Figure 2 World War. Frame painting of the American Air Force

Art draw on fuselages of aircraft - Nose Art - appeared during the First World War.

California art historian and Antiquarian Bruce Herman argues that the drawings on aircraft are a continuation of the European Knight's traditions of Heraldry.

"The pilots of the First World War's Times most often belonged to the ancient noble birth and may have seriously perceived themselves as new knights. They even had their own special knightly" credit code. "In the days of the Middle Ages, the knights painted their shields - they painted family Coat of arms. It is here that it is worth looking for the origins of the tradition of military aircraft, "says Herman.

It is worth noting that the painting of the aircraft of the First World War is distinguished by high professionalism and presents real artistic value.

"Most of the pilots of the beginning of the century before the war received professional art education," explains Herman.

During World War I, the pilots did not directly paint the aircraft themselves. The coat of arms, pictures and mottos drawn on canvas, which was then fastened on the wing or tail of the combat vehicle. At auctions, the price for such works of art can reach a few hundred thousand dollars.

The Second World War

With the beginning of World War II, the art of the painting of combat aircraft has undergone fundamental changes. Classic plots and classic art forever disappeared from fighters and bombers. His place was taken by popular cartoon characters.

Fashion on the "combat coloring" of aircraft rapidly conquered the hearts of pilots of the Second World War.

"The Americans turned out to be the most impest, but the most active artists," says Herman.

Few people know that the twin-bar of cartoon - Walt Disney was also the "godfather" Nose Art. After the start of the war, the leadership of the US Air Force hired artists from Disney Studio solely so that they were painted combat aircraft.

During the war, Disney Studio has created free sketches of drawings for coloring aircraft, tanks and even stripes on the form. Not only for the American military, sketches asked military units from Great Britain, Poland, China, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and France. At the time of the war, Disney allocated five artists for the needs of the army. For the Second World Disney Studio, 1,200 drawings for the military were drawn. The most popular hero was Donald Duck. The only hero of cartoons, which on military equipment did not paint never bembi.

Disney himself, who passed the first world war, in combat conditions, was entertained by painted on the helmets of his comrades. However, Disney's creativity admirers lived not only in the United States.

"Disney was furious when he found out that a few dozen LuftWaffe fighters were drawn on the fuselage of Miki Mius," says Herman.

In addition to the animation, the main source of inspiration for military artists was Esquire magazine. Most often on the fuselages of bombers and fighters, pictures of the artist Esquire Alberto Vargas were reproduced.

Nose Art 1945-2003

After the end of World War II, NOSE ART has received wide fame. Now about pictures that adorn combat aircraft, they know not only in the sky, but also on Earth.

In the West, extensive catalogs of characters and drawings made on aircraft during various military conflicts are published.

The plot of the picture most often depends on the nature of the conflict.

It is worth noting that an unsolved aircraft, for example, in the US Air Force, is practically no. Pictures There are even on top-secret bombers B-2 and F-117. But in order to avoid misunderstandings, their pilots are drawn solely on the inside of the bubblyuk doors or other, invisible to the surfaces.

Officially, the only unit of the Air Force, which is allowed to paint the aircraft is the 23rd fighting group "Flying Tigers".

The tradition of applying pictures on combat vehicles leads its beginning since the first world war, the Germans were the Germans, but the Americans supported this tradition and developed deeply. Such a "skirmish" painting is called Nose Art

Nose Art ART Epoch Steel world War- almost all american airplanes They had their own names, and, apparently, about half of the aircraft wore drawings on the nose. The plots were the most different, but most often it was the characters of cartoons or girls drawn in the style of Pin-Up. Nose Art appared the command of the Air Force as a morale and some psychological support for the crew. American psychologists engaged in the study of the Aircraft Nose Art phenomenon, believe that this way the aircraft thought, reminded the pilot about the house and peaceful life, served as a kind of psychological protection from the war. Nowadays, pilots flying on historical aircraft are also applied to their Nose Art Art, or in classic form, or create original images.

