Nose Art

I’m going to this with my brother in law. Pictures forthcoming!

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Today, my brother in law and I traveled to the Fagen Fighters Museum in Granite Falls, Minnesota to tour the museum and listen to a talk by artist Chad Hill.
A very interesting presentation by Chad in how he’s honoring those who provided a great motivation for the young, probably frightened pilots who flew off to war (many never returning).
All of the aircraft at the Fagan Fighters Museum are flight worthy. The Helldiver recently completed an engine run (first time in 45+ years) and taxi tests and will become only the second Helldiver that will be flying on the planet.


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3175375 said:
Today, my brother in law and I traveled to the Fagen Fighters Museum in Granite Falls, Minnesota to tour the museum and listen to a talk by artist Chad Hill.
A very interesting presentation by Chad in how he’s honoring those who provided a great motivation for the young, probably frightened pilots who flew off to war (many never returning).
All of the aircraft at the Fagan Fighters Museum are flight worthy. The Helldiver recently completed an engine run (first time in 45+ years) and taxi tests and will become only the second Helldiver that will be flying on the planet.


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The XF8B-1 (Model 400) was, at the time, the largest and heaviest single-seat, single-engine fighter developed in the United States. Boeing called the XF8B-1 optimistically, the "five-in-one fighter" (fighter, interceptor, dive bomber, torpedo bomber, or level bomber). It was powered by a single 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) Pratt & Whitney XR-4360-10 four-row 28-cylinder radial engine, driving two three-bladed contra-rotating propellers. It would be the largest single-seat piston fighter to fly in the U.S. to date. The large wings featured outer sections which could fold vertically, while the fuselage incorporated an internal bomb bay and large fuel tanks; more fuel could be carried externally. The proposed armament included six 0.50 inch (12.7 mm) machine guns or six 20 mm wing-mounted cannons, and a 6,400 lb (2,900 kg) bomb load or two 2,000 lb (900 kg) torpedoes. The final configuration was a large but streamlined design, featuring a bubble canopy, sturdy main undercarriage that folded into the wings, and topped by a variation on the B-29 vertical tail.

The contract for three prototypes (BuNos 57984–57986) was awarded 4 May 1943, although only one was completed before the war ended. It first flew in November 1944. The two remaining prototypes were completed after the war, with the third (BuNo 57986) evaluated at Eglin Air Force Base by the United States Army Air Forces.

File: XF8B-1 BuNo 57986 wearing overall Glossy Sea Blue livery, photographed 12 December 1946. (US Navy)

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XP-63:
Although the XP-39E proved disappointing, the USAAF was nevertheless interested in an even larger aircraft based on the same basic layout. Even before its first flight, the USAAF placed an order on 27 June 1941 for two prototypes of an enlarged version powered by the same V-1710-47. The new design was given the designation XP-63 and serials were 41-19511 and 41-19512. A third prototype was also ordered, 42-78015, using the Packard V-1650, the U.S.-built version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.

The XP-63 was larger in all dimensions than the Airacobra. The wing was redesigned again, this time with new NACA laminar flow airfoils, 66(215)-116 a=0.6 at the root and a NACA 66(215)-216 a=0.6 at the tip. The wing taper ratio was approximately 2:1, span was 38 ft 4 in (11.68 m), and wing area was 248 sq ft (23.0 m2). The engine was fitted with a second remotely mounted supercharger, supplementing the normal single-stage supercharger. At higher altitudes, when additional boost was required, a hydraulic clutch would engage the second supercharger, adding 10,000 ft (3,000 m) to the service ceiling. A larger four-bladed propeller was also standardized. A persistent complaint about the Airacobra was that its nose armament was not easily accessible for ground maintenance; to cure this problem the XP-63 airframe was fitted with larger cowling panels.

In September 1942, even before the prototype flew, the USAAF ordered it into production as the P-63A (Model 33). The P-63A's armament was to be the same as the current P-39Q, a single 37 mm (1.46 in) M4 cannon firing through the propeller hub, two synchronized .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in the cowl, and two .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in underwing gondolas.

The first prototype, 41-19511, flew for the first time on 7 December 1942. It was destroyed on 28 January 1943 when its landing gear failed to extend. The second prototype, 41-19512, followed on 5 February 1943. It, too, was destroyed, this time due to an engine failure. The Merlin-engined 42-78015 (as Merlins were primarily needed for the P-51 Mustang) was delivered with another Allison instead, a -93, which had a war emergency rating of 1,500 hp (1,100 kW) at sea level, making this prototype one of the fastest Kingcobras built, attaining 421 mph (678 km/h) at 24,100 ft (7,300 m).

