Would love to see your A-2 Nose Art Jacket posted here!

http://www.a-26invader.co.uk/id893.html

Steve:

Let’s try this again…here are several photo’s of a great looking A-2 on display now at the USAF museum in Dayton, Ohio here in the USA! One panel gives us some information about the man..who painted the jacket himself. Flew in Liberators with the Eighth during the war ! Super looking jacket. Hope this works !

TC

Just wanted to chime in on this conversation, my name is Rocky Mountain (yeah, really!) and that is my father 1st Lt James Gordon Mountains flight jacket. The jacket now resides in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Dad passed away years ago, after “lending” the jacket to trhe Air Force Museum, after he passed away, I was conacted by the Smithsonian to see if I would donate it so they could do a complete restoration. Dad was an artist prior to and after the war, (he’s in the Chicago museum of advertising art) turns out after examining the “paint” it turns out he had 3 basic colors to work with, all the others were mixed using chili powder, mustard powder and countless other pigments he could scrounge in Lomdon during the Blitz. This was confirmed by the use of a Gas Chromeatograph (sp?). He also did a large number of other jackets as well as nose art. It’s amusing seeing someone wearing a replica of it (thrers a suprising ammount of em out there) that is sure of the “history” of it but is totally clueless. If anyone has any questions, I’d be honored to help out.

Happy (con) trails and Semper Fi!
Rocky

PS. The name “Mike” under the pic on the back (my Mom) was ’cause when my Dad met her on leave, and found out her name was Dorothy, his reply (after knowing her for 2 minutes!) was “Naah, I’d NEVER marry a Dorothy, from now on yer name is, uh,,,,,MIKE! And it stuck, and forever more she has been known as Mike Mountain. My 6’5” son will never admit he’s named after his grandma! (You had to know my Dad to understand that was normal for him….

Hello! Hoping there still might be some WWII vets out there who served at Thorpe Abbotts. My deceased Uncle, Daniel Thorington painted murals, bomber noses, and flight jackets during his time there, and wondering if anyone has any memory of him or the work he did.
Thanks,
Dan

Ron thanks and good luck on your next A-2

Ron:

Great and good to see you on the forum, yes the 100th has many great names and aircraft to choose from. Still love this one from the 401st!!!
Hope all is well in the UK with you and family !

Greetings from TC !
BlueNoser352

a2

Hey Tom – thanks for posting more great images of A2’s ,certainly hope you make it back to the UK sometime soon .I agree that Vultee does some great Artwork on his Jackets

On my next A2 I will probably have a B17 of the 100th which was called

“Bachelors Heaven ” – I could go and go – so many great names to choose from

Picadilly Lilly another and The Waac Hunter – all 100th BG Aircraft

thanks Ron

Great looking A-2 at Air Force Museum !

Steve:

Let’s try this again…here are several photo’s of a great looking A-2 on display now at the USAF museum in Dayton, Ohio here in the USA! One panel gives us some information about the man..who painted the jacket himself. Flew in Liberators with the Eighth during the war ! Super looking jacket. Hope this works !

TC

Steve:

Sorry about my photo’s not scan properly..will retry and see what happens !

TC

Steve great looking B-3 !

Steve:

Thanks for reply and what a great looking B-3 jacket, great art work sir !
I see you picked out a 100 BG theme , the Square D boys for TA! Here is are several photos of one of my all time favorites from the USAF museum in Dayton Ohio….great looking A-2 and painted by the pilot himself. Always enjoy your collection photographs and model/artwork ! Hope all is well with you and family in the UK !

A salute from:
BlueNoser352

Here’s my B-3, painted earlier this year.

Steve

I know of the A-2 Jacket you speak of !

A-2 Jacket : Yankee dood it ” !!!!

Yes airborneradar I know of the very jacket you speak of and its on display at the USAF Museum in Dayton , Ohio. I tried to scan an attachment tonight but it did not work. Sometimes it hard to do this will try agian! I know there is a great photograph in color of this very A-2 in a book called “Classy Chassie” or something to that effect. I have it in my collection will try and find it and send you a scan if I can make this darn thing work !!!! Sent you a message and will try and find out the original crew member who wore this jacket. I believe he had 35 missions …great looking A-2 and super art work !

Thanks !

BlueNoser352

A-2 Flying jackets !!!!!!!!!

