Kinda O/T Nose Art!

I thought some of you may be interested in this. My grandfather was a ball turret gunner on a B17 called the Hit Parade and later the Hit Parade Jr. during WWII. I've always searched for a picture of his plane as I'd like to build an early hot rod with the same nose art as kind of a tribute to him. Well, I mentioned it to my aunt who lives in my grandparents' old house and she called me sunday to tell me she found his pictures from the war. Not only did I get a picture of his plane, but also pictures of his crew and one of a firefight in the sky. She also found a nose art book that we gave him years ago. I went over to pick all of it up yesterday. I just thought I'd share some pics of his plane and let you guys who are into nose art and pin-ups that I have the book. If you're looking for something particular let me know and I'll scan you a picture.

Hit Parade Jr.:


Close Up of Nose Art:

 

Wayfarer, I love "Nose Art" and I love B-17's! I'll be very interested in how your Hotrod turns out.

That pic is precious. When you look back at what it took to fly,fight, and survive in them planes, I'm in awe. That's a great shot that needs to shared and preserved. Did you ever check out www.bombergirl.com. Great website devoted to Bomber Nose Art. They would love a email of that pic.

Thanks for sharing. This gives me a idea for a future Friday art show subject.

Joel

 

Cool stuff man......I dig the nose art. I love the history of it as well.

 

Yeah, it was tough to survive. His plane was shot down and only he and one other crew member survived. They were smuggled out of france by the french underground. I have the picture they took for his french citizen ID card. This book is just too cool, lots of cool stuff that would be neat for hot rods.

 

i love nose art and the historythat goes with it,besides you lot helped us out in the war big time although you were a bit late we forgive ya.It'a actually very interesting history your guys practiced nose art on anything that was stationary and i'm told during 1943 some top brass were visiting Duxford airfield and whilst they were in the main building chatting some cheeky yanks painted some nose art on the car ,apparently they didnt realise until they got out of the car in London by which time it was too late.Just recently some old buildings in the uk have been saved for the nose art that had been painted on them and i believe they are now being restored at Duxford as it is now a museum for aircraft.A lot of the rockin hotrod crowd here sport nose art on A2 jackets and it looks real kool in a late 40's style rod kinda just gettin home from the war affect and instead of flying getting your kicks from driving fast.I love that photo and would love to see more........Marq

 

I know this is way off topic. I can't resist it. I'll just post this and go away. Joel

 

That's awesome Wayfarer. Got any more pics?

Joel, is that from the Air Force Museum? They have alot of "salvaged" nose art cut off of planes before they were scrapped after the war.

And to keep it semi-car related, is there any documentation of any hot rods running nose art after the war? I've always want to do that to one of mine, but wasn't sure if it would look right. But I guess hot rods didn't have iron crosses back then either...

 

Hey, I was looking for some pics of the Night Witches logo. It was an elite Russian womens flight team of 8-10 women that used to do night missions. I have to paint a vintage airplane soon, and the guy wants some nose art simular to the "Night Witches"....any pics? I haven't been able to find any. Thanks, and thanks for sharing..

 

No night witches. Every plane in the book is an american plane, mostly B-17s and B-29s.

 

Thanks for looking Wayfarer.

 

Django, That painted pic is off a page from the "Bomber Girl" website. It's supposed to be "actual" nose art off a real plane. It hangs in a bar called the "Bombay Bicycle Club" in San Antonio, Tx.

No matter, it's a real cool piece of art.

Joel

 

My son is named after my great uncle, a wireless/gunner on Halifax V DK-190 coded ZL-F shot down by a night fighter and laid to rest in Gorssel Holland in June 1943.

 

Here's a link to some salvaged panels of nose art

 

I bet the politically correct liberals would prevent any of the WWII type nose art from being painted on our planes nowadays.

 

I didn't realize Mr Bones was a veteran. From a B-1 during Desert Storm...

 

Manyolcars, There's a signmaker in Sturgis,N.D. that has painted nose art on a whole squadron of B-1 bombers over the last few years. The Airforce today, frowns on***** ladies on planes. Instead you see alot of animals and insects: like tigers and spiders.

Checkout www.thundergallery.com. Pretty neat stuff there.

Joel

 

Nose Art hasn't died out. But the subject's changed some.

 

I use to do WW2 reinactments.... here is my bomber jacket.

 

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Great stuff guys! And a fitting tribute to all those who have defended our way of life and the aircraft they flew.

As an aside, the "Willit Run" I use as a signature is the name from the nose of a P51 based in England during the war. Plan on getting that logo on my roadsters' cowl before I'm done with it.

 

Jeff, Thank you VERY MUCH for this post, my Dad was a Chief Armorer at Great Ashfield 1943-45 and the odds are REAL good that the .50 Cal guns your Grandfather fired were rebuilt by my Dad. Most nose art on the B-17's stationed there were done by a British Red Cross girl Ann Hayward. There are several websites related to the 385th, hit Google and you'll find them . What squadron was your Grandfather in? Find $400.00 and take a flight in a B-17 when one is on tour, you owe it to your Gandfather, and most of all the guys that never made it home. Bob Swanson

 

CLSSY56,
That be the one. Picture taken at the NASM. The mural in the background is awsome in real life.

 

I've been there once... a long time ago...

 

I like nose art, too.....


Looky looky....

 

Over 12,000 B-17 were built, today there are 12 that are airworthy. This photo is the B-17 scrap yard in Kingman, Az., I think it is safe to say that some of that recycled aluminum made its way into speed equipment.

 

37, Amen WW2 nose art is some of the coolest art on earth.

 

I love that stuff, I've got Paul Tibbets' autograph (dropped bomb on Nagasaki) as well as Robert Morgan's auto(pilot of Memphis Bell) I dig ww2 history and all this interesting stuff
Greg

 

Guys I love nose art...and have heaps of books on the subject. These are great pix ....keep em comin'!!

I have the greatest admiration for the guys who flew daylight bombing raids over Germanu during WWII.....losses were extremely high without******* fighters that could go the distance.

Im planning to take a ride in a still active B17 Stateside soon....there is one that takes people up for 30-45 min flights, for a fee of course .

Ill just grab my B3 Jacket and hit the heights !!

Lets see some more...!!

Rat

 

Heres another from my collection....not to hijack the post

Rat