The Bell X-1: when was the nose art painted on?

[Jerry O'Neill]

I figured this would be a good place to try for an answer to my question about this photo of the X-1. Both Chuck Yeager and Bob Hoover said, personally to me, that this photo was taken by Hoover on October 14, 1947, the day that the sound barrier was broken.

Can anybody confirm that for sure?

My reasoning is that many other people have stated that when Yeager broke the sound barrier the "Glamorous Glennis" nose art was on the aircraft on October 14. As far as I can tell, it isn't on the X-1 in this photo. The "Bell Aircraft" logo is still forward on the nose. It wasn't placed further aft until the "Glamorous Glennis" name was put on.
Anybody know for sure?
Thanks.
Jerry

[mustangdriver]

The art work was on the other side.

[Jerry O'Neill]

I know the art work was on the right, but when was it applied? s their photos from Oct. 14th that has images of the right side other than this one?

[CAPFlyer]

I can't verify, but I've found 1 photo which claims to be from before the flight which show the nose art -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Yea ... lor%29.jpg

However, a picture from 1949 doesn't -

http://silodrome.com/chuck-yeager/

I also found this page which shows the plane in April 1950 which was the one "public" flight in XS-1 #1 and includes a picture from that day of him next to it and the name on the plane.

http://framework.latimes.com/2011/05/25 ... ck-yeager/

Personally, I think that the plane only had the name put on it late in its career, most likely on the flight above in April and then again for Yeager's final XS-1 flight for the movie "Test Pilot" in May.

[maxum96]

It's my understanding that the AF brass was not happy Chuck had nose art put on a research aircraft and that in official photos at the time they had Glamorous Glennis airbrushed out. I think I read that in CY's book years ago.

[mustangdriver]

CAP flyer. That one photo without the art work is a different aircraft.

[Jerry O'Neill]

Yes, 6063 was a different airframe. The one in question is 6062. I found one image in Jay Miller's X-Planes book showing both aircraft by the loading pit dated 1948 that does NOT have the nose art. It's in the book, but it doesn't mean it was labeled correctly.

I found one photo with no nose art that was dated in the old AAF way with the description info painted on the negative. It was July of 1947.

I'm interested in something solid like that and since Yeager was flying both aircraft, why would he get to name just one of them? Are either at all? It's always been my suspicion that it was painted on after the Oct. 14, 1947 flight. I know Yeager says it was on there before the flight, but publicity over the years can change a person's perceptions. Plus there were lots of film of the X-1 with the nose art on claiming that it was taken on the 14th, but this footage is obviously staged for the cameras after the event. Just looking for something concrete.

[mustangdriver]

According to General Yeager it was on there on the day of the sound barrier flight.