Grissom Air Museum C-47 repainted

Django · **Posted:** Sun Oct 18, 2015 8:33 am

Another recent repaint has happened at the Grissom Air Museum, erasing what several of us worked very had to achieve. They have painted over my "Do It" nose art recently in favor of generic postwar transport markings. One has to ask how can anyone at GAM think it would be a better representation in those markings versus what we all worked towards together to honor Jim Haus and the 1st Air Commandos, and the largely forgotten CBI with the recreation of "Do It"? Perhaps GAM is wanting to distance themselves from WWII and the Greatest Generation since losing their B-17 to a museum that will restore it and place it indoors? Thankful at least that Lt. Haus saw the finished product before he died (2 weeks after the dedication). No one can take away the pride that we all felt for what we were able to accomplish for the Haus family.

With my Dad and Uncle Bob (C-47 crew chief)

Chris and I

WIXerGreg · **Posted:** Sun Oct 18, 2015 9:57 am

WTF? Sorry to see your work go. I was there for the dedication and flyover that morning. I was at the museum last summer and was happy to see most of the aircraft had already or were getting a fresh coat of paint but I sure wouldn't have expected this. Your work and the history aside, repainting a plane with nearly fresh paint is a waste of money for a museum that doesn't appear to have any.

Fouga23 · **Posted:** Sun Oct 18, 2015 1:32 pm

They did WHAT??? :shock:

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Sun Oct 18, 2015 8:37 pm

well that sucks. the plane looks terrible now. maybe this C-47 needs to find a new home like the B-17 did.

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Mon Oct 19, 2015 6:25 am

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:48 am

It is this type of BS that led to my leaving that place.

TAdan · **Posted:** Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:53 am

What a shame. The artwork was great, and it was an excellent tribute.

JohnB · **Posted:** Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:36 am

I don't find the scheme objectionable.

To the folks who don't like it...what's your complaint? Color, scheme, noseart?

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Mon Oct 19, 2015 10:14 am

They painted over the artwork that honored a veteran with a non nondescript gray scheme.

Nathan · **Posted:** Mon Oct 19, 2015 11:07 am

Now Now, lets not knock cold war paint schemes. :wink:

But on the other hand, the paint job looks pretty bad and not very accurate. Maybe its the light or camera angle but the paint looks puke green! :vom:

Too bad about the nice nose art.

Django · **Posted:** Mon Oct 19, 2015 11:56 am

Nathan, I would say that may be your computer monitor because it was a beautiful shade of OD. When I did the nose art, the aircraft had not fully been painted yet but because of my schedule, the nose only was painted, to be completed at a later date, which it was. I'm not sure how you can say it's not accurate by these photos. The 1st Air Commandos stripes were not applied, but that is not the fault of anyone who was volunteering on the project at the time.

JohnB · **Posted:** Mon Oct 19, 2015 12:49 pm

mustangdriver wrote:

They painted over the artwork that honored a veteran with a non nondescript gray scheme.

I thought the gray scheme gave way to the WWII colors.

I didn't read it closely. :roll:

p51 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 19, 2015 1:21 pm

I won't say where, but a museum wanted me to paint nose art on a plane a few years ago. I couldn't get the time off to get out there to do it, so they got someone local who had the time.
Exact same thing happened a couple of months later. In that case, they painted it on the request of a donor, who wanted a fantasy paint scheme instead. And that's what they did.
So glad I didn't waste my time and money getting out there to do a job for free that one got painted over later anyway.
This kind of screwiness is why I haven't worked with museums in many years.

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Mon Oct 19, 2015 1:35 pm

I am deeply disappointed. But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world. There is so much good that came out of it. The look on his face and him telling myself and the crew who worked so hard on it, that he was so proud of us, is a reward which can never be tarnished. I think everyone who worked on that airplane walked a way with a sense of pride.

Nathan · **Posted:** Mon Oct 19, 2015 8:14 pm

Django wrote:

Nathan, I would say that may be your computer monitor because it was a beautiful shade of OD. When I did the nose art, the aircraft had not fully been painted yet but because of my schedule, the nose only was painted, to be completed at a later date, which it was. I'm not sure how you can say it's not accurate by these photos. The 1st Air Commandos stripes were not applied, but that is not the fault of anyone who was volunteering on the project at the time.

Oh no Django, I wasn't talking about the OD paint scheme. That looks fantastic! I was talking about the new paint job.

Sorry for any confusion or anger.

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Grissom Air Museum C-47 repainted

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