' Nose " Art
black mamba
Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
During WW II, many pilots elected to name their aircraft. It was a practice that both fighter and bomber pilots engaged in. Often it was a girlfriend or wife's name but it could have been anything. I've included a few here.
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This is the beautiful P-51 that I've been up in.
8 ( 
I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
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Comments
These are all wicked good artful designs. You can just feel the passion. I had to look up the meaning of "Panchito."
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
Yeah, I also had to look up the meaning for " Panchito ". As a side note.....anyone interested in the air war for Europe in WW II NEEDS to put the following book on their hit list..." Mission " by Robert Matzen. It details the life of the actor Jimmy Stewart, from his escapades with some of the Hollywood leading ladies to his role in leading bombing squadrons against the Third Reich. This book is one of the most riveting accounts I've read about the realities that faced those bombing crews.
What a great idea of thread and what an amazing set of pictures! Thoroughly enjoyable!
PANCHITO wins me thinks!
YELLOW ROSE looks like a dangerous stripper.
Very nice collection, Tom! I think I've seen most of those, they are beautiful aircraft. And that P-51 ride must have been a blast!
http://www.moose135photography.com
I'm glad you liked them, Taz. It's hard not to give Panchito the award.
I feel blessed, John. I've been up in both the B-17 Nine-o-nine and the B-24 Witchcraft. A pricey indulgence but I'm a real hound for this stuff. The B-17 ride cost $450 and the B-24 ride cost $400. You give an appropriate squeal when you pay but the consoling truth is that these monies go to the care and maintenance of these invaluable pieces of American history and heritage. Somewhere well north of 35,000 young American men died in taking the air war to the enemy. The P-51 belongs to a guy in Jacksonville that I know and he took me up for the ride of my life.
The Sizzlin Liz ride was the most exciting and visceral experience I've ever had in an airplane. The plane has the slightly elongated "K" canopy. The ride behind the pilot is fairly snug, but comfortable. I was suited up with all the necessary radio gear so the pilot and I could converse. When sitting on the runway and running up the engine for the final pre-flight checks, the sound level would probably knock you out if you didn't have good ear protection. During the engine run-up, the plane is literally lurching from side to side, like a caged animal wanting to escape. When the brakes are released, the plane surges forward and claws its way skyward. The accent to 10,000 feet seemed to be instantaneous. We did some typical stuff....rolls and a loop. After that whole experience, my wife swears it took me two days to get normal again.
Tom....
A beauty of a set. Adding truth the to statement..."every picture tells a story."
Thanks for adding the very interesting backstories to your set.
Wonderful!
El Gato
www.globaltrekk-photos.com
Thanks, buddy. Good to see you back.
Great set, Tom. I enjoyed each one of them.
Thanks, Sara. I find that sort of stuff interesting. It's all part of the lore pertaining to the air war during a critical period in world history.
Very nice collection, I have many pictures with those fine works of art made by those young airmen many years ago
#5 "Nine O Nine" unfortunately was destroyed in an accident on October 2nd 2019 and sadly 7 people lost their life .
Yes, that was a sad day for the restored warbird community. It was 2018 when I flew in the " Nine-O- Nine "".> @Gatto said:
Thanks, Gabe.
I remember well the day the the " Nine-O-Nine " crashed. Terrible loss of life and plane. Both irreplaceable. Do you happen to know what the final FAA report said about the reason for the crash?
UPDATE !!! I just finished reading the full NTSB report.