B-25 WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story The most popular WWII planes for nose art were the bombers since they had more space around the nose to paint. This post focuses at the B-25 Mitchell. More planes with nose art are posted in my portfolios. For additional B-25 nose art see More B-25 WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story. For history and information on nose art, see WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story.
B-25 Tondelayo This B-25 Mitchell“Tondelayo” still soars through the skies. The B-25 was deployed to every theater of operations in WWII as a bomber and a ground attack aircraft. After WWII, the B-25 was used as a transport and a fire-bomber. Today “Tondelayo” is operated by Collings Foundation.
B-25 Briefing Time This B-25J Mitchell was donated to Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, who restored it as ‘Briefing Time’. As one of the most completely restored B-25J bombers, the restoration included a Norden bombsight, original radios, and armor plating. It served in the Italian campaign as part of the 489th Bomb Squadron, 57th Bomb Wing, 340th Bomb Group, 12th Air Force. Today “Briefing Time” is still operated by Mid-Atlantic Air Museum.
B-25 Maid in the Shade Built in early 1944, “Maid in the Shade” is a B-25J Mitchell bomber. Based in Serraggia Airbase on Corsica, it flew 15 combat missions. Today “Maid in the Shade” is operated by The Commemorative Air Force Airbase Arizona.
B-25 Take-off Time This B-25J, now flying as “Take-off Time”, entered service in early 1945. It flew in a variety of stateside military roles until sold for civilian use in 1958. Then, it was used for a variety of civilian tasks, restored, and played in several movies roles. Today “Take-off Time” is owned and operated by Claire Aviation.
B-25 Show Me! This B-25J, now flying as “Show Me!”, entered service in early 1945 and served as a trainer until put into storage. Eventually, it was sold to a private party. After sustaining some ground damage and repaired, it found its way to the Missouri Wing of the Commemorative Air Force in 1982 and renamed “Show Me!”. Today “Show Me!” is still owned and operated by The Commemorative Air Force.
B-25 Champaign Gal This B-25J, now flying as “Champaign Gal”, entered service in the summer of 1945 and served as a trainer, utility transport, and ferry aircraft until put into storage. Eventually, it was sold and used by several air services including an air tanker service. Finally in 2006, it found its way to the Champaign Aviation Museum and renamed “Champaign Gal”. Today “Champaign Gal” is still owned and operated by the Champaign Aviation Museum.
B-25 Miss Mitchell During WWII, the B-25J “Miss Mitchell” completed more than 130 combat missions over North Africa and Italy without any crew fatalities. After a 12 year restoration by the Minnesota Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, “Miss Mitchell” continues to fly.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category B-25 WWII Nose Art.
WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story During WWII, nose art could be found on many fighters, bombers, and sometimes on other planes like transport and observation planes. The most popular were the bombers since they had more space around the nose to paint. This post only contains images of the B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-25 Mitchell, B-29 Superfortress, and the C-47 Skytrain. More planes with nose art are posted in my portfolios.
The practice of painting the noses of military planes actually began in WWI. After the Great War, new regulations ban the practice. However, during WWII the regulations mostly ignored and nose artistry flourished. The nose art made each aircraft unique; helping to unify the flight crews and ground crews of each plane. Nose art became a matter of great pride to the pilots and crew. It evoked memories of peacetime life at home and helped relieve the stress of war. It also boosted the morale of combat flight crews. Its appeal partially came from nose art not being officially approved, even when the regulations against it were not enforced.
Today, nose art tends to be stenciled to the airframe. Back in the day however, it was painted onto the airframe by both professional civilian artists and talented amateur artists serving in the squadrons. Some were good; others not so much. Still some servicemen became famous by the quality of their nose art. At the height of the war, nose art artists were in such high demand, some were paid for their services.
Much of the nose art was based upon Vargas style “fantasy girl” pinup girls for the image as well as the aircraft name. Aircraft names like Heavenly Body, Yellow Rose, Miss Behavin, Double Exposure and Pacific Princess were based on pinup girl art; just to name a few. Cartoon characters were also popular; such as Super Wabbit, Ruptured Duck, and Doc. Some nose art themes tried to intimidate the enemy on planes such as Surprise Attack and Axis Nightmare. Sometimes hometowns, wives, and girlfriends inspired the nose artists.
