WWII Navy Noseart

[warbirdguy]

How common was it for naval aircraft to carry noseart? Did the navy have regulations in place to limit it? I personally haven't seen an abundance of photos with naval aircraft carrying noseart.

[mustangdriver]

It doesn't seem that the carrier based planes carried alot of it, at most a girls name and scoreboard. But some of the other types seemed to carry alot of it such as the PB4Y's

[tom d. friedman]

i love the f6f hellcat with the grimacing face / teeth with the blood shot eyes. my buddy hand painted a beautiful rendition on his hellcat model.

[warbirdguy]

I knew some Hellcat's had the shark-mouth noseart (I have model) and some of the multi-engine bombers carried it i.e. PB4Y, PBY, etc.

I guess I'm aiming more towards as to why naval fighters didn't carry as much noseart as opposed to the AAF counterparts. Could it have to do with time and availability?

[Jack Cook]

It's out there. you just gotta know where to look.

F4U-1A VMF-121 1945

Lt Don Balch 5 kills on the left

Ens "Smokie" Bennett on the Gambier Bay

Marine F6F-5Ns

Lt Folmar VMF-422 1945

F4U-1 VMF-213

VMF-213 Guadalcanal 1943

Lt Ralph Elliot top FM-2 ace

LT Oc Chenoweth XO VF-38 1943

Maj Joe Foss CO VMF-115

VMF-124 1943

[CAPFlyer]

I wonder how much of it had to do with the USN/USMC habit of "pooling" aircraft so that they were flown by pilots of all squadrons present on the boat or base? While each pilot was "assigned" an aircraft and their name put on the side of it, I got the feeling from various sources that most pilots weren't inclined to try and do or get noseart on "their" plane as many didn't see it that often and didn't have any sort of personal attachment. In many cases, it appears that the crew chief for the airplane (the one who usually saw the same airframe the most often although they seemed to rotate aircraft to stay with certain pilots) was the one who named and thus came up with the nose art for the airplane.

[Craig59]

Can't speak to the Navy rules but, my Dad stated the Marine Corp considered it defacement of government property. That's why you see very few PBJ's with nose art compared to their USAAC brethren. This photo was taken after hostilities had ended and everyone knew the planes were going to the junkpile anyway. 'The States or Bust' in foreground and 'The Snails Tail' in the background. (Oh! And the Marine on the right holding his date. )

[warbirdguy]

I wonder how much of it had to do with the USN/USMC habit of "pooling" aircraft so that they were flown by pilots of all squadrons present on the boat or base? While each pilot was "assigned" an aircraft and their name put on the side of it, I got the feeling from various sources that most pilots weren't inclined to try and do or get noseart on "their" plane as many didn't see it that often and didn't have any sort of personal attachment. In many cases, it appears that the crew chief for the airplane (the one who usually saw the same airframe the most often although they seemed to rotate aircraft to stay with certain pilots) was the one who named and thus came up with the nose art for the airplane.

I had a feeling it had to to do with the fact that multiple pilots flew the aircraft and they didn't want to "brand" their airplane.

[Jack Cook]

No I don't think so.
It had to do with the chain of command.
On Guadalcanal many Marine a/c had nose art.
VF-27 had the glaring teeth and eyes because Bardshar
liked the esprit de corps it created and the the CV's CO supported.
Same with VF-17's artwork and beards. AG-83 of the Essex had nose art.
A huge amount of Marine a/c in the Marshall's had artwork. Did you
notice all the naked ladies on the Marine F6Fs I posted?

[warbirdguy]

I see your point Jack.

Maybe its the fact we just don't see it as much on warbirds today, thus my questioning the occurane of noseart on bombers and fighters then.

[gary1954]

I see your point Jack.

Maybe its the fact we just don't see it as much on warbirds today, thus my questioning the occurane of noseart on bombers and fighters then.

I imagine that today the military frown on what was beautifully plastered on the bombers and fighters of WWII, and bend more toward ploitically correct. I imagine someone had to do a serious tap dance on someone's desk to put the Memphis Belle nose art on a B-1. I wonder if she still carries it?

[warbirdguy]

Gary - Never mind I miss read your post. Sorry!

Last edited by warbirdguy on Sat Dec 20, 2008 1:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[John Kerr]

Great Stuff as usual from JACK. Never can have too much USN/USMC Nose art, especially from WWII and Korea. Keep up the good work.

[Django]

No PB4Y-2 pics? You're slipping Jack...

[Ztex]

Jack,
Most of the stuff you posted are Marine aircraft. There seems to be a lot less Navy A/C with art...
Interesting.

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