FReeper Canteen ~ Military Nose Cone Art ~ February 28 2005

StarCMC and Canteen Crew

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

 

 

 

The FReeper Canteen looks at

Nose Cone Art

Nose Cone Art has gone through many changes over the years.  The subject of the artwork range from scenes of "Home Sweet Home" to cartoon favorites to fantasy pictures to every man's favorite...beautiful women.
 

Home Sweet Home

Thousands of aircrews throughout history have declared their roots through their art.  From the Memphis Belle of WWII to Pittsburgh's Finest of the Gulf War, it all comes as much from the heart as it does from the Aircraft Commander's or Wing's hometown.

 

Cartoon Faves

The Duck goes to war.... Painted on the side of a restored, flying P-51D, this nose art captures an era when Walt Disney freely offered his studio's talents to design unit patches and symbols for Americans going to war. Beyond the Vargas pin-ups, Walt Disney's art did more to define the motif of nose art than any other single source.

 

Fantasy

Much of today's nose art is based not on pin-ups but on science fiction and fantasy art. This tradition continues and grows as a new generation of artists paint based on their own influences. After all, it has been a long time since Esquire featured a pin-up as a centerfold. This C-130 is a classic example of the new genre. While popular in the field, there are countless nose art aficionados who prefer the old, somewhat less politically correct look.

 

Babes

The B-17G Shoo Shoo Baby flew 24 combat missions in WW II with the 91st Bomb Group, known as "The Ragged Irregulars". The plane was based at Bassingbourn, England. Its first mission was the bombing of Frankfurt, Germany, on March 24, 1944. The plane ended its combat career after taking battle damage during a mission to Posen, Poland, on May 29, 1944. Today, the plane is at Wright-Patterson AFB in the US Air Force Museum.

Yankee Lady is another restored example of a B-17G. Frequently seen at airshows around the country, it is one of the finest examples of a Flying Fortress still capable of taking to the air. If you've never heard the power of four Pratt & Whitney engines at full tilt, you're missing a real piece of history.

During World War II, pin-ups emerged from the fine airbrushed art of Alberto Vargas, whose images were the most sought-after section of the popular magazine, Esquire. With thousands of airplanes droning off to war, noseart emerged as the aviator's unique calling card. Although the Army Air Force attempted to ban and censor noseart on several occasions, ultimately, the art would remain. Its value in terms of morale was unquestioned. In the end, it emerged as a defining element of the era, gracing everything from the noses of airplanes, to leather jackets, to the walls of barracks huts and O-Clubs across Europe and the Pacific. The finest pin-ups were torn from the pages of Esquire Magazine. Each artwork was published with a poem by Phil Stack. These poems were designed to rhyme and present without much subtlety, again using the double-entendre to effect. One went simply, "I'm learning some commando tricks. / For keeping fit, they're dandy, / And when you men come home again, / They're apt to come in handy!"

Honorable Mention

As Desert Shield wound down and the coalition forces in Southwest Asia prepared for the assault against Saddam's entrenched ground forces in Kuwait, thoughts of home and the holidays again entered the mind of aircrew members across the region. This airplane was painted with a fitting holiday theme, Santa being pulled in his sleigh by his magical flying camels, err... wasn't that supposed to be reindeer?

 

Considered by many to be the finest technical example of nose art from the Gulf War, this beautifully rendered pig carries the motto, "Ol Lightnen" and the plane's tail number 0005. Painted on the side of a KC-135 refueller out of Riyahd, it is one of the classics of the era.

 

So what about you?  Show us your favorite Nose Cone Art
~ as long as it's family friendly. 
If it's a little too racy, just post a link for interested parties.

Click the picture to visit the website that was the source of this
information ~ there's lot's more there to see and read!

 

 

SandRat's links to great Nose Cone Art:

13th Bomb Squadron Nose Art
http://www.13thbombsquadron.org/
Gallery of classic bomber noseart.

Aviation Art by Robert Karr
http://fly.to/KarrArt
Nose art for viewing and for purchasing.

368th Fighter Group Tribute
http://www.368thfightergroup.com/

Bomber Girl
http://www.bombergirl.com/
Aviation nose art and pin-up art.

Aviation Pioneer
http://www.weisskopf.de/
Worlds First Motorized Flight.

Collectors Press Inc.
http://www.collectorspress.com/
Publisher of nose art and pin up books.

Don Henderson's - Bikes, Trains, Planes and Dames
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~machenry/
Nose art and pin-up art.

Jackit Art
http://members.nbci.com/varga46/
Hand painted jackets and patches.

Luc's Photo Hanger
http://www.bayarea.net/~hanger/
Established to promote a portion of W.W.II aviation history in the form of aircraft nose art.

Paradon Collectibles Group
http://www.eparadon.com
Home of really cool warbird nose art wall clocks.

Pictures of Nose Art on Some Bombers from Tinian
http://www.cris.com/~ronniem/WWII/noseart.htm

Rosemary Dery - Hand Painted Leather
http://www.rosemarydery.com
Hand painted leather and WWII squadron patches -- specializing in military aviation nose art.