B-25 Yellow Rose The “Yellow Rose” is the name of a vintage B-25J Mitchell WWII bomber which is again flying in American skies. The bomber was restored to its original wartime flying condition by the Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing. It now flies regularly as part of the “Ghost Squadron” collection.
B-17 Thunder Bird This restored B-17 bears the markings of Thunder Bird. The original Thunderbird was based at Molesworth, England during WWII. Attached to the 359th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, Eighth Air Force, it flew 112 bombing missions over Europe.
B-25 Executive Sweet Built late in the war, Executive Sweet saw stateside service during the remainder of WWII as a crew trainer. Then, in 1948, it became a VIP transport. After several years in military service at the School of Aviation Medicine, it was sold as surplus. It changed hands several times while appearing in films and TV shows. Eventually, it was sold to a private owner who restored it back to a wartime B-25 J model appearance. Finally, it made its way to the American Aeronautical Foundation, who operates it today.
B-25 Axis Nightmare Sometimes, the nose art tried to send a message to the enemy on planes like Axis Nightmare. Or, perhaps the message was for the flight crews.
B-25 Pacific Princess This B-25 flying as Pacific Princess has risen to celebrity status. It was used in the filming of “Catch 22” and as a static prop during the filming of “1941”. It took off from the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in the 50th anniversary commemoration of the end of World War II. It also took off from carriers USS Lexington and the USS Constellation for filming “Pearl Harbor”. Perhaps, the nose helped it get those parts.
B-29 “Doc” During WWII 3,970 B-29 Superfortress bombers were built. Today, a few Superfortresses have been preserved, restored, and put on static display, but only two B-29s, “FIFI” & “Doc“, are airworthy. “FiFi” is maintained and operated by the Commemorative Air Force. “Doc” is maintained and operated by Doc’s Friends. It was part of an eight plane squadron. Each plane was named for one of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs . “Doc” required extensive restoration which was done over 15+ years by volunteers in Wichita, Kansas, where it was originally built. It’s first flight after restoration occurred on 17 Jul 2016.
C-47 Tico Belle On the 5 Jun 44 just before midnight, this C-47 Skytrain, now named Tico Belle, was boarding soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division for their historic mission. After flying over the English Channel, at 0407 on 6 Jun 44, flying at 500 feet AGL through heavy flack, she dropped 82nd Airborne soldiers into Normandy near St. Mere-Eglise. St. Mere-Eglise was one of the first towns in Normandy liberated by the Allies on D-Day. She flew three daring missions on D-Day and had a distinguished combat record serving in six major campaigns. After the war, she participated in the Berlin Airlift from 1948-49.. After serving in the Royal Norwegan Air Force and the Royal Danish Air Force, Tico Belle came home to the Valiant Air Command in 1988. Recently, she flew supplies into the Bahamas after Category 5 hurricane Dorian.
Fighter Jets | a 7 Image Story Selecting only 7 images to represent fighter jets is a tall order. My criteria for the 7 images was image quality first, then type of aircraft. See my aviation portfolio for additional aircraft images.
Why are the Blue Angels image first? Well, because they never disappoint! The Blue Angels, of course, are the main attraction to any airshow flying their F/A-18 Hornets. They have been performing since 1946 making them the oldest formal flying aerobatics team in the USA. Notice the “F/A” in the F/A-18 Hornet designation since it’s both a fighter and an attack aircraft. Even with these bald skies, the vapor trail provides some contrast. They fly in formation only an amazing 18 inches apart.
Next, the F-86 Sabre is such beautiful airplane; both in flight and on the ground. A few years ago, I briefly shared the pattern with a North American F-86 Sabre. Of course, it was moving much faster than I was. It was an honor to share a piece of sky with such an iconic airplane. The F-86 was the first swept-wing U.S. fighter. North American manufactured more than 6,000 F-86s.
The North American F-100F Super Sabre, nicknamed “Hun” – short for hundred, was the first U.S. Air Force fighter capable of supersonic speed in level flight. The F-100 had a service ceiling above 50,000 feet and a range of more than 1,000 statute miles. The F-100 served with the Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979.
The F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range, supersonic fighter-bomber developed by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 and by the mid 1960s, became a major part of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps air wings. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds of weapons on nine external hard points including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs, but originally without an internal cannon. Later models incorporated a M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for in-flight performance, including an absolute speed record, and an absolute altitude record. During the Vietnam War, the F-4 was used extensively as the principal Air Superiority fighter. It served as a first line fighter of more Western air forces than any other jet.
