Looking for Nose Art
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 49

Thread: Looking for Nose Art

  1. #1

    Looking for Nose Art

    During WWII in the Pacific there was an A-20 Havoc flown out of Floridablanca, Luzon called Mischievous Mary II. Hopefully some of those who did the great work on Milton's A-20 Havoc may have seen the nose are for this aircraft. I am good friends of the 97 year old pilot.

    Tom
    Regards, Tom Stovall KRDD


  2. #2
    The Squadron and Bomb Group info (and approximate date it was in service) would be helpful in trying to find a photo of it.


    Quote Originally Posted by stovall View Post
    During WWII in the Pacific there was an A-20 Havoc flown out of Floridablanca, Luzon called Mischievous Mary II. Hopefully some of those who did the great work on Milton's A-20 Havoc may have seen the nose are for this aircraft. I am good friends of the 97 year old pilot.

    Tom
    Current System Specs :
    FSXA & P3Dv4 | Windows 10 Professional for Workstations (x64)
    Motherboard: Gigabit Z390 Aorus Ultra, LGA 1151, Intel based
    CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K @ 3.60GHz | RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16GB DDR4 3600
    GPU: ZOTAC GeForce GTX 980 Ti AMP! Extreme (6GB GDDR5)
    HD: 1TB SanDisk SSD Plus | PSU: KDM 750W ATX Power Supply

  3. #3
    That would be the 312th Bombardier Group serving out of Floridablanca, Luzon. The years were 1944 and 1945. The aircraft is the A-20G Havoc.
    Regards, Tom Stovall KRDD


  4. #4
    Hi Tom,

    Found a smallish b/w photo of it here:

    https://irandpcorp.com/products/312bg/


    That is great to hear you are friends with the pilot!

    Kevin
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Mary.jpg  

  5. #5
    Kevin, that nose art is the best I have seen yet. The only other one is in Bob's "Roaring 20" unit book. It has the lady half way cut off. I am in the process of making a video for 1st Lt. Robert Dicker of him flying his A-20 Havoc out of Floridablanca for his 97th birthday. RogerWilco66 is in the process of making the airfield. Bob is also known as "An Airplane Junkie Alcohol Buster." One of his raids on Formosa was to destroy and alcohol production plant. Bob said the plant was known for making ammunition.

    There is a painting of his C.O. Major Belinske and then 2nd Lt. Robert Dicker bombing the alcohol plant. That is where the name came from. This guy is a treasure trove of information about the 312th BG in the Pacific 1944 and 1945. There were four B-32 Dominators at Floridablanca. I asked Bob today if he ever flew one of the giants. He said and I quote "hell no, it would be like flying an airliner." He also mentioned in referance to the B-32, flying the A-20 was to much fun. He said he loved tearing up things with the 50 cals in the nose. I also asked Bob today if he was ever attacked by a Zero? He said only once but before the Zero could get a beat on him, two Mustangs turned in behind the Zero and he simply disappeared in a ball of fire. Rest in peace.
    Regards, Tom Stovall KRDD


  6. #6
    Looking at the style of the artwork I'd be looking at Vargas sites...

  7. #7
    Thanks, I will look there as well. Having the image above could allow me to remake the nose art from scratch as close as possible.
    Regards, Tom Stovall KRDD


  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by stovall View Post
    Thanks, I will look there as well. Having the image above could allow me to remake the nose art from scratch as close as possible.
    If anyone is gonna have anything on that it would be John Terrell (bomber12th?).
    USAF Retired, 301st Fighter Wing, Carswell AFB, Texas
    My SOH Uploads: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...erid=83&sort=d

    Current System Specs:
    FSX/Accel | Windows10 64bit
    Motherboard: MSI760GM-E51(MS-7596)
    CPU: 3.9GHz AMD FX-4300 Quad-Core | RAM: 16GB DDR3 1333
    GPU: NVidia GTX 970 (4GB GDDR5)

  9. #9
    Senior Administrator huub vink's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Noordwijk, The Netherlands (EHVB)
    Age
    65
    Posts
    10,268
    Tom,

    From the book "Wreaking Havoc: A Year in an A-20" by Joseph W. Rutter I understand that most of (amazing) the nose from 312th BG was done by a talented sergeant for a bottle of whisky or gin. The nose art work was based on the "cartoon characters of sexy female from Esquire magazine". Which were of course drawn by Alberto Vargas.

    Cheers,
    Huub

    I have reconstructed a few in the past. Especially when you are able to find the original Alberto Vargas or George Petty drawing, I found them not too difficult to reconstruct. (Memphis Belle was by George Petty). See below:
    I you case I think the biggest challenge in to find the right colours







  10. #10
    Huub, I was able to get the image off a black and white picture but as you say the coloring is the challenge. I checked Vargas site but couldn't find Mischievous Mary II. Any ideas would be very helpful. I don't know what color the banner is as well as the lettering.

    Tom
    Regards, Tom Stovall KRDD


  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by stovall View Post
    Huub, I was able to get the image off a black and white picture but as you say the coloring is the challenge. I checked Vargas site but couldn't find Mischievous Mary II. Any ideas would be very helpful. I don't know what color the banner is as well as the lettering.

    Tom
    You're not likely to succeed searching the name. Vargas will just have the art he did. The name came later after its use on the plane.

    Withe the B and W image you can search by image rather than a name....Google has the feature....and also a plugin called 'Tineye' ...

  12. #12
    SOH-CM-2024 MrZippy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Sam Clam's Disco, Calif.
    Age
    75
    Posts
    1,633
    Must have been 2 aircraft with the same name??