Thunderbolt Galleries
http://www.thunderboltgallery.com/index.htm
Source for reproduction aviation art including nose art panels, war ads, leather jackets and airbrushed aircraft nose art.

Velasco Enterprises Fighting Colors Collection
http://www.fightingcolors.com/
WWII Nose art panels for sale.
and
http://www.mutoworld.com/Nose-Art.htm
and
http://381st.org/noseart.html
and
http://www.36rcm.com/aircraft/noseart/noseart.htm
and
http://www.npswapa.org/gallery/album35
AND
http://www.nps.gov/wapa/indepth/Park/Cultural/PlansPin.htm
and
http://www.lancastermuseum.ca/noseart.html
and
http://5thbomberbarons.com/html/noseart.html
and
http://www.7thbg.org/NoseArt.htm
 

 

 

[StarCMC]

Well ya'll - I'm not sure what my status is for the daytime tomorrow, but I'm headed out for the evening! I'll see ya when I can! HUGS to all!!!!

[GummyIII]

LOL...where's MoJo...I think I ought to send it to her. She loves snow days. ;-)

[GummyIII]

May your sleep be blessed and peaceful. G'night, Star.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good night and sleep well, Piper's Poppa. Thanks for sharing Piper with all of us. Sweet dreams. Thank you for your service to this great country of ours and for helping honor our troops.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Thanks for the fun you two goofs!
Love and hugs!
Ms.B

[SevenofNine]

Breaking news off Kydto news wire report that North Korea has agree go to peace talk table in June for six nation talk about their nukes

Kentukey Freepers on Canteen what going on in your state there is report off AP wire that Republican HQ of Kentkruy got into broken into LAST NIGHT taking some files and Computer server in office

And report off UPI wire is that former Paksiten PM and first Female PM of Pakstein Bhtuo Burri is coming to DC talk business with Dubya adminiation try lay groundwork of set up democrcy in Pakstein when they suppose have election later this year or early next year

DAMNNNNN

Pakstin might go democracy

Rack ittt

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good night and sleep tight, Star. Thanks for today's fun Nose Art thread. Hope Jake sleeps till morning.

[Diver Dave]

Well, ours wasn't "Nose-Art" but instead, "Stack-Art" on the Fwd. smoke stack.
Another contribution from Disney created "Doc Piedmont."

[Kathy in Alaska]

Observed at Baghdad, Iraq
T-storms High: 75° F Low: 53° F

Observed at Mosul, Iraq
Partly cloudy High: 55° F Low: 44° F

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ Robert ~

~ A Military Family Member's Wife ~

~ Luke ~

~ Billy ~

~ Britton ~

Thank you to each of these heroes for their dedication and sacrifice for America. We thank all the rest of our Troops whose pictures are not listed here. We extend our gratitude to you and your families. God Bless America! God Bless our Troops! God Bless our Allies! (If you would like to have your family member's picture posted everyday, please FReepmail me.)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thank you, Jay, (on the left) for helping keep us free. Prayers for your safety and success of mission.

YIKES, uncle.....traffic control in Baghdad is a tough job these days!!

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Good night Canteeners and Troops!

God Bless and keep you!

This is a pic of the State House, where Mr.B works...

Thought you'd like to see it!

[SevenofNine]

I was thinking about what Vlad mention to Dubya about he claim that Dubya fire CBS reporter hey Vlad that make you look silly

YOu just tick off that your boy Dan Rather is outta there he should be reason is he is 70 year old he should spent more time with Grandchildren

Vlad keep this up and Freepers would start call you Illya Pootie Poot Vlad Tsar Vlad the Terrible Vlad the Goofy

Also report off Jerselum Post reporting that Syria and Isreal in are in secret talks settle any difference they have ever since sucidie bombing at that nightclub

Yeah reason is Syria don't want end up like sand of hour glass

Also funny item off Smoking gun.com start tommorow at 8:30am pst Jacko going to court well leave to Smoking gun they got transcript of Jacko accuser claim he know more ABOUT Sex than Jacko does

OUCH LMAO

[Kathy in Alaska]

Interesting news this evening, Seven.....North Korea "agreeing"...couldn't get their way this time. Ha! And Pakistan, hmmmmmmm.....

[txradioguy]

The Confederate Airforce's Airpower Heritage Museum has opened a nose art preservation operation aimed at preserving the nose art from WWII fighters and bombers.

I recognize a couple of the pieces as one's they now have and are trying to preserve.

They are the only one's to my knowlege that are doing anything like this.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Kath...you have mail. NOT male, but mail.

:)

[txradioguy]

Hey Ma I did some digging yesterday and finally figured out that Suwom give the closest forcast to Camp Casey we're gonna find.

It's the one I had to use for the special plug-in on my new web browser. It gives me the weather forcast alog the bottom edge.

[Kathy in Alaska]

OK, got that one. Do you still have snow? Jet Jag posted some pictures yesterday from Osan, and no snow!

[txradioguy]

Nope no snow here today. We actually went above the forcasted hi and it felt kinda nice...for Feb. in Korea that is! LOL!