Postwar air racers:
Numerous surplus P-63s ended up on the air racing circuit in the immediate postwar era. Charles Tucker purchased two P-63s from the disposal facility at Kingman, Arizona just after the war. He entered one of them, the Tucker Special as Race 28 with the name Flying Red Horse emblazoned on the nose (civilian register N62995) in the 1946 Thompson Trophy race. He had clipped the wings by 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m) in an attempt to improve its speed, reducing the span to 25 ft 9 in (7.85 m). The second one (44-4126 (XN63231 Race 30)) was intended for the 1946 Bendix cross country race. It was initially fitted with two wingtip drop tanks. In 1947, the drop tanks were removed and the wings were clipped to 28 ft 6 in (8.69 m).

Two other significant racers were flown later. Tipsy Miss, John Sandberg's clipped-wingtip P-63 unlimited racer, was identified as "Race 28," and painted in bright orange, white and black race numbers with a chrome spinner. Later sold to a European pilot, this P-63 was destroyed in a fatal accident in 1990 Crazy Horse Campgrounds was the most radically modified P-63 Kingcobra ever. Larry Haven's "Race 90" clipped-wing unlimited racer had a tiny bubble canopy installed; it appeared in all silver (unpolished aluminum) finish with a white rudder and black trim. The aircraft later crashed into the ocean on a test flight in 1972.

Photo-Description:
Aircraft: Bell P-63C King Cobra
Reg: N94501 photos
Serial #: 42-69080
Airline: Private
Photo Date: Apr 07, 2009
Uploaded: Mar 01, 2010
Chino - KCNO, USA - California
Notes:
A/C has been restored to flying condition, displaying nose art "Fatal Fang". Currently displayed at the Yanks Air Museum, Chino, CA.
PHOTOGRAPHER
by Thomas P. McManus: Photos | Profile | Contact
 
Lifted from Facebook. While this aircraft doesn’t have nose art, its story is interesting:

Spook50 might be my favorite KC-135 of all time. Not because of paint, location, or anything else. For years and years I have heard from so many that claim this aircraft is haunted. Hence the name, Spook.

From footsteps, to lights, to seeing an apparition, and even the spirit touching them, I have heard a lot of the same story between former crew. Others say they have never had an experience. For me, I don't believe in ghosts, but I don't want to have to start believing either.

No single story has been directly tied to this aircraft and many of the stories of the death have been tied to other aircraft as well. One said it was a MSgt sucked up into the sextant glass, another said one got sucked partially out of the boom sighting glass, with another saying an enlisted man had a heart attack and died on board. With this jet being built in 1958, there have been plenty of chances for this aircraft to have a person pass away while airborne.

Whatever it is, the lore of Spook50 is alive and well, with her now living at Kadena AB, Japan. Here, she arrived at Tinker AFB as "Ramen25", wearing some new orange eye liner, going in for her Block 45 upgrade before returning to the fleet in a short bit.

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80 years ago, the Martin Mars flying boat was adopted by the Navy and flew its first operational nonstop flight from Maryland to Brazil. Pictured here is the prototype with a Piper J-3 Cub on its wing to convey size.

This too could have been posted in the ‘Heavy Metal’ thread.

Martin JRM Mars - Wikipedia

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About Doc ⬇️

Doc is one of the 1,644 B-29 Superfortress aircraft manufactured in Wichita during WWII. Doc was discovered rotting away in the Mojave Desert in 1987 by Tony Mazzolini. Plans have been in the works to restore the historic warbird to flying status ever since.

Over the past 15+ years, hundreds of volunteers have worked on Doc and the restoration project. Skilled workers and retirees from Wichita's aviation industry, veterans, active duty military and others wanting to honor those who served, have spent tens of thousands of hours on Doc's restoration. Discover Doc's Journey at The B-29 Doc Story. #B29Doc #FLYHUF #thairshow

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Fifi flew right over my head landing at Bakersfield's Meadows Field one day while I still lived there. Another day after that, the same thing happened, in the same place, with an F-86! Really cool!
 
P-47, the largest single-engined fighter of WWII, and it had the heaviest punch of lead of any others, even those with cannons.
 
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