Standard 8609 / 航格第8609

Near the end of the war shortages were more and more common. As a result there was a push to standardize the paints between the army and navy air forces. As a result on February 5 1945 the “Japan Aircraft Standards No. 8606 Aircraft Paint color standard” was distributed ( 日本航空機規格規 第8606航空機用塗料色別標準 ). Not all colours in it were used. Very limited information of the application of this system is available as far as I’ve found.
Simular to Kari Kikaru 117, the colors are grouped by shade. As far as I’m aware no official names for the colours exists, just for the shades.

The colour chart

The following booklet contains the colour charts and was dated from February 9, 1945. It is currently in the possession of the Japanese Aeronautic Association.

Note that text of this era may use Kyūjitai (old kanji), instead of their simplified Shinjitai variant. I’ve chosen to transliterate them as such as well.

Cover of Kōkaku 8609

日本航空機規格　航格第8609

航空機用塗料　色別標準
昭和二十年二月五日　決定

航空工業會第二化學工業會第六部會航空

Japanese Aircraft Standards – Aviation Standard No. 8609

Aircraft Paint Colour Classification Standard
Decided on February 5, 1945 (Showa 20)

Aviation Industry Association – 2nd Chemical Industry Committee, 6th Division

Backside describing how to read the marks referring to the origins of the paints, and what paints are similar. It should be noted that the names of the referred standards, Kōkaku 39 and Kariki 117, are not exactly as the actual names.
  1. 海假規 海軍造機造兵主要材料試驗檢查規則
    航空機之部假規117
  2. 陸航格　陸航格⸗陸軍航39
  3. ○印⸗標準色　△印⸗標準類似色
  1. Navy Provisional Regulations -Provisional Regulations for Testing and Inspecting Major Materials for Naval Aircraft Manufacturing
    Temporary Specification No.117
  2. Army Aviation Standard – Army Aviation Standard・Army Aviation No. 39
  3. ○ Mark・Standard Color △ Mark・Color Similar to Standard
Page 1, describing the different colour classifications in the standard

航空機用塗料色別標準
第壹表

略稱塗色名種類
1緑色5
2灰色7
3褐色3
4黄色3
5赤色2
6青色3
7黄色1
8白色1
9銀色1

Aircraft Paint Colour Classification Standard
Table 1

NumberColour nameType Count
1Green5
2Grey7
3Dark brown3
4Yellow3
5Red2
6Blue3
7Black1
8White1
9Silver1
Page showing the mapping of category 1 “Green” colours to their army / navy counter parts.

Note that rows are created for colours 1-6 and 1-7, however these were never filled. No swatches exist either. Also of note is that the navy equivalent of 1-1 is kept empty, opposed to being explicitly striped out, for example with 2-1. This might indicate that this mapping was unfinished.

種別陸航格海假規
1-1○ 7号 (黄緑7号色)
1-2△ 27号 (青緑色)○ D2
1-3○ 39号 (草色)△ M1
1-4△ 39号 (草色)○ M1
1-5△ 21号 (緑色)○ D4
1-6
1-7
ClassificationArmy standardNavy Provisional Reg.
1-1○ No. 7 (yellow green No. 7 colour)
1-2△ No. 27 (blue green）○ D2
1-3○ No. 39 (dark green)△ M1
1-4△ No. 39 (dark green)○ M1
1-5△ No. 21 (green)○ D4
1-6
1-7
Page showing the mapping of category 2 “Grey” colours to their army / navy counter parts. Note that while the category is labeled as “Grey”, it does contain blue’s as well.
種別陸航格海假規
2-1○ 3号 (灰藍色)————–
2-2○ 43号 (土地色)————–
2-3————–○ J1
2-4————–○ L3
2-5△ 17号 (淡青色)○ K3
2-6△ 1号 (灰緑色)○ J3
2-7△ 42号 (枯草色)————–
ClassificationArmy standardNavy Provisional Reg.
2-1○ No. 3 (grey blue)————–
2-2○ No. 43 (earth colour)————–
2-3————–○ J1
2-4————–○ L3
2-5△ No. 17 (light blue)○ K3
2-6△ No. 1 (grey green)○ J3
2-7△ No. 42 (dry grass colour)————–
Page showing the mapping of category 3 “Grey” colours to their army / navy counter parts.

Note that while the category is labeled as “Grey”, it does contain blue’s as well.

種別陸航格海假規
3-1————–○ N0
3-2△ 4号 (赤褐色)○ A3
3-3————–○ I3
ClassificationArmy standardNavy Provisional Reg.
3-1————–○ N0
3-2△ No.4 (red brown)○ A3
3-3————–○ I3
Page showing the mapping of category 4 “Yellow” colours to their army / navy counter parts.
種別陸航格海假規
4-1————–○ C1
4-2△ 14号 (黄色)○ C3
4-3○ 2号 (橙黄色)△ H3
ClassificationArmy standardNavy Provisional Reg.
4-1————–○ C1
4-2△ No.14 (yellow)○ C3
4-3○ No.14 (orange-yellow)△ H3
Page showing the mapping of category 5 “Red” colours to their army / navy counter parts.
種別陸航格海假規
5-1△ 9号 (赤色)○ B2
5-2○ 14号 (暉赤色)△ B3
ClassificationArmy standardNavy Provisional Reg.
5-1△ No. 9 (red)○ B2
5-2○ No. 14 (bright red)△ B3
Page showing the mapping of category 6 “Blue” colours to their army / navy counter parts.
種別陸航格海假規
6-1○ 32号 (黒藍色)————–
6-2○ 13号 (青色)△ E1
6-3△ 17号 (淡青色)○ E3
ClassificationArmy standardNavy Provisional Reg.
6-1○ No. 32 (black indigo)————–
6-2○ No. 14 (bright red)△ E1
6-3△ No. 17 (light blue)○ E3
Page showing the mapping of category 7 “Black” colours to their army / navy counter parts.
種別陸航格海假規
7-1△ 11号 (黒色)○ Q1
ClassificationArmy standardNavy Provisional Reg.
7-1△ Nr. 11 (black)○ Q1
Page showing the mapping of category 8 “White” colours to their army / navy counter parts.
種別陸航格海假規
8-1○ 12号 (白色)△ O1
ClassificationArmy standardNavy Provisional Reg.
8-1○ Nr. 12 (white)△ O1
Page showing the mapping of category 9 “Silver” colours to their army / navy counter parts.
種別陸航格海假規
8-1△ 5号 (銀色)△ O1
ClassificationArmy standardNavy Provisional Reg.
9-1△ Nr. 5 (silver colour)△ O1

