What color do you guys use for Searchlights?
I was thinking of painting it silver but I’m afraid it would stand out too much.

Thanks.

Hey neighbor!
No matter what the scale, I usually modify the searchlight by using a clear styrene diameter as a lens. . .on 1/350 scale I'll even go as far as cutting out 2 diameters, and painting one a slate gray, and putting this behind the clear one...I use a set of precision hole punches to knock em out of thin acetate or styrene...looks more realistic than silver, IMHO~

Thanks Mark I’ll have to remember that one.
Do you drill them out some first or just glue it right on top of the plastic?

Just doesn’t help me with this one. I have the Sakura all glued together and would have trouble getting anything in there between everything to glue it in place.

Hey again, neighbor,
Naw, I usually don't do any modifications to the housings at all, mate...
Give it a shot next build, they look really cool (and pretty darn accurate!)
~Gunny

Often I'll use an off white to simulate covers. If I am not mistaken, most of the time they had covers over them to protect the lens from the elements

On every one of my ships the lights were covered unless actually being used. I was even stationed on one ship with a 24 inch carbon arc searchlight...WWII vintage, and the light structure was painted flat black because it was above the "watchcap", but also had a black, and later - grey vinyl cover over it almost all of the time. However, if I remember correctly, when it wasn't covered, the inside was pearl whiteish silver... in appearance with the dark shadow of the actual carbon arc lamp mechanism...So a pearl whiteish silver with some sort of exagerrated clear coat (to simulate the lense) should be accurate (for a US searchlight) I realize this question regards a Japanese vessel, but I can't imagine there are too many differences.

Thanks guys.

I’ll try the white with a gloss coat on top.