F/A 18 Super Hornet Notice the “F/A” in the F/A-18 designation since it’s both a fighter and an attack aircraft. Even with these bald skies, the vapor trail provides some contrast. Turn & burn! The Super Hornet is a twin-engine, carrier-capable, multi-role fighter and attack aircraft. It has an internal 20 mm M61 rotary cannon. It can also carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons.
The F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation, single seat, twin-engine, all-weather, stealth, top line fighter. On a clear day you can see the vapor. The F-22 Raptor always gives an impressive performance. The F-22’s combination of stealth, aerodynamic performance, and situational awareness gives it unprecedented air combat capabilities.
The F-35 Lightning II represents a family of fifth generation, single-seat, single engine, stealth, multi-role fighters. It’s designed for ground attack and air superiority missions by combining advanced stealth technology with fighter speed and agility.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Fighter Jets.
Back to Blakesburg AAA Fly-in | a 7 Image Story The Antique Airplane Association Fly-in is held annually at Antique Airfield (IA27) over the Labor Day weekend. Vintage airplane lovers and owners come together to enjoy beautiful old airplanes including some rare examples like Waco, Spartan, Stearman, Perth Amboy Bird CK, Fairchild, and Swift. Vintage airplanes are on ground display and are flown regularly during the fly-in. In fact, pilots are almost continuously flying their antique airplanes during the day; making the Antique Airfield’s 2,350-foot turf runway, very busy. And, sometimes the pilots will give rides taking you back to the golden age of aviation! The AAA fly-in feels like an old grassroots fly-in from years past. The airplanes are beautifully restored and the people are genuinely friendly. Of course, the photography is as good as it gets.
Soundtrack from the movie Flyboys; a musical score composed by Trevor Rabin & Don Harper.
So, what is the Antique Airplane Association? The AAA was first formed in August of 1953 to “Keep the Antiques Flying”, which remains today as their main interest and primary function. The AAA has over twenty active chapters and a close working relationship with many of the aircraft type clubs, which sometimes use Antique Airfield for fly-ins. The Antique Airplane Association is located at Antique Airfield near Blakesburg, Iowa. Membership is open to anyone interested in antique airplanes; it’s not necessary to be a pilot or an aircraft owner. The Annual Invitational AAA/APM Fly-In and Convention is held every Labor Day Weekend. To attend the fly-in, you must be an AAA member or join when you register at the fly-in. See the Antique Aircraft Association site for more information on this grass roots fly-in.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Back to Blakesburg AAA Fly-in.
Flying to Alaska | a 7 Image Story Why fly to Alaska from the lower 48. Why not? After 10 years service, my company offered a sabbatical; an extra 8 weeks vacation taken at one time. Time to recharge the batteries. What better way to recharge than to fly; perhaps, a flying adventure. My criteria was simple; fly somewhere unusual, see something new, and make the trip a bit difficult, at least, for a flat land flyer like me. To be clear, it’s all about the flying; flying first, sightseeing second. So, I chose Alaska; America’s last frontier. My flying to Alaska summer adventure occurred during the last part of the film era. In the future, it’s my intention is to write a daily Alaska Flying Log with much more detail for the pilot.
Planning for this Alaska trip began almost a year before the trip. It started by reading The Don Sheldon Story “Wager with the Wind” by James Greiner which gave me a better feel for the challenges of flying in Alaska. Then, it continued by reading the Alaska Airmen’s Association Logbook by Don Bowers cover to cover while underlining important parts. Planning a first trip to Alaska without the AAA Logbook would be much more difficult. The MilePost and the AOPA Airport Directory become very handy when a change in plan becomes necessary. Of course, the US and Canadian VFR charts are necessary as well as the Airport Facility Directory along with the Canada Flight Supplement and the Alaska Supplement. Much has changed since my Alaska trip. If the trip were being planned today, more sources of information would likely be required, probably available online, and downloadable to an iPad.
Preparation Flying to, from, and In Alaska is not for the faint of heart, flat land pilot. The trip absolutely requires extensive planning and preparation. Extra time is needed when flying VFR over the roads. Weather can change quickly. Good stick and rudder skills are required; especially cross wind landings. Mountain flying skills are a plus. Before leaving, I flew several training flights to hone my cross wind skills.
