Nose Art
A uniquely American form of folk art, nose art bestowed a personality on an aircraft that a serial number never could. Most veterans won't remember 41-24485, but they all know the "Memphis Belle", along with "Shangri-La", "The Ruptured Duck", and the "Weather Witch". They could be sublime or wild, but mainly they served to remind many airmen of home. Here is a sampling of what happens when a crew chief with a paintbrush and a Vargas calendar is left alone with an airplane....
Tail markings Beech AT-11, Cuban Air Force
"Annie-Mo" Chance Vought F4U-5N Corsair
"Arkansas Traveler" Lockheed P-38L Lightning. 367th FG, 9th AF?
"Big Bossman" Grumman F7F Tigercat
"City of El Paso" Boeing B-52B Stratofortress at Biggs AFB, El Paso, TX
"City of Ft. Worth" Convair B-36J "Peacemaker", Pima Air Museum, Tuscon AZ
"Cocked and Locked" Beech T-34B Mentor
Continental Airlines logo on a Douglas DC-3
Continental Brakes for Armadillos Not exactly nose art, but this has been on my toolbox for many years and I'd love to know it's origin....
Piper J3 Cub tail markings
"Diamond 'Lil" Consolidated LB-30 Liberator
"Dragon" Yakovlev Yak-18
"Easy Gin" North American T-28D
"Enola Gay" Boeing B-29A Superfortress--Photo by Jimmy Carreon
"Friendly Ghost" North American P-51D Mustang
"Golden Girl" Consolidated B-24J Liberator
"Gringo Loco" Beech Twin Bonanza
"Gulf Spirit" McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle. Note the three kill markings--a MiG-23 and two Su-22's.
"Lady Luck" Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress, 463rd BG, 15th AF
"L'il Yellow Rose" Forney YO-55 Ercoupe
"Limbic Lady" Beech T-34B Mentor
"Limbic Lady" version 2.0 Beech T-34B Mentor
"Looky Looky" Boeing B-17G
"Marlene, Uncle Ho's Nightmare" Douglas A-1H Skyraider
"Miss Connie" Bell P-39D Airacobra
"Pappy Yokum" Fairchild A-10 Warthog
"PuttPutt Maru" Lockheed P-38J Lightning
Screwbird Tail art on a Lockheed S3B Viking of VS-33 "The Screwbirds"
"Sentimental Journey" Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
Sharkmouth Beech T-34B Mentor
Sharkmouth Curtiss P-40N Warhawk
"Special Delivery" North American PBJ Mitchell
Squadron insignia, Beech T-34 Mentor
Squadron insignia, 1st Squadron AVG "Flying Tigers" Curtiss P-40N Warhawk
Squadron insignia Convair B-58 Hustler
Squadron insignia, Eastern Motors FM2 Wildcat Starboard side
Squadron insignia, Eastern Motors FM2 Wildcat Port side
"Fifinella" Squadron insignia of the WASPs (Women's Air Force Service Pilots), North American SNJ-5
"Su-Su" North American P-51D Mustang
"Texas Raiders" Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
"Thunderbird" Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
Tail markings B-17G "Thunderbird"
Tail markings General Dynamics F-16C Falcon, Texas ANG, Ellington Field, Houston. A shameless plug for my home state!
Tail markings Grumman EA-6B Prowler
Tail markings McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster II
Tail markings Northrop T-38B Talon
"Tasman" Cessna O2A Skymaster
"Ugly Angel" Sikorsky SH-34
"Viet Cong Hunting Club" Cessna O2A Skymaster
Warthog Teeth!! Fairchild A-10 Warthog--one of my favorite noses!
"Weather Witch II" Consolidated F-6 (B-24J) Liberator. Photo taken by Carroll Brooks while stationed on Guam with the US Navy Seabees in 1945
"Weightless Wonder" Boeing KC-135A, the current "Vomit Comet", soon to be replaced by a Douglas C-9.
"Wile E. Coyote" Cessna O2A Skymaster
"What's Up, Doc?" North American P-51D Mustang
"Yankee Lady" Boeing B-17G
"Yellow Rose" North American B-25J Mitchell
The following photos are all of artwork seen on F-117A Stealth fighters in the Persian Gulf. They were taken by Mark Cox, an F-117 crew chief, during his "vacation" in that region during the winter of 1990-1991, and are a unique view of life in the field. The paintings are on the inside of the bomb bay doors and are not visible outside the aircraft. Sadly, none of the work seen here survived the trip back to the US after deployment.
Do not download these photos without permission from the webmaster.
F-117 #1 "Shaba"
F-117 #2 "Avenging Angel"
F-117 #3 "Midnight Rider"
F-117 #4 "Once Bitten"
F-117 #5 "Ladybird"
F-117 #6 "Black Devil"
F-117 #7 "Necromancer"
F-117 #8 "It's Hammertime!"
The following were submitted by James Fink, whose uncle took these photos while working as an 8th Air Force mechanic in England in 1944. They represent B-24 Liberators from most of the heavy bombardment groups stationed in Europe at that time. These photos are property of Jim Fink and may not be used or reproduced without permission.
B-24 "Aries". 486th BG, 834th BS, 8th AF. S/N 42-52693
B-24 "Betty"
B-24 "Big Fat Mama"
B-24 "Bird Dog"
B-24 "Blasted Event"
B-24 "Blow Job"
B-24 "Briney Marlin". 458th BG, 8th AF.
B-24 "Bull"
B-24 "Cold Turkey"
B-24 "Gashouse Gus"
B-24 "House of Rumor"
B-24 "Libra". 486th BG, 834th BS, 8th AF. S/N 42-52508
B-24 "Mutt"
B-24 "Plucky Lucky"
B-24 "Poop Deck Pappy"
B-24 "Purty Baby"
B-24 "Ready, Teddy?"
B-24 "Royal Flush"
B-24 "Shack Rat"
B-24 "Shoo Shoo Baby"
B-24 "The Latrine Rumor"
B-24 "The Tweachewous Wabbit"
B-24 "This Above All"
B-24 "Tondelayo". 487th BG, 8th AF
B-24 "Wham! Bam! Thank You, M'am"
The following photos depict nose art on B-29s stationed on Guam in August, 1945. They were submitted by Dave Hindle as a tribute to his unit, Detachment 21, 99th Electronic Combat Range Group, U.S.Air Force, stationed near Belle Fourche,
South Dakota between 1992 and 1995. These photos are property of Dave Hindle, and may not be used or reproduced without permission.
B-29 "Island Girl"
B-29 "Jughound Jalopy"
This artwork was drawn by Franklin R. Jones, who was the Public Relations Artist for the U.S. Marines HQ Division, Cherry Point, NC, in 1945. It was intended for one of the F7F Tigercat squadrons at the station, but it is not known if it was ever used. The photo is property of Franklin R. Jones and may not be reproduced without permission.
F7F Squadron insignia
The heading photo is a Varga girl, one of many painted by Alberto Vargas for "Esquire" magazine during WWII. These were the inspiration for the artwork on many U.S. aircraft.
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