A vintage colorized postcard from the Arawasi collection showing a Bf108 in the colors of national airline of Manchukuo (here); Manshu Koku Kabushiki Kaisha or MKKK.
The roundel of yellow, black, white and blue rings and red circle in the middle was based on the national flag of Manchukuo. The colors had various meanings at different times but basically represented the five races (red-Japanese, blue-Han Chinese, white-Mongol, black-Korean and yellow-Manchu) of the "country" where they were supposedly living in harmony.
The Bf108 was used by the MKKK mainly to transport the company executives and high ranking officers of the Kwantung Army.
For more on the history of the type in MKKK service, check our "The Eagles of Manchukuo, 1932-1945". We did not include the postcard in our book because the colors and the registration were highly suspect.
The roundel of yellow, black, white and blue rings and red circle in the middle was based on the national flag of Manchukuo. The colors had various meanings at different times but basically represented the five races (red-Japanese, blue-Han Chinese, white-Mongol, black-Korean and yellow-Manchu) of the "country" where they were supposedly living in harmony.
The Bf108 was used by the MKKK mainly to transport the company executives and high ranking officers of the Kwantung Army.
For more on the history of the type in MKKK service, check our "The Eagles of Manchukuo, 1932-1945". We did not include the postcard in our book because the colors and the registration were highly suspect.
A question for the Luftwaffe color experts: what could the overall color be?
4 comments:
Not a LW color expert ...
But as a long-time modeler I would expect that the color was RLM 02, greenish gray. That color was often used on training and communications types.
A civil variation of the RLM 02 was RLM 63. It is said it was a more light cremish color than the 02. As in many other cases it might be only the same color with a different identification number. Aparently the Reich Lufthart Ministerum used a few of those numbers to designate colors used on exported aircrafts.
Calin Ungureanu - Romania
I think it is quite close to RLM 05 Cream, a colour that had civil applications
Cheers
P
I have been reading the Manchukuo book (thank you very much), and I believe that it was painted similar to the Ju86, which is quoted as a cream color in the book.
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