Greetings all. I’m thinking about building a couple of P-51 Mustangs for a good friend of mine. I’m planning on creating custom Nose Art. Is nose art typically just on the left side of the plane or does it appear on both sides?
Thanks!
The answer to that questions, like most everything having to do with military hardware, is “it depends.”
Most nose art was exclusively on the port side of the nose. There are several exceptions that had it on both sides, even different pictures on each side (ie Too Big and Too Heavy, Airacutie.)
Personally, since 95% of WWII planes had it limited to the port side, I think that’s your best bet.
I agree with Justen. While there were exceptions (The Flying Undertaker is another that comes to mind), the vast majority of nose art on the Stangs were port side only.
Regards, Rick
One of the best parts of doing custom work is that you can do it any ol’ way you feel like doing it.
Go with what you feel works best, whether you want it on one side, bot sides, wrapped around over the top - sky’s the limit when it comes to custom work.
-Fred
Was that to help the pilot figure which side of the plane he was getting in on? Or was that just another one of those “unknown origin traditions”? [:-^]
Tom [C):-)]
No, and I believe this is the truth. Most airfields seem to point west to north for take-off, which means the port side of the aircraft is to the south. Which is the sunny side. Do you believe it?
In that case, I would think then the opposite, or right side should have the art, so as to not have it bleached out by the sun.
I don’t know if you noticed this or not, but Lindberg’s Spirit of St. Louis not only had nose art on the right side, that was the side the aircraft was accesed from as well.
I get the impression that the left-side entry and nose art biase, like a lot of spec changes and improvements to our aircraft, came from a typically cryptic British tradition.
I wonder if it would have thrown them into a dither if the P-3900 had its entry door on the right instead of the left? [:-^]
Tom [C):-)]
The P-39 had a door on each side. Actually the one on the right side was the “main” door primarily due to the throttle quadrant being on the left side and causing a tight squeeze. But I think you’re right in the other respects.
That’s what I thought I meant I wrote, but I guess my editor was asleep that day, so…
I guess what I shoulda said was:
“if the P-3900 had its entry door on the right only instead of the left as well?”
Is that better? [bow]
Tom [C):-)]
I kinda figured that’s what you meant… you silly goose. [(-D]
That’s Mr. Silly Goose to you Justen! [swg]
Tom [C):-)]
The reason most nose art is on the left side is it is the Base Ops side of the aircraft. When parked at base ops, the aircraft was always parked with the left side facing toward the base ops building. Even today VIP aircraft are parked that way. It is also the side that is cleaned and polished to present to anyone viewing the aircraft.
Now that one makes total sense. Base Ops. I’ll have to remember that one whan I’m talking to my “Cliff Clavin-esque” friend. “Ya know Nahrmy…”
Mike
I too agree with what Justen mentioned. However there are exception to every rule plus your a modeler, so do a “What if” a/c…
There have been soo many pix taken in the course of the war and a lot have been lost to time, so go with what you feel…
So Nahrmy, you got next round[:P]
Flaps up, Mike