Memphis Belle noseart

[Pat Carry]

What are the plans for the nose art on the Memphis Belle? Are they going to keep the one thats still on the plane now or will it be repainted? If its repainted who will get the honor to apply the new paint?

[mustangdriver]

It will be repainted. The one that is on there is not the original, and is actually sort of wrong. She is a bit larger and has some pretty big shoulders, larger than the original. The one on there now was painted on by Phill Starcer. That is Tony Starcer's nephew. This was done in memphis in the 90's. I suspect that an artist at the museum that does all of the nose art may do it. I wish Mr. Starcer was still around to recreate it like on Shoo Shoo baby.

[mustangdriver]

And this one won't have nipples painted on it like a well known G model that loves to play the part.

[Warbird Kid]

Didn't even notice that when I saw her at Geneseo. At least the one with nipples flies!

[mustangdriver]

It should, it never did anything.

The nipples were toned down since it was done the first time.

[Pat Carry]

Thanks for the info Chris. Whomever gets the painting job I'm sure will have goosebumps going down his/her spine while the job is being done.

[retroaviation]

Get WIXer, Django, to do it!!!

Gary

[mustangdriver]

No problem. I am sure that who ever does it will be very honored. The nose art on the real airplane has been painted many times. Sometimes more accurate than others. While she sat in a park in Memphis they had some really wrong art painted on it. Even during the war years the art work had been touched up. The museum is using the completion of the 25th mission as it's time period that they are going to 'capture" the Belle's markings at. Hands down this will be the most accurate restoration of a B-17.

[mustangdriver]

Get WIXer, Django, to do it!!!

Gary

That would be awesome if he would want to do it. I think he has done amazing work on the B-24.

[David_Aiken]

BE SURE to paint the girl in GLOSS paint and

BE SURE to paint the UPPER portion of the swim suit in PASTEL blue or red, and the lower part below the waist in PRIMARY blue or red...

IF only we knew what the words were BENEATH the words "Memphis Belle"...

[m50a1ontos]

My Dad has a jacket that Tony painted just before he died. It never got "authenticated" so only Tony and Dad knows it's for real. He's worn it around Chino a few times (He's a docent).

[gary1954]

Didn't even notice that when I saw her at Geneseo. At least the one with nipples flies!

Chris, that was a great line there. It is a shame that the minds of "management" of the museum are so narrow minded as to not have "anything" flying that represents the NMUSAF. Iwould imagine that it would generate more interest in visiting a museum to see a resting collection and seeing a flying egg-sample on the airshow circus.

[lmritger]

Chris, I noted the restoration team has stripped all but the nose art area from the aircraft... that might be an IDEAL candidate area for the sort of technique used on Corsair KJ431, carefully working the paint back to the original nose art.

Do you know if any consideration has been given to that approach?

Cheers,

Lynn

[mustangdriver]

I wish. The original paint on the belle is long gone. That happened during it's time in Memphis.

[TAdan]

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I can honestly say I never thought I would hear a conversation about the... um finer points of the Belle'