Nick Millman is considered an expert on WW2 aircraft colors. This 2017 monograph may be his first on the subject of Japanese aircraft colors as solo author. It relies heavily on Jim Lansdale’s research and judgments, including Mr. Lansdale’s study of colors on relics.

Minuses

There is no guidance about what model paints to use.

A number of the printed color chips are not good representations. In Colour Chart 1, the renderings of B3, E3, M1 and N0 are not very close to the vintage chips. In addition, the cockpit colors are too gray. The depiction of J3 Gray is a reasonable representation of J3 as basically colorless, but for some reason has been limited to “fabric dope”. In Colour Chart 3, the chips of J3 Gray are misleadingly on the brown side. (A fairly good representation of J3 Gray appeared on the dust jacket of Jirō Horikoshi’s 1970 book about the Zero, attached here.)

There are not many citations to support the color choices for the printed color chips, and the vague concept of “amber-grey” is based largely on relics. Some photo credits don’t tell us the Japanese publications that published the same photos before Mr. Millman. Japanese publishers deserve credit. Incidentally, credit “LRA” is the James Lansdale collection.

Mr. Millman mentions the intentional exaggeration “genyō ameiro” (the ameiro currently in use) in the IJN report known as KūGiHō 0266 (which he calls YoKo 0266). Shigeru Nohara used the word “ameiro” in the 1980s and 1990s as a shorthand to describe the color of the early Zero variants. This book doesn’t mention that he was criticized for it in Japan because the word is not used in the IJN’s color standards, and it overemphasizes the minimal amount of ameiro that the authors of KūGiHō 0266 saw in what was otherwise J3 Gray.

Unlike the word ameiro, “amber-grey” is Mr. Millman’s coinage. So is “SP”, which he attaches to three variations of J3 Gray. This invites confusion. “Amber-grey” and “SP” live in an alternate universe where we never need to reconcile them to an IJN manufacturing specification dated February 1941 that did not include any such colors or color names. (That specification was published in Japan the year after Mr. Millman’s monograph.1)

This monograph perpetuates the belief that Nakajima applied a noticeably different shade of gray compared to what Mitsubishi applied. However, no distinction is stated in KūGiHō 0266. (That report was issued in February 1942, when Nakajima completed its 35th Model 21.)

(I could go on, but you get the idea.)

Plusses

There are a number of photos that you probably haven’t seen before;

There are footnotes to support some assertions;

The basic distinguishing features of most Zero variants are discussed;

There is coverage of the colors and markings of trainers, and the C2 Yellow (an orange) is represented well. The floatplane fighter “Rufe” is also covered;

There is an interesting story about applying camouflage in the field;

The discussion of the colors of engine parts is exceptional;

There is a list of tail markings;

The shapes and locations of markings have been rendered with great care.

Conclusions

This is the book that Jim Lansdale would have written if he had gotten to it before his passing in 2018, and it contains some of his misunderstandings.

Put simply, the darker and grayer representations of J3 Gray in this book should have been explained as depicting fresher J3 Gray. There is little guidance about depicting the more strongly olive or brown variations, which are likely the result of severe yellowing of the paint.

Parts of this monograph are not aging well. I give the coverage of the grays a “C-”, and the coverage of the other colors a “B”.

Tom Hall

July 2025