nose art
Painted aircraft fuselage
Nose art is the decorative painting applied to military aircraft, especially on the nose or fuselage.
The tradition flourished during World War II, when bomber crews adorned their planes with pin-up girls, cartoon characters, fierce animals, or dark humor: The B-17 featured nose art of a scantily clad woman riding a bomb.
The practice personalized mass-produced war machines and boosted crew morale.
- airplanesPowered flying vehicles
- muralWall-applied artwork
- emblemRepresentational sign or device
- graphicVividly detailed or visual
- bombshellShocking sudden revelation
painted lady · insignia · livery · decoration · World War II · esprit de corps · fighter planes · vintage posters · aircraft · mascots · lucky charm · design · aviation history · painting · wartime propaganda · pulp magazines · military tradition · figure drawing
- military art
- 1940sWWII, D-Day, Pearl Harbor, Normandy, VE Day
- aviation museumsaviation museums, military aircraft, aviation history, flight simulators, hangars
- aviation collectiblespilot wings, boarding passes, ticket stubs, timetables, luggage tags
- Pinupspinup, pin-up girl, cheesecake, cheesecake photo, Bettie Page
- USAAF fightersP-51 Mustang, fighter squadrons, fighter pilots, fighter aces, Flying Tigers
aircraft location
nose artwing markings