨ-105” as mono, and with D1 on “ヨ-107”. In 1944, D1 over J3 was accepted as the standard IJN camouflage pattern. front cover of engine gear reduction casings
	K1 灰青色	Gray Green
	K2 灰青色	Gray Green
	K3 灰青色	Gray Green
	L1 鼠色	Rat grey
	L2 鼠色	Rat grey
	L3 鼠色	Rat grey
	M0 灰緑色	Gray Green			XF-71			MRP-430 MRP-413
		Official IJN cockpit interior colour
	M1 灰緑色	Gray Green			XF-71			MRP-413	AK11897 RC307 AK2068
		Official IJN cockpit interior colour Experimentally used as an upper surface camouflage on A6M2 “ヨ-151”
	M2 灰緑色	Gray Green								MIG 270
		Mitsubishi Interior Colour
	M3 灰緑色	Gray Green		C-127					RC306 RC307	MIG 269
		Nakajima Interior Colour
	N0 小豆色	Adzuki Bean		C-131	XF-64	71271	HTK-*130	MRP-431	RC067	MIG 913
	N1 小豆色	Adzuki Bean
	N2 小豆色	Adzuki Bean
	N3 小豆色	Adzuki Bean
	O1 白色	White
		Markings
	P1 銀色	Silver
		Undersurface colour, alternative for J3
	Q1 黒色	Blue Black				71091	HTK-*001	MRP-432	AK11895 AK2066	MIG 227
		The colour is almost black, but with a blueish tint Markings, Engine cowlings, Cockpit decking.

空技報0266 / Kugishō 0266

The Yokosuka Kaigun Kokutai Report No.0266 is a report from the Yokusuka Naval Arsenal, published in March 1942. It details a study about a future camouflage for the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. Five A6M2 planes were painted with various camouflage schemes on their upper surface, their lower surface remained Ameiro, the name of the amber-grey colour as used in this document.

Four more aircraft ( ヨ－102, ヨ－108, ヨ－110 and ヨ－112 (ヨ is the katakana character for “yo”)) also took part in the trials, but weren’t repainted and kept in their Ameiro colour, likely as a control group.

ヨ-105 – J3 Upper side camouflage
ヨ-107 – Two tone splinter scheme consisting of D1 and J3.
ヨ-109 – D1 upper side camouflage
ヨ-113 – J2 upper side camouflage
ヨ-151 – M1 upper side camouflage

This experiment ultimately resulted in the D1 green upper side camouflage.

IJN gray / Ameiro

Code	Colour	Equivalent	Gunze	Tamiya	Vallejo	Hataka	MRP	AK	Ammo MIG
Ameiro (Mitsubishi)	Olive gray Amber gray			XF-76	71311		MRP-428	AK11892 RC303 AK2062
	Factory applied to A6M’s produced in Mitsubishi factories. Mitsubishi made Zero’s used a hinomaru without border.
Ameiro (Nakajima)	Olive gray Amber gray			XF-76	71311		MRP-429	AK11892 RC303 AK2062
	Factory applied to A6M’s produced in Nakajima factories. Nakajima made Zero’s used a white bordered hinomaru.
#J3		FS-36307			714312		MRP-427	AK11891 RC302 AK2061
	Possibly applied during field repairs / repaints.

ver are lost.

Translation

Front matter

Index

Study on the Coloring of the Zero Fighter
(Study on Aircraft Coloring)

Contents

First Purpose…………………….1
Second Results and Observations……….1
Third Experimental Progress………….2

Photographs 3 sheets
Appendix (Implementation Plan) 2 pages