Thanks for the encouraging words guys. I will finish the chipped version and upload a package containing both a clean and chipped version.
Normally, before I start a repaint, I start with reading. As I can't recall I ever did a Japanese repaint before, I had to read a lot. And while doing this repaint I also learned a lot again. As the Raidens were part of the Navy, I used colours from the Japanese Navy. I have chosen for a more blue green (Ao Midori Iro) instead of the more common Dark Green. As always there has been a lot of research, but the debate on colours, mainly based on old black and white pictures, never comes to a satisfying general conclusion. So I just picked what I liked.
The repaint shows the J2M3 flown by the Japanese Ace Sadaaki “Matsu-chan” Akamatsu. According to what I have been reading, he was not quite the standard Japanese pilot. His exact score is unknown, but his final score was most likely around the 30 kills (among which at least one B-29). He survived the war and was 35 in 1945, which is in general, considered reasonably old for a fighter pilot. He flew with 302nd Kokutai from March 1944 until August 1945, both with Mitsubishi A6M5 Zeros and the Mitsubishi J2M3 Raidens.
Before you think I have gone mad, the weird blue greenish colour of the wheel wells and the inside of the wheel covers is done intentional. It is done to represent the semi transparent Aotake the Japanese version of zinc chromate. Aotake was a lacquer made from the sap of the Toxicodendron vernicifluum (Chinese lacquer tree). From what I have been reading, I understood that the anti corrosive qualities from Aotake were even superior to zinc chromate.
Cheers,
Huub