Airplane & Equipment For this trip, I flew a Piper Cherokee 235 with a fixed pitch propeller. It cruises at 133 knots and burns about 12 gallons per hour. The panel included King radios, an Apollo Loran, and a simple 2 axis autopilot. Nope, no GPS; the trip occurred before GPS became common. The plane and the pilot were IFR certified and current, but my intention was to fly the entire trip VFR. IFollowed Roads once into Canada; specifically the Alaska Highway to Alaska then state highways and roads once in Alaska. To fly through the north country, emergency gear is required including a large emergency backpack, basic camping gear, and a rifle, required by Alaska, at the time. When clearing US customs in Alaska, they actually checked for survival equipment and a firearm. The airplane required a little extra preparation. Obviously, all the maintenance was up to date. Although not used, I also carried tire tubes and a couple of air cans for the tires as well as extra tools and oil.
My camera gear included three cameras; Minolta XG-9 SLR, Nikon Zoom Touch 500 35mm point & shoot, and Minolta IX-Date VE TIS2000 compact point & shoot. The Minolta XG-9 SLR had a flash and several lenses: Minolta 50mm f1.7, Minolta 135mm f2.8 , and Vivitar75-300mm f4.5-5.6 zoom. And, of course, tons of film!
Route of Flight My planned route of flight was basically to fly the Alaska Highway VFR through Canada to Alaska, then after reaching Alaska, to fly the highways VFR. Thus, numerous flight plans were required for different routes in order to fly where the weather was good. The trip required extensive research and planning since I made no reservations of any kind until after landing for the last time of the day. This trip worked for me, but will not likely work for others. Everyone should do their own research, planning, and preparation to meet the challenges of flying to Alaska. My final flight path:
To
Aurora IL ➞ Sioux Falls SD ➞ Williston ND ➞ Havre MT ➞ Lethbridge ALTA ➞ Whitecourt ALTA ➞ Fort St. John BC ➞ Fort Nelson BC ➞ Watson Lake YT ➞ Whitehorse YT ➞ Northway AK
In
Northway AK ➞ Tok AK ➞ Gulkana AK ➞ Merrill Airport in Anchorage AK ➞ Mt. McKinley AK ➞ Fairbanks AK ➞ Coldfoot AK ➞ Anaktuvuk Pass AK ➞ Fairbanks AK
From
Fairbanks AK ➞ Northway AK ➞ Whitehorse YT ➞ Fort Nelson BC ➞ Fort St. John BC ➞ Lethbridge ALTA ➞ Cutbank MT ➞ Grand Folks ND ➞ Minneapolis MN ➞ Rochester MN ➞ Aurora IL
Flying Trip: Major Highlights
Flying the Alaska Highway with nowhere for an emergency landing except the road below. Mountain flying meant flying the valleys while keeping your finger on road on the sectional chart so you don’t fly into a canyon you can not fly out of. Also, the road provides the only place to land in event of engine problems.
Flying over the mountain lakes just east of Whitehorse.
Morning takeoff from TOK with only half the runway, about 1500ft, available.
Flying from Gulkana AK to Merrill Airport in Anchorage was the most beautiful flying in my life. This flight leg followed the Glenn Highway in the valley below as well as the Matanuska River. The height of the valley floor varied but was mostly less than 3000 MSL. Flying at VFR at 4500 or higher gave me plenty of altitude. The glacial mountains on both sides of this valley were over 8000 MSL with some over 11,000 MSL.
Flying over part of the Knik glacier as the glacier very quickly rises below.
Landing at Mount McKinley Airport; now called Denali Airport. It took flying close to mountains and compensating for heavy downdrafts at the runway threshold.
Takeoff at Mount McKinley, a one way runway, then clearing hills southwest by a hundred feet or so.
Before taking off from Fairbanks, ATIS said visibility was 100 miles. Actually after airborne heading into the Brooks Range, visibility must have been 200-300 miles; clearest day I have ever seen.
Landing at Coldfoot was particularly interesting with changing right/left crosswinds on final and again on rollout.
Flying through the Brooks Range onto the North Slope and landing at Anaktuvuk Pass with large gravel runway.
Flying 100 miles northwest of Fairbanks; seeing Mount McKinley after sunset.