Aviation Nose Art arose together with military aviation. Here is an airplane of the Italian ASA of the First World War Francesco Barakka

The era of the heyday Nose Art has become the Second World War.
Almost all American aircraft had their own names. There is no accurate statistics, but, apparently, about half of the aircraft wore Nose Art drawings.

Most convenient locally For the placement of Nose Art, the nasal parts of bombers are natural. There are many places, there is where to turn around. Boeing B-17G N9323Z

Boeing B-17G N900RW.

Boeing B-17G N3193G and again girls.

The liberator has a picture of the picture even more! Consolidated B-24A (LB-30) Liberator N24927

True later, this plane was repainted in a protective color and such a graph appeared on it.

And this is a "strawberry bitch" from the Museum of the Air Force in Diton. Consolidated B-24D Liberator 42-72843.

"Betty's Dream" (?) B-25J N5672V

Sad Angela, TB-25N N345BG.

Princess Apache, B-25J N1943J.

Nose Art appared the command of the Air Force as a morale and some psychological support for the crew.
There were restrictions. Pictures, as a rule, worn only battle aircraftAnd in Nose Art's Naval Aviation was prohibited at all.

Zodiac signs. Libra

Eagle with a bomb. B-25C N3774.

Ruby Newell Capral - beautiful girl Divisions - at your portrait:

Crews painted airplanes exclusively at their own expense. They were engaged in both lovers and pros who served in parts - former artists, caricaturists.

Russian Get Ya! B-25J N747AF.

Girls in the style of PIN-UP met much more often than real wives and girlfriends. Often, these works were copies of magazine drawings.

As noted, for some reason, the Pacific Theater of Military Action, for some reason, was much easier than in Europe.

Night task

DOUGLAS B-26 N7705C

The most common drawing of Aircraft Nose Art - shark mouth - invented during the First World War.

A huge nose air intake on an airplane P-40 has given the opportunity to draw such impressive sharks to the mouth. Curtiss P-40N Warhawk NL40PN.

The nose on the mustangs was magnificent, and Nose Art, they often walked under the cab. Although the sharks of the mouth also met. P-51D Mustang NL68JR.

Kid with Tommigan. P-51D Mustang NL151HR.

Latest creativity, a large boss with a machine gun on the racing GRUMMAN F7F-3 Tigercat NX805MB.

On Delderebolt, it was convenient to draw Nose Art on massive engine hoods. Pink Dambo on P-47D 45-49167, Museum of Air Force.

Neanderthal, Republic P-47D Thunderbolt NX47DA.

The Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton is kept a large collection of Nose Art graphics in the form of sheets of fuselage wheels, taken from utilized bombers B-52 different modifications. As a reminder of the long-lasting, but rapid times.

Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon N7670C.

Transport aircraft. Despite the rather large size, the nose of the famous DC-3 is relatively small and draw on it the grand Nose Art is pretty difficult. DC-3 N47HL.

Maps, bones, four clover sheet - good luck symbols.

"Delivery of generals." DC-3 N7772 in the EAA Museum.

Transport workers are smaller, the C-45 also did not lag behind Nose Art from their larger counterparts. BEECH C-45G N7694C.

BEECH C-45H N167ZA.

Redhead. Beech C-45H N9550Z.

"Difficult child"

After the Vietnamese war, Nose Art practically disappears and gradually refunds only in the 1980s. They counted that it restores the continuity of glorious combat traditions.

Modern original creativity. Dee Howard 500 N500HP.

Cat rakes the missile on MiG-29

In 2007, the British Ministry of Defense banned the use of images of girls, as potentially offensive to female personnel. Now the procedure is complicated: first the crew presents a sketch of Nose Art to his commander, and he must agree on the drawing with the command of the Aviacryla.

Aircraft Nose Art - the art of drawings on the fuselage of the aircraft - got the greatest distribution in American aviation during the Second World War.

The plots were different: patriotic topics, comic book characters and Disney cartoons, but above all, of course, girls.

NOSE ART is not something fundamentally new - he leads his roots from the old custom of the military to decorate himself: the knights put on rich armor, the sailors were installed on the ships of Rostra, the Indians painted the face ...