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Screenshot 2021-02-25 at 5.15.08 PM.png 
Views:	43 
Size:	447.0 KB 
ID:	81670
    Charlie Awaiting the new Microsoft Flight Sim and will eventually buy a new computer. Running a Chromebook for now!

  13. #13
    SOH-CM-2024
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Columbia Station, Ohio
    Age
    65
    Posts
    417
    Hello-
    I wonder if the person who wrote that caption was mistaken- it's just that the engine cowling doesn't really resemble one from a Liberator, and I suspect that the engine of a B-24 should be further off the ground than the one in the picture... Of course, I could be whacked as well...

    - Mike

  14. #14
    Senior Administrator huub vink's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Noordwijk, The Netherlands (EHVB)
    Age
    65
    Posts
    10,268
    Quote Originally Posted by Jafo View Post
    You're not likely to succeed searching the name. Vargas will just have the art he did. The name came later after its use on the plane.

    Withe the B and W image you can search by image rather than a name....Google has the feature....and also a plugin called 'Tineye' ...
    No but perhaps you can just find the original drawing of the pin-up made by Vargas. Cut it and paste it on a background is easier than redrawing the nose art like I'm currently doing

    I think when you google on Vargas Esquire and/or pin-up, you have the best chance to find it...... AND DON'T DO THE SEARCH WHEN YOUR WIFE IS IN THE ROOM! Or you have something to explain

    Cheers,
    Huub


  15. #15
    SOH Staff Tako_Kichi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    SW Ontario, Canada (Ex-pat Brit)
    Age
    66
    Posts
    5,120
    Quote Originally Posted by mikezola View Post
    Hello-
    I wonder if the person who wrote that caption was mistaken- it's just that the engine cowling doesn't really resemble one from a Liberator, and I suspect that the engine of a B-24 should be further off the ground than the one in the picture... Of course, I could be whacked as well...

    - Mike
    I concur, the engine cowling is wrong, the wing root is too thick (vertically) and both are much higher on a Liberator. Take a look at this photo of a Liberator and you will see the difference....


    Now compare the above to people standing around an A-20G ..........

    Larry


  16. #16
    Senior Administrator huub vink's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Noordwijk, The Netherlands (EHVB)
    Age
    65
    Posts
    10,268
    Tom,

    Is this usable for you? The colours are of course a guess. I think the girl looks quite nice, I'm less happy with the banners with text.

    You are lucky as the sergeant normally asked a bottle of whiskey for the nose art, but I don't drink alcohol....

    Cheers,
    Huub



    And version 2


  17. #17
    Huub that is absolutely fantastic. I will print this out and show it to Bob to be sure the colors are right. I will see him again on Monday for coffee. Great job. I am totally impressed. Thank you so much. We had Bob's 97th birthday party today. It was a fantastic event.
    Regards, Tom Stovall KRDD


  18. #18
    I'd expect the dress to be a relatively strong colour...blue...red ...obviously 'dark' ...but I haven't search it as yet...

  19. #19
    While looking through my reference material. I found this photo of the A-20G nose art in question. Unfortunately it's in B&W


    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Mischievous Mary II-3.jpg 
Views:	37 
Size:	70.9 KB 
ID:	81737

  20. #20
    Thanks Mal998, I have that one as well in Bob's Roaring 20s book. Huub has done an outstanding job of colorizing. I am going to take the colorized image to Bob on Monday to verify the colors. Thanks to all for the help. We had a 97th birthday party for him Friday. I even made the evening news here in Redding, CA.
    Regards, Tom Stovall KRDD


  21. #21
    Senior Administrator huub vink's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Noordwijk, The Netherlands (EHVB)
    Age
    65
    Posts
    10,268
    Mal, thanks for this image, I is much sharper than the example I had from the internet. Most pin-ups done by Alberto Vargas wear shoes. So I was already afraid that my drawing wasn't complete........ Now I'm sure.....

    The lettering is also much sharper and I see it is different than I thought. So for the final version I will adjust that too.

    So stay tuned Tom as I will provide you a new (more authentic) one tomorrow.

    Cheers,
    Huub

  22. #22
    Can't wait Huub, I must confess I added shoes to your image and I completed the banner to the right side as well. Looking foreward to your new image. Bob deserves to have the best. Thanks for all the help.
    Regards, Tom Stovall KRDD


  23. #23
    I have been fascinated and delighted to follow this thread.

    If I may offer an observation, I THINK that Mal's picture in post 19 is from a different aircraft than the earlier pictures here. The left side banner appears to be folded back on itself, although this is not too obvious because the image is cut off on that side. Also, the two bright spots on that banner are clearly stars in this picture, when the earlier ones seem to be just bright circles. Finally, the aircraft side on which the image was painted appears to have different "fixtures" between the image and the window above it, and the distance between the image and the window seems greater in this photo.

    Just my thoughts - I could easily be wrong because I am no expert in these matters, but I would love for the final version to be as accurate as possible. Hope this helps,
    Ro


  24. #24
    rohan, before enbarking on this endeavor, I made sure the image was from 1st Lt. Robert Dicker's A-20G. That same image is found in Bob's personal unit book given to all the members of the 312th BG. The right side of the image isn't folded back but a continuation of the nose art. Several pilots flew Mary. Bob was one of those pilots.

    Looking forward to the new Huub version. Once received I will confirm the colors with Bob. The object of all this is for me to make a video of Bob's aircraft taