Showing my A2 jacket nose art

[NickG]

Just wanted to share my horse hide Flight Suits (now G&B) A2 back panel art work.
I purchased the A2 in 1991 and had an artist friend paint it on the jacket right after the purchase, so the art work is already almost 19 years old! Paint is holding up well!

I believe an 8th AF (ETO) B17 carried the "FLAK SHY LADY" name, but mine is obviously
a Pacific Theatre theme. The pin-up is actually copied from a period photo of a model
and not from an existing ww2 nose art design...So one of a kind...looking "shy"

 

[NickG]

Another picture!

 

[NickG]

Last one! Full view (A2 displayed with my ANJ-3)
Hope you like it!

 

[better duck]

Hope you like it![/img]

Yep I do, in every aspect!

 

[442RCT]

Nice, it looks very much period, your friend did a good job.

 

[deand]

The period look is perfect! Terrific jacket artwork!







dean

 

[NickG]

Thanks for the thumbs up everybody.
The guy that painted my A2 is very talented and I also commissioned him to do the art work on this plane, which belonged to a group I was involved with about 10-12 years ago.

Its a Douglas A26C Invader (44-35710) manufactured at the Tulsa, OK Douglas plant in 1944.
I was involved with the project (after finding the plane) and was overseeing the 2 year restoration (10,000 man hours) on behalf of a Dutch owner and upon completion was able to help with the delivery, a ferry flight to Europe (as a crew member), of course wearing this same A2 jacket and over it a B-15A jacket to stay warm!

Flight route: Chino,California-Oshkosh,WI-Goose,Canada-Greenland-Iceland-Scotland-Duxford UK, arriving in Amsterdam Holland, where the plane stayed for about 2 years. Because of red tape issues with a European registration and cost issues it was decided to return it to the States, maintaining its American "N" number (registration linked to a Las Vegas corporation, I was President of).
I am no longer involved with this Invader, but fortunately it found a good home now!

It got sold through a Chicago area airplane broker (where this picture got taken) and now belongs to the Cavanaugh Flight Museum, Addison, Texas and they have deep pockets, so its in good hands now, hopefully for generations to enjoy!
and yes that's a real Norden bomb sight. The plane has all the whistles and bells you can think of, including the remote control upper and lower gun turret periscope mechanism in working condition (mint NOS out of a crate).
For that reason it won the "Best Bomber" award at the Oshkosh show in 1998, where we stopped on our way to the "ETO". An unforgettable experience, so I can say that my A2 did serve its purpose well, authentic "rub wear" in certain areas!

 

[CHECK6]

VERY NICE ,LIKE HAND PAINTED PERIOD JOB

 

[Tim P]

very nice figure on the model too.
love to see other peoples work. nice jacket..

 

[NickG]

OK more jackets! Here's another one.
We had 10 of these A2's (Coopers) commissioned by another artist (RT Foster), who copied the Invader nose art done by my friend on the aircraft.

The jackets were ordered for air and ground crew members of the "Invader Air Display" team (at the time).

Matches the plane's artwork nicely, but does not have that 1940's look I think...like my FLAK SHY LADY A2 jacket, which I like much better.
Also this jacket's cow hide grain is not very uniform, but 10 jackets were created just like this...most of them better than this one!

 

[NickG]

Full view with artist's signature...

 

[zoomer]

Matches the plane's artwork nicely, but does not have that 1940's look I think

Honestly? The problem with most present day jacket art is that IT LOOKS TOO PERFECT.

Razor-sharp edges, laser-precise lettering, near-photo-realist renderings may appeal to our sense of craftsmanship, but they are all out of place with the period style. It ought to look like a good hand painted job - which, I'm afraid, is getting to be a lost art.

 

[NickG]

Exactly...too nice and often even air brushed! That's why I like my A2 art work so much!
More 1940's "look" ... simpler technique...what was available at that time!

 

[442RCT]

Matches the plane's artwork nicely, but does not have that 1940's look I think

Honestly? The problem with most present day jacket art is that IT LOOKS TOO PERFECT.

Razor-sharp edges, laser-precise lettering, near-photo-realist renderings may appeal to our sense of craftsmanship, but they are all out of place with the period style. It ought to look like a good hand painted job - which, I'm afraid, is getting to be a lost art.

I like all types of jacket art, but if the truth be told, I prefer the more 'modern' renditions of classic nose art. Even in WW2 there was a very wide variation of styles, from professional artists to the crewman with talent.

Original from WW2:

Three repros based on the original:

My personal choice of the three repros:

 

[shedonwanna]

how dare they use color and paint outside the lines! and you can see their brush strokes!

 

[442RCT]

:lol:

Why can't we have it both ways...