Aviation Nose Art originated with military aviation. Here is the airplane of the Italian ASA of the First World War Francesco Barakka:


(It is rumored that this horse later moved to the emblem of cars "Ferrari")

The era of the heyday Nose Art has become the Second World War.
Almost all American aircraft had their own names. There is no accurate statistics, but, apparently, about half of the aircraft wore Nose Art drawings.

Zodiac signs. Libra

and cancer

Nose Art appared the command of the Air Force as a morale and some psychological support for the crew.
There were restrictions. Figures, as a rule, were worn only by combat aircraft, and in Nose Art's naval aviation were prohibited at all.

American psychologists engaged in the study of the Aircraft Nose Art phenomenon, believe that this way the aircraft thought, reminded the pilot about the house and peaceful life, served as a kind of psychological protection from the war. Many aircraft wore names of wives, girlfriends, mothers.
Captain Ervin S. Ethell and his wife Jenny

"Temporarily acting widow"

Capral Ruby Newell - a beautiful division girl - at his portrait:

Crews painted airplanes exclusively at their own expense. They were engaged in both lovers and pros who served in parts - former artists, caricaturists.

"The wife of our pilot somehow told us the legend of the Aist, who lived on the island in Pacific Ocean And daily took part of a thousand surrounding islands to wish them a good. We immediately liked the story, and in two quarters of the Irish whiskey, one soldier drew us to this stork on board. "


(I personally would not give you whiskey drops for this drawing)

Girls in the style of PIN-UP met much more often than real wives and girlfriends.
Often, these works were copies of magazine drawings.

(This crew made 90 combat runs that there are a lot of American standards)

As noted, for some reason, the Pacific Theater of Military Action, for some reason, was much easier than in Europe.

Night task

The most common drawing of Aircraft Nose Art - shark mouth - invented during the First World War.

Maps, bones, four clover sheet - good luck symbols.

I wonder what these camels mean ...

"Difficult child":


(This plane shot in the film "Amendment 22")

After the Vietnamese war, Nose Art practically disappears and gradually refunds only in the 1980s. They counted that it restores the continuity of glorious combat traditions.

Princess ley.

The cat raises the missile for MiG-29:

In 2007, the British Ministry of Defense banned the use of images of girls, as potentially offensive to female personnel.
Now the procedure is complicated: first the crew presents a sketch of Nose Art to his commander, and he must agree on the drawing with the command of the Aviacryla.

UPD 9.12.12 It turns out that camels on the fuselage mean that the main route ran through Himalayas. The number of camels is the number of departures that turned to the other side of the camel - the crew had to turn back due to engine malfunction (

War is transient, and music is eternal!

Decorating the image planes almost immediately after the battle aviation appeared. It is believed that the first pattern applied to the aircraft fuselage was the image of a marine monster on the nose of the Italian flying boat of 1913.

Later, applying a plane drawing began to call Nose Art. Initially, the images on aircraft resembled heraldic symbols similar to those that were applied to the shields ancient knights. It is worth remembering the stallion (Cavallino Rampante) of the Italian Asa Francesco Barakki on the pillows). This coat of emblem later used Ferrari.

Francesco Barack poses against the background of his aircraft!

Later, the drawings on the aircraft became more diverse. For example, on the fuselages of French aircraft from Escadrille Les Cigognes, storks were blocked.

The most popular Nose Art became in the US Air Force during World War II. The initiators of the coloring of the aircraft often did not perform no pilots, but serving his staff. On the development of Nose Art in the US big influence Pins-AP provided. So, the image of the naked star PIN-Up that era of Betty Grab was concerned about many military aircraft. In the USSR, such libations, of course, were not allowed, but the drawings on the Soviet aircraft of that pore were also characterized by beauty and sophistication.

More often to apply drawings on the fuselage steel after the battle on the Kursk arc in 1943, when the initiative passed to the Red Army. Often, next to the image on the plane, an asterisk was visible in the number of knocked enemy aircraft (Spanish pilots began to do it for the first time). On the Soviet aircraft Victory could be denoted by asterisks of several colors. A personal victory was celebrated by one color, shot down in the group of aircraft - others.

