Posted on 07/01/2007 10:24:05 AM PDT by llevrok
When the British Ministry of Defense found out that Harrier pilots and ground crews in Afghanistan had painted racy images ("nose art") on their aircraft, they ordered the troops to cease and desist. In addition to the possibility of women in the Royal Air Force complaining (none have, so far), there was the risk that some Afghans would be offended. No Afghans have complained yet, and Afghan men who had seen the nose art, usually studied it intently.
The concept of nose are was invented by American pilots and ground crews during World War II, and quickly adopted by their British counterparts. From World War II, through the 1950s, U.S. combat aircraft often had customized, and unofficial, cartoons or insignia painted on the front portion of their aircraft. The illustrations were usually created by someone on the ground crew, and personalized the aircraft for the crew. It boosted morale. But in the mid-1950s, air force commanders decreed that the nose art was "unprofessional," and by the 1970s most of it was gone. It managed to survive in some reserve units, but was forbidden for active duty aircraft. The air force says the official reasons for the policy has to do with security and "sanitation." Basically, it's become part of the air force traditions not to have nose art.
Last year, two retired air force sergeants, and some commercial artists, began campaigning to bring back nose art. Some senior air force commanders are favorably disposed towards nose art, and the air force is keen to boost morale, now that the air force is going through a period of personnel retrenchment (cutting 40,000 people) and tight budgets. Allowing nose art would not cost anything, as it would be voluntary, and up to units to find artists and materials for creating it. But like bureaucracies everywhere, changing something like this can be difficult. In fact, it appears to be an impossible task.
Why refrain? Offending muslims is good policy.
How stupid is this. You can bomb and strafe, but God forbid you have a half naked woman painted on the nose of your aircraft.
I have books on nose art, and some of it is really good, some funny, and some sad. It is a forum for pilots and aircrew to express themselves. Maybe the ACLU can fight for the right...Sorry..got carried away.
Maybe a babe in a burka would be inspirational?
“..there was the risk that some Afghans would be offended.”
WOW!!!
We chould have checked with Tojo and Hilter in WW2 to make sure they weren’t “offended” by nose art.
But the Brit Brass is acting true to form.
In an otherwise colorless war, French, Americans and even more, Germans, dressed up their fighter planes in WW1 with decorations. The staid Brits directed their fighter pilots not to.
They should grow up. It contributes to Esprit d’corps.
As for the Muslims - let go perform an anatomical impossibility.
I like this one...
odd placement of the painting over the cowl opening screw (-;
Related post:
“Lucy Pin-Ups Banned by RAF (Offensive to Muslims and Feminists)”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1845860/posts
That should be DE-briefing Time...
Nice indeed. Vargas?
Did you mean the NENA - the National Endowment for the Nose Arts?
History of the B-17 "Nine O Nine"
The most widely recognized and revered aircraft type of World War II, the B-17 Flying Fortress, takes to the skies again. The B-17G (Serial # 44-83575) has been returned to its wartime configuration under the auspices of the nonprofit Collings Foundation of Stow, MA and given the name "Nine-O-Nine".
The Collings Flying Fortress was built at Long Beach, CA by the Douglas Aircraft Company and accepted on April 7, 1945. Although she was too late for combat, #44-83575 did serve as part of the Air/Sea 1st Rescue Squadron and later in the Military Air Transport Service.
In April 1952, #44-83575 was instrumented and subjected to the effects of three different nuclear explosions. After a thirteen-year "cool down" period, #44-83575 was sold as part of an 800-ton scrap pile and Aircraft Specialties Company began the restoration of the aircraft.
Damaged skin was fabricated and replaced on site; engines and props were stripped, cleaned, repaired, and tested; four thousand feet of new control cable was installed; all electrical wiring and instrumentation was replaced. As she neared completion, the jeers and laughter of those who said she would never fly again faded as the sounds of four 1200 HP Wright-Cyclone engines echoed across the desert and "Yucca Lady" rose as the phoenix and climbed into the sky.
For twenty years, without a major problem or incident, #44-83575 served as a fire bomber dropping water and borate on forest fires. She was sold in January 1986 to the Collings Foundation. Restored back to her original wartime configuration by Tom Reilly Vintage Aircraft, she represented one of the finest B-17 restorations and won several awards.
In August 1987, while performing at an airshow in western Pennsylvania, "Nine-O-Nine" was caught by a severe crosswind moments after touchdown. The right wing lifted in the air, finally coming down too far down the runway. Despite the efforts of her crew, she rolled off the end of the runway, crashed through a chain link fence, sheared off a power pole and roared down a 100-foot ravine to a thundering stop. The landing gear sheared off, the chin turret was smashed and pushed into the nose; the Plexiglas nose was shattered; bomb bay doors, fuselage, fuselage, ball turret, wing and nacelles all took a tremendous beating. Engines and propellers were also torn form their mounts. Fortunately, there were no fatalities to the crew or riders although there were injuries.
For a second time, this B-17 "rose from the ashes". With nacelles from the famed B-17 "Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby", thousands of volunteer hours, support from the folks of Beaver Falls, PA, and donations from individuals and corporations, she was made whole again to carry on the proud and rugged heritage of the B-17.
Since the crash at Beaver Falls, the B-17 has succeeded in visiting over 1200 tour stops. This means that millions, who would otherwise never seen the Flying Fortress, have been able to experience first hand the plane that helped change the history of the world fifty years ago.
The Collings Foundation B-17 was named "Nine-O-Nine" in honor of a 91st Bomb Group, 323rd Squadron plane of the same name which completed 140 missions without an abort or loss of a crewman.
The original "Nine-O-Nine" was assigned to combat on February 25, 1944. By April 1945, she had made eighteen trips to Berlin, dropped 562,000 pounds of bombs, and flown 1,129 hours. She had twenty-one engine changes, four wing panel changes, fifteen main gas tank changes, and 18 Tokyo tank changes (long-range fuel tanks). She also suffered from considerable flak damage.
After European hostilities ceased, "Nine-O-Nine", with its six-hundred patched holes, flew back to the United States. While the rigors of war never stopped the historic "Nine-O-Nine", she succumbed at last to the scrappers guillotine, along with thousands of other proud aircraft.
Original Nine O NIne
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