1/350 I-400 coating and camouflage info. need

[arkut yuksel]

Hello to all;

I am a modeller from Turkey. I mostly build airplane models but since i like the shape of a submarine i had bought the Tamiya 1/350 I-400 model.

I would ike to build this model as my next project so i made some researches in the internet. I found some models done as stated in the painting guide and some done totally in gray with silver planes and black walkways.

I would ike to get informed about which is more appropriate for the reality. The kit's gray and red hull looks more attractive but if the total gray is the most real one i would prefer to stay on that side.

Any helpful information is most welcomed.
Thanks in advance,

Arkut

[peppe]

from a polish book on hybrid warships
_http://www.modelhobby.pl/angielska/wydawnictwo_ang.php?co=wiecej&id=80_
ciao peppe

[subman]

the grey on grey scheme is the correct colors the sub actually had during the war, the bottom grey was actually a little lighter shade than the top when out of the water. the upper works were patches of lighter gray and darker gray and had a coating of a rubberized sonar absorbing material that trended to peel off. the number I-400 was hand painted on the the tower crudely but in port it had a canvas cover over number with clearer lettering.

send pics of how its coming along. ill post some of mine later

[Tracy White]

From what I have read the Seiran's were painted in silver with American markings just before the war ended for an attack on Ulithi:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-400_clas ... ithi_atoll

[Anthony P]

Hi Arkut,

There is a book by Hikoki Publications (better known for their aircraft-related catalogue) published in 2006: "I-400: Japan's Secret Aircraft-Carrying Submarine - Objective Panama Canal" by Henry Sakaida, Gary Nila & Koji Takaki (ISBN-13: 978 1 902109 45 7) which I used as a reference when I built my I-400 a couple of years ago. According to this book, for the Panama Canal mission that was never completed, the Aichi Seirans were painted, as Tracy White comments, in US colours (silver with US insignia), had their floats removed and the bombs bolted on (one-way mission you see...) while the ship itself was painted a very dark grey or black overall, including the wooden deck (stained I assume).

I wonder if our resident IJN expert Dan K has any comments.

HTH

Anthony