Nose Art

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Modificato 19 Dicembre 2008 da intruder

[Blue Sky]

Nose art painted by Cpl Al G Merkling

20th Combat Mapping Squadron

Nadzab, New Guinea & Okinawa

 

 

PHOTO QUEEN!

B-24 F-7A 42-73049 20th Combat Mapping Squadron

Another stunning creation by Al Merkling, "Photo Queen!" portrayed the mission of the 20CMS in a new and very appealing light to men incarcerated on remote Pacific islands. His work on the titling style alone would have been a fine embellishment to any aircraft but his figure work was simply magnificent. It is hard to appreciate the extreme conditions under which he worked. Burning temperatures instantly dried the paint which was a mixture of shellac lacquers, house paint and USAAF official airplane paint, thinned with high-octane fuel and applied with a rough and ready collection of available brushes. In spite of all this, Merkling's skill reigned supreme and he produced some of the finest examples of nose art to be seen in the Pacific region.

"Photo Queen!" flew its first combat photo mission on 16th April 1944 and completed a further 13 sorties before being retired due to combat damage. If anyone has information on the dates and targets of those missions and the circumstances of the aircraft's demise, please make contact.

Modificato 19 Dicembre 2008 da Blue Sky

[Ospite intruder]

In tema natalizio e col mio nick...

 

[Blue Sky]

Nose art painted by George Rarey

362nd Fighter Group

Wormingford, England

 

 

TRISHIE IV P-47D Serial unknown

Assigned to 1Lt Ray Fuchs of 379th Fighter Squadron who flew the group's first combat mission on 8th February 1944 leading Blue Flight.

The serial number of "Trishie IV" is not yet known.

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Sempre in tema di feste...

 

[Blue Sky]

Preferisco di gran lunga i Nose Art vecchio stile!

Nose art painted by S/Sgt Lynn E Trank

405th Fighter Group, 510th Fighter Squadron

Christchurch, England - Picauville & St Dizier, France -- Kitzingen, Germany

 

 

TIPSY P-47 serial unknown 510th Fighter Squadron

This Thunderbolt was assigned to Lt Harris S. Boyse and sported a beautiful piece of nose art by S/Sgt Trank. The photo here shows another pilot apparently associated with the plane and anyone with information on this P47 and its pilots is asked to make contact.

Modificato 19 Dicembre 2008 da Blue Sky

[Blue Sky]

Nose art painted by Annette 'Toni' Robin

380th Bomb Group

Australia & New Guinea

 

 

BIG (ASS) BIRD 2 B24D-155-CO 42-72801 531st Squadron

Toni Robin's second version of the this artwork closely resembled her first rendition but with an added circle background and bolder, simpler lettering. This aircraft's first combat mission was flown to Tjepoe, Java, on 17th November 1943. It is known to have completed at least 28 missions and its gunners claimed one enemy fighter shot down. While flying a secret mission to drop saboteurs into Japanese-held western New Guinea on 19th March 1944, "Big (Ass) Bird II" hit a mountain killing all ten members of Lt Otto Martens' crew.

[Blue Sky]

Nose art painted by Jack Gaffney

91st Bomb Group

Bassingbourn, England

 

 

BAD EGG

B-17F-10-BO 41-24484 401st Bomb Squadron

One of the 91BG's original complement, assigned with just 69 hours logged, it had been ear-marked for the RAF and carried the early British camouflage scheme of dark green patches over olive drab. It flew un-named until returning from Lorient on 30th December 1942 with serious battle damage. Crew chief M/Sgt Pierce asked Jack Gaffney to paint the Donald Duck nose art on the port side.

"Bad Egg" flew as lead ship on numerous occasions and its mission tally was embellished with a series of red and blue stars to denote this role. During its year of combat, the plane completed 43 missions, had 15 engine changes and had suffered hits in all main fuel tanks as well as having had its back almost broken by 20mm cannon shells.

[Ospite intruder]

MIG 21 Aeronautica Ceca

[Blue Sky]

Bellissimo, ma è stato postato già tre volte!

Nose art painted by Sgt Johnnie White

96th Bomb Group

Snetterton Heath, England

 

 

BOOTS IV B-17F 42-37850

96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron

Whether the original "Boots" was an aircraft or a person is not yet known but 96BG had at least three B17s which sported this title. "Boots II" was the first known and was originally assigned to 381BG where it was first called "Messie Bessie" and later "Carol Jane". This latter title was embellished with a raunchy half nude torso painted by an unknown artist. It also carried a smaller emblem featuring cowboy boots in a circle positioned below the pilot's windows. This may have been the source of White's later nose art painting. Transferred into 96BG on 6th July '43, this B17F crashed on take off on 5th January 1944.

"Boots III" (42-30227) arrived in 96BG in mid June '43 and seems to have also carried the title "Wabbit Twacks". The latter name is mentioned in a news article relating to the raid on LeBourget airfield in France on 10th July 1943. On that occasion, it lost an engine and in the sustained fighter attacks the crew claimed nine enemy aircraft shot down or damaged. The B17 was transferred to 401BG in mid December of the same year.

"Boots IV" reached Snetterton in early October 1943 and Johnnie White painted an enlarged motif displaying the cowboy boots and (curiously) a red and white striped top hat. Mission symbols were added in a circle around the outer rim of the design. More than 22 missions were completed and at least five of these sustained battle damage, the last so far recorded being from Berlin flak on 24th May '44. At some time after this date, "Boots IV" was transferred out of 96BG and sent to the Mediterranean area. No record has been found of combat flying with any of the 15AF's 5th Bomb Wing units and it is assumed that the veteran Fort was taken off operations and used as a liaison plane. In whatever role it was, "Boots IV" outlasted the war by many months and did not return to the USA until January 1947.