With drawings on aircraft, many Soviet spectators were able to get acquainted with the film "Only" old men "go to battle." On the fuselage of the aircraft commander of the squadron Alexei Titarenko, who played Leonid Bulls, was depicted a tonal mill. The image of notes is no coincidence. Such a drawing, for example, was on the plane had a musical education of the Soviet pilot-attack aircraft Vasily Emelyanenko.

Airplane Vasily Emelianenko

Maestro himself!

The plane of La-5 Kostyleva in the exposition of the Museum of Defense of Leningrad.

Captain Alexander Lobanov (left) and Major Alexander Pavlov near La-5FN, April 10, 1945

Lieutenant Zabiyak G.I. Against the background of the name PE-2 of the 205th series. The inscription "Zabyaka" white color, zipper - yellow

Lieutenant Gennady Tocolaev. On board - the emblem "Guard"

Captain Alexander Nikolaevich Kilaberedze from 65 GIAP in the Kabina Yak-9, Belarus, June 1944

"Lion Heart", Lagg-3 Lieutenant Yuri Plodov, 9 Fighter Airport Air Force of the State Unitary Enterprise.

Commander Squadron 566th Shap Hero Soviet Union Vasily Mukhlik.

The aircraft IL-2 "Avenger" was built on the funds of the chairman of the collective farm of Grigor Tevosyan,

who in war killed two brothers. Nelson Stepanyan flew on the plane.

George Baevsky (Right) and a mechanic Dogkin on the background of Yak-9U. 5 GVIAP. Airfield Sprotau, Germany. April 1945

At Kiel Lagg-3 Leonid Galchenko instead of the Red Star depicted a black cat playing with the mouse.

1942 year. Original cat was white

Malyutina Elena Mironovna and her swallow

Commander of the 180th Guards Fighter Stalingrad Red Banner Aviation Regiment

Major General Georgy Zakharov in the Kabina Yak-3. On the plane - Georgy Victorious

piercing snake with head Goebbels. Spring 1945.

Pilot of the 958th Storm Aviation Regiment, Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Maleus .

Aerocker Vyacheslav Sirotina

Nikolai Pshenkov and his "Aerocobra"

Airplane Yak-9B of the commander of the 168th IAP of Lieutenant Colonel Grigory Khrushev.

Captain Alexey Zakueluk, 104th Gwyap

Airplane Alexey Alelyukhina

Captain Georgy Urvachev (left)

Fighter pilot Vladimir Dmitriev

Older Lieutenant Airplane Basil Aleksukhin

Fedor Minida and Alexander Pomazunov on the background of PE-2 with a crocodile

Airplane Abrec Barshta

Plane Nikolai Didenko

Vladimir Pokrovsky plane

Commander Sherberry Squadron Regiment "Normandy" Marseille Lefevre (Marcel Lefevre) and his Soviet comrades (Lieutenant Technician Tarasov and Senior Sergeant Kolupaev) at the Yak-9 fighter №14

Eagle Mikhail Avdeev

Agitation aircraft ANT-9 "Crocodile"

Commander of the squadron of the 5th assault regiment Hero of the Soviet Union A. Putin before combat departure

Hero of the Soviet Union M.D. Baranova (right) congratulate the next victory. Stalingrad Front. 1942

"For Zhenya Lobanova" (Northern Fleet Air Force, IL-2, 1943)

Hero of the Soviet Union Captain A.D. Bilyukin in the cabin of his nominal aircraft "Alexander Nevsky"

Crew of the nominal intelligence aircraft 39 ora (from left to right): Commander I.M. Glyga, Radist Radist K.N. Semichiv and navigator joint venture. Minaev

"For Volodya!" (32nd gv. IAP, North-West Front, Yak-9, 1943)

Airplane "Revenge of Baranovy"

Major's crew K. Jivantsova

Flight crew N.V. Baranova before the last flight before the capitulation of the Germans.