colours

Note that the RGB colour code is derived from the spectrophotometry on the swatches.

SwatchCodeColourL*a*b* colourGunzeTamiyaVallejo
1-1
緑色		GreenL*36.05 a*0.06 b*6.41
Replaced Army #7 (Identical)
Used on upper surface camouflage by army aircraft.
1-2
緑色		GreenL*31.72 a*-4.56 b*3.89
Replaced Army #27 (Similar), Navy D2 (Identical)
Used on upper surface camouflage by navy aircraft.
Used for on-board radio equipment
1-3
緑色		GreenL*35.27 a*-2.65 b*8.84
Replaced Army #27 (Identical), Navy M1 (Similar)
1-4
緑色		GreenL*46.80 a*-5.77 b*9.58
Replaced Army #27 (Identical), Navy M1 (Similar)
Anti glare coating for navy cockpits
used for engine parts
1-5
緑色		GreenL*39.04 a*-15.18 b*10.72
Replaced Army #27 (Identical), Navy M1 (Similar)
2-1
灰色		GreyL*32.37 a*-0.32 b*-0.89
Replaced Army #3 (Identical)
2-2
灰色		GreyL*33.30 a*-0.06 b*3.45
Replaced Army #27 (Identical), Navy M1 (Similar)
Usage unknown.
Very similar in colour to 1-1
2-3
灰色		GreyL*37.52 a*-1.67 b*3.71
Replaced Army #27 (Identical), Navy M1 (Similar)
2-4
灰色		GreyL*52.25 a*-3.78 b*-4.19
Replaced Army #27 (Identical), Navy M1 (Similar)
2-5
灰色		GreyL*55.77 a*-7.77 b*-0.27
Replaced Army #17 (Similar), Navy K3 (Identical)
2-6
灰色		GreyL*56.82 a*-0.52 b*5.26
Replaced Army #27 (Identical), Navy M1 (Similar)
Camouflage colour for army and navy aircraft
front cover of engine reduction gear casings.
2-7
灰色		GreenL*44.00 a*1.83 b*9.64
Replaced Army #27 (Identical), Navy M1 (Similar)
Usage unknown
3-1
褐色		Dark brownL*28.32 a*3.51 b*2.88
Replaced Navy N0 (Identical)
Used on propellers for army and navy aircraft
3-2
褐色		Dark brownL*37.66 a*24.28 b*15.49
Replaced Army #4 (Similar), Navy A3 (Identical)
Primer on metal surfaces
Intermediate coat on fabric surfaces
3-3
褐色		Dark brownL*52.3 a*2.91 b*14.96
Replaced Navy I3 (Identical)
Usage unknown
4-1
黄色		YellowL*62.49 a*31.35 b*55.46
Replaced Navy C1 (Identical)
Wing leading edge IFF bands of navy aircraft
Overall colour on navy training and experimental aircraft
4-2
黄色		YellowL*69.00 a*18.39 b*62.08
Replaced Army #4 (Similar), Navy C3 (Identical)
Radiator shutter levers on navy aircraft
Warning stencils on army aircraft
4-3
黄色		YellowL*66.16 a*14.57 b*38.27
Replaced Army #2 (Identical), Navy H4 (Similar)
5-1
赤色		RedL*41.46 a*46.7 b*25.04
Replaced Army #9 (Similar), Navy B2 (Identical)
Hinomaru’s on navy aircraft
5-2
赤色		RedL*47.00 a*43.90 b*29.94
Replaced Army #10 (Identical), Navy B3 (Similar)
Hinomaru’s on army aircraft
6-1
青色		BlueL*22.89 a*3.47 b*-6.40
Replaced Army #32 (Identical)
Anti glare coating for army aircraft. Slight blue/purple hue, like eggplant.
6-2
青色		BlueL*34.06 a*-0.50 b*-22.55
Replaced Army #13 (Identical), Navy E1 (Similar)
Coolant pipes
6-3
青色		BlueL*53.44 a*-13.63 b*-22.89
Replaced Army #17 (Similar), Navy E3 (Identical)
7-1
黒色		BlackL*27.38 a*0.20 b*0.38
Replaced Army #11 (Similar), Navy Q1 (Identical)
Anti glare paint on cowlings, around cockpits
8-1
白色		WhiteL*78.83 a*0.06 b*6.00
eplaced Army #12 (Identical), Navy O1 (Similar)
Markings on army and navy aircraft
9-1
銀色		SilverL*78.11 a*-0.63 b*-0.69
Replaced Army #5 (Similar), Navy P1 (Identical)

Sources

  • 三式戦闘機「飛燕」二型6117号機の記錄. (2023). . 日本航空協会航空遺産継承基金.
  • 『航空機用塗料色別標準 : 日本航空機規格航格第8609 : 昭和二十年二月五日決定』,航空工業會第二化學工業會第六部會,[1945]. 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1899428 (参照 2025-05-10)