Flying Reflections Most of my flying days were mostly sunny or partly cloudy with occasional scattered showers. Rain and thunderstorms delayed me twice; once at Denali and once in Minnesota coming back. Mountain flying meant flying the valleys while keeping your finger on the sectional chart. By flying the valleys over roads, I did not need to fly very high the entire trip. A few legs were very bumpy. And, the weather can change very fast in the mountains. Clearly, this trip was the most beautiful flying I’ve ever done.
Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Flying to Alaska.
Click any image below for a slide show!
Disclaimer This post, which depicts my flying trip to Alaska and back, is for information only. This information may not be appropriate for your purposes. Please see our disclaimer page.
North American B-25 Mitchell | a 7 Image Story The North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber, used by most Allied countries, saw action in every combat theater during World War II. The B-25 Mitchell replaced several squadrons of B-26 Marauders in the 22nd Bomb Group in October 1943, mostly due to heavy losses of the B-26 during bombing missions with no fighter escort.
My father was a crew chief in the 33rd squadron of the 22nd BG. He liked the B-26, but liked the B-25 more, mostly because it seemed to be a tougher airplane. He thought it took more damage and still brought the crew back home. Although crew chiefs were not normally part of the flight crew, he occasionally talked the pilot into letting him replace one of the gunners on a bombing mission. On one such mission, the B-25 was heavily danged by AAA and enemy fighters. It had so many holes in the wings, he wondered how it kept flying. Good thing for me that it did keep flying! For more information on the 22nd BG, see 22nd BG Red Raiders 77 Years Ago | a 7 Image Story.
The North American B-25 Mitchell is a twin-engine, twin-tail, mid-wing bomber powered by two 1,700-horsepower Wright Cyclone engines. Named after Brigadier General William “Billy” Mitchell, nearly 10,000 B-25s were produced from late 1939 through 1945. It became one of the most versatile aircraft of the war with different models used for high level bombing, low level bombing, skip bombing enemy shipping, strafing, photo reconnaissance, submarine patrol, and even as a fighter. The B-25 was used extensively in the Pacific Theater for bombing airfields and beach emplacements as well as strafing from treetop level. B-25 attack models carried up to 14 forward-facing .50 cal machine guns. A few B-25s had a 75mm cannon mounted in the nose to attack ships.
Of course, the B-25 became famous when Lieutenant Colonel “Jimmy” Doolittle took off from the aircraft carrier Hornet in April of 1942 to bomb Tokyo. Those 16 B-25s became the first U.S. aircraft to bomb the Japanese mainland. To learn about the Doolittle Raid, see Doolittle Raiders Reunion | a 7 Image Story.
22nd BG Red Raiders 77 Years Ago | a 7 Image Story Seventy seven years ago this month, the 22nd Bomb Group was in the midst of flying 5 squadrons of B-26 Marauder bombers from Hickam Field on Oahu, Hawaii to Brisbane Australia; a journey of nearly 5000 miles. The treacherous journey was accomplished by island hopping over long stretches of the Pacific Ocean. Three aircraft and crews were lost, although looses could have been much higher. The trip required few mechanical problems, perfect navigation, and good weather conditions. Navigation consisted of dead reckoning, solar observations, and sometimes a radio compass when close to landing. Also, remember trans-pacific airline service had just started a few years earlier in 4 engine flying boats. Pilots had very little experience flying long distances over water in this part of the world.
A Prelude At 0715 on 8 Dec 1941, less than 18 hours after the first bombs dropped on Pearl Harbor, the 22nd Bomb Group, the Red Raiders, took off in B-26 medium bombers from Langley field, VA headed for Muroc, CA. The 22nd BG consisted of 5 Bomb Squadrons: HQ BS, 2nd BS, 18th RS, 19th BS, and the 33rd BS. My father was a crew chief on one of those B-26s in the 33rd squadron. He actually sold his car before leaving because he knew he would not be coming back to Langley field. Normally, the crew chief was not one of the flight crew. For this long journey, the crew chiefs replaced one of the gunners, typically the tail gunner, who traveled with the ground crews. The ground crews took trains to Muroc then a separate ship directly to Australia.
Soundtrack from the movie Pacific; a musical score composed by Hans Zimmer.