My all time favorite A-2 from the 401st BG ( H) that operated out of Deenethrope with the Mighty Eighth during the war. I located most of the crew members during the early 90’s but sadly this very jacket was given to a gunners younger brother and lost ! Tried to find the original as I did with the one you can see today in the American Air Museum at Duxford… ” Mary Alice”.
Its on display there and belonged to Dan Knight who flew Mary Alice with the 401st during the war. Photo of the famed “Diabolical Angel”..from my notes this nose art was done for about five bucks during the war. Today the original would be priceless !!!! Always enjoy this forum and its a pleasure to drop by from time to time to see what is going on ! Hope to return soon to the UK and another Duxford air show and to the home of the Mighty Eighth !
Would love to buy that control at Bodney and restore it as a tribute to the men who flew from there and our fine friends in the UK ! If anyone is close and happens to drive by Bodney,,would love to see a photo or two of the old tower here on the forum !!!

A salute to the Flypast forum from:

BlueNoser352!!

Wow…. nice to see this topic come up again and it was from March of 2004, love this topic of nose art and flying jackets. Anyone have a new A-2 to your collection that you have painted up since 2004 ? Always enjoy the ones I have seen at the Duxford airshows over the years. If any of you are over in the states , make sure you visit the Mighty Eighth Museum in Savannah, Georgia. They have so many originals there and its a great museum to visit as well. I am like many of you just amazed at how much these vintage A-2’s originals have grown in value. One only has to look from time to time on Ebay to see this. Don’t have any originals in my collecitons, just jackets I have bought and had worked up by my artist. Plus photo’s and books one finds on the subject ! Anyone one here in the FLYPAST added a new one to you collection on an original you perhaps own ? Would enjoy seeing it on the board !

Thanks FlyPast Forum !
BlueNoser352!!!!

B3 Jacket art

I just came across this forum about nose art and the A2 jackets. What I’m looking for is the following,:
A picture ore drawing of all patches and drawings on the A2 jacket named ”Yankee dood it” I got already a picture from a stuff member of the museum at Wright Patterson but it was blurry. The reason for my question is very simple, I like to make a copy of that jacket. The back is already done but the rest is missing because unknown to me at the time. I hope that you can help me. When I’m done I will send you a picture of my product.
Just another question comes in my mind, do you know who was the crewmember who wore that jacket and what was his unit.
Here is a picture of my last jacket.(B3)
Thank you very much in advance.

Airborneradar

Potentially it’s a genuine RAF Irvin jacket although close-ups of zips, belt buckle, neck strap etc. would be handy as would the hanger loop and any markings, wear at the cuffs and waist etc.

As a guide, the zips should be maker marked either DOT, Lightning, A(crown)M or /| (WD mark), possibly Talon if a USAAF zip was used as a period replacement. No YKK etc.!

Nice collection of Nose Art from a P-38 Fighter Group in the South Pacific…. 475th Boys…..!!!!! Clearing out the skies of the South Pacific !

http://www.475thfghf.org/nose_art_1.htm

Good site for some modern day Nose Art…and historic Nose Art !

http://www.bombergirl.com/flightline/flightline.htm

Nose Art in a bar in the States !!!

From Bomber Gal website ! B-29 nose art perhaps !

http://www.bombergirl.com/airshow/original_photos/gregkdavis/gregkdavis.htm

A2 Patches

Thought I would add a pretty neat patch – I will probably get one of these for my next A2 – Presently I have the 351ST BS Patch on my A2 – The Tokyo Turkey logo . I feel most aligned to the 351st – Thomas Murphy and his Piccadilly Lilly were in that Sq -now there’s a famous plane !!

Yes, BlueNoser, I saw the article and I’m glad to see him get some recognition for all of his hard work. I am hoping it will eventually allow him the chance to publish all of the information he has, so little was used in “When The Soldiers Came To Town.”

I loved the museum in Savannah, I was there for the dedication of the 20th. Fighter Group display, which sadly is not one of the better displays there. One of the highlights of my life was when I was allowed to walk over and touch the Me-163 along side of 20th.FG ace Harley Brown.

Speaking of Lt. Col. Brown, his A-2 just sold to a friend of a friend on E-Bay. I was sad to see it not go to a musuem but it is in the collection of someone who really cares, which is almost as good.

LocoBuster …thanks for posting those photo’s, very historical and I enjoy looking at them. Did you see the story I posted here on the A-20 crash in Spartanburg? Your friend here is featured in the article. They have such a great collection of A-2’s in the museum in Savannah, great place to go !

BlueNoser352!