[gobbomaledetto]

Mig polacco:

 

[Blue Sky]

Mig polacco:

 

Wow Gobbo, ma è stupendo

 

Nose art painted by Cpl Al G Merkling

20th Combat Mapping Squadron

Nadzab, New Guinea & Okinawa

 

 

The WANGO WANGO BIRD

B-24 F-7A 42-64048 20th Combat Mapping Squadron

Clearly a product of Al Merkling's vivid imagination, this camera-equipped F-7A version of the B24 was assigned to 1Lt Roy Hunt and flew overseas from Hunter Field, GA, on 10th February 1944. The aircraft is believed to have flown its first mission on 6th May to Hollandia but poor weather prevented any photos being brought back. So far only three other missons have been established and further information is sought.

[Ospite intruder]

Sukhoi 25 ceco.

 

[Ospite intruder]

[Blue Sky]

WOW Fantastico quello sull'Hornet!

 

Nose art painted by Cpl Dick Ebbeson

380th Bomb Group

Fenton, Australia & New Guinea

 

 

BEAUTIFUL BEAST B-24J-20-CO 42-73167

528th Bomb Squadron

This B24 flew its first combat mission on 10th December 1943 to Balikpapan. It completed a total of 41 missions before being damaged in a taxi accident and scrapped at Darwin, Australia, in August 1944.

The nose art painted by Dick Ebbeson is typical of several nudes he completed on the group's B24s. The beautifully drawn fine outline of the figure is given its form by the use of simple shadow and the whole image is given even greater visual impact by placing a geometric block of solid colour behind. In this case, a rectangle but often a circle was used, as in "Heavenly Body" or "Becomin' Back". The use of such a device was frequently used by many other artists, especially on natural metal aircraft, to ensure an enhanced differentiation between the pale flesh colours and the natural metal silvery surface upon which it was painted. Note how much stronger the torso of the figure is compared to the extended leg.

Ebbeson is also believed to have been an accomplished calligrapher and developed a distinctive style for his lettering on many of the B24s he painted.

[Blue Sky]

Nose art painted by Sgt Frank Stevens

100th Bomb Group (Heavy)

Thorpe Abbotts, England

 

 

MASON AND DIXON

B-17G 42-31412 351st Squadron

This was a long-serving Fort which was named after two 100BG officers -- pilot Floyd Mason and navigator William Dishion. The racy semi-nude painted by Stevens made clever use of the scripted titling to avoid censorship by higher authorities. The plane was severely damaged while on a shuttle mission from England to Russia to Italy in September 1944. A flak shell sliced through the wing and narrowly missed a fuel tank. Name-sake Capt Mason had been shot down in another aircraft in late July 1944 but "Mason and Dixon" returned to fly many more combat missions well into 1945.

Modificato 21 Dicembre 2008 da Blue Sky

[Ospite intruder]

Mi dà un senso di déjà vu, forse perché già postato o forse solo perché ricorda la Ferrari...

 

[Blue Sky]

Nose art painted by Sgt Amos Nicholson

343rd Bomb Squadron, 98th Bomb Group

Kabrit, Libya, North Africa

 

 

DOPEY (version 2) B-24D-45-CO Serial No. 42-40268

Painted by Amos Nicholson.

This is the second version of Disney's "Dopey" that was completed by Amos. The first was painted on the left side of "Arkansas Traveler". As with all of his Snow White figures, Nicholson painted his character facing forward towards the nose of the B24. This plane survived in service until being condemned in November 1945 after the end of the war. However, its combat career is as yet unknown. There was at least one further version of "Dopey" which was painted with a forward facing character but its jumbled colourful lettering was stacked diagonally upwards unlike the title displayed on this B24D. On 17th April 1944, the plane suffered a collapse of its right main undercarriage and severe skin wrinkling which suggests possible twisting of the airframe. Whether or not this is 42-40268 or another aircraft altogether is not clear. If the airframe was twisted then it is unlikely that the plane could have remained unsalvaged until 18 months later. Anyone who can clarify this is invited to make contact -- please.

Decades after painting the original version 2 of "Dopey", Amos Nicholson was asked to paint a wall mural depicting the B24 with its distinctive nose art. This he did and duly signed his masterpiece -- something he failed to do on the original aircraft during the war years.

[Blue Sky]

Nose art painted by unknown artist 001

12th Bomb Group (Medium), 82nd Bomb Squadron

North Africa or Italy

 

 

[Blue Sky]

YEHUDI ---- B-17G----- 42-107230

100th Bomb Group / 349th Bomb Squadron

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Modificato 21 Dicembre 2008 da Blue Sky

[Ospite intruder]

Dassault-Breguet Alpha Jet E - 20th anniversary / 200.000 hrs

 

 

[Blue Sky]

Nose art painted by unknown artist 001

12th Bomb Group (Medium), 82nd Bomb Squadron

North Africa or Italy

 

 

[Ospite intruder]

Della serie: è rimasto solo il nose...

 

Chinook 64-13151 "Stump Jumper" in the Republic of Vietnam.

Modificato 21 Dicembre 2008 da intruder

[Blue Sky]

Nose art painted by unknown artist 001

12th Bomb Group (Medium), 82nd Bomb Squadron

North Africa or Italy

 

[Ospite intruder]

Larry L. Costley (27 Jul 47 - 3 Oct 68), Flight Engineer on CH-47A 66-19041 "The Grunt Wagon". Larry's crew and all six passengers were killed in a "mid-air" with a C-7A Caribou at Camp Evans, in the Republic of Vietnam. The Grunt Wagon was on the daily shuttle run and had just departed LZ Nancy and was landing at Camp Evans. All personnel aboard both aircraft perished.

Modificato 21 Dicembre 2008 da intruder