At Muroc, the 22nd BG flew shore patrol off the west coast for a few weeks. From Muroc, on 29 Dec 1941, they were transferred to March Field, which required a formation flight through the mountains in instrument conditions. One plane from the 33rd squadron hit a mountain flying through a mountain pass. At March Field, they continued to fly shore patrol until 5 Feb 1942 when they were ordered to San Francisco to leave for overseas. The B-26s were partly disassembled with their wings off. Then, the B-26s and flight crews were boarded onto ships and sailed to Oahu. The air crews boarded the U.S.S. Grant. The officers had decent rooms with four men to a cabin, but the enlisted men were crowded into small cabins with 48 triple-decker bunks. My father like most men went topside whenever he could. While he was topside one night, they had a torpedo attack scare. The general quarter’s alarm sounded, flares filled the sky, and depth charges were dropped from destroyers. It was quite an awakening for a farm boy from Illinois. Mostly though, it was smooth sailing the zip-zap route to Hawaii; arriving on 15 Feb 1942.
The 5000 Mile Journey At Hickam Field, the B-26s were reassembled and flight tested. The officers had plenty of time to enjoy Hawaii while the planes were reassembled, but many of the enlisted men and non-coms had to work on the planes. Being a crew chief, my father had very little time off. By 15 Mar 1942, the first few B-26s were ready to fly.
As the planes became airworthy, they departed in flights of 3 to 6 planes in squadron order; the 19th, the 33rd, HQ, the 2nd, and the18th squadrons. The island hopping route was south-southwest from Oahu 1,000+ miles to Palmyra Atoll; 1.5 miles long by half a mile wide. The next leg crosses the equator southwest from Palmyra 875 miles to Canton Island; a tiny atoll about 7 miles by 3 miles. The next leg crosses the International Date Line southwest from Canton Island 1250 miles to Fiji Islands; a somewhat larger group of islands. Then, from Fiji the next leg is west-southwest 700 miles to New Caledonia, a larger island 250 miles long by 30 miles wide. Finally, Brisbane lays 900 miles west-southwest from New Caledonia. Most of the 33rd squadron made the trip without incident. One plane was mysteriously lost between Canton and Fiji.
Into the War Once at Brisbane, the squadrons were quickly sent north and based at several airfields around Townsville and nearby towns. The 33rd squadron went to a field near Antil Plains. The 22nd BG was one of the first units to take offensive action against the enemy. Their first combat mission, with planes from the 19th and 33rd squadrons, was a joint strike with the 3rd BG, against Rabaul on 6 Apr 1942. This mission was also the first combat mission of WWII for both the B-26 and the B-25 medium bombers.
From from bases in northern Australia, the 22nd BG flew B-26 Marauders on bombing missions without fighter escort against Japanese bases and shipping around New Guinea and the surrounding waters. As the war continued, they island hopped toward Japan while also moving from B-26 Marauders to B-25 Mitchells to B-24 Liberators.
Many thanks goes to the 22nd Bomb Group Association for allowing me to reference the “Revenge of the Red Raiders” and to use a couple of photos as well. Also, thanks to Sgt. Phil Boucher, a WWII Army Air Force Photographer, for allowing me to use several of his photos. In order to use higher quality photos, several images in this post are representative photos of the subject, but not necessarily of the 22nd BG planes. For more information on the 22nd BG, “Revenge of the Red Raiders” provides the most detailed history of the Red Raiders. My blog also contains several other posts under category 22nd BG. Also, 22nd Bomb Group is an online meeting place for the veterans, family, descendants, and friends of the 22nd Bombardment Group, Fifth Air Force, of World War II.
Soft Sepia Aircraft | a 7 Image Story Some airplanes look really nice in B&W Sepia, some don’t. Weather and background also make a big difference whether a B&W will work for a given airplane at a particular location. My preferences tend to be sharp contrasts and a larger depth of field. Generally, I capture the images in color and convert to B&W in post; even if I know the finished image will be B&W.
Just like color aircraft images; bald skies are the pits. The bald sky tends to end up almost black. A few clouds make a big difference, particularly on flying aircraft.
Each image will be posted individually this week under category Soft Sepia Aircraft. Click any image below for a slide show!
B-25 WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story The most popular WWII planes for nose art were the bombers since they had more space around the nose to paint. This post focuses at the B-25 Mitchell. More planes with nose art are posted in my portfolios. For additional B-25 nose art see More B-25 WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story. For history and information on nose art, see WWII Nose Art | a 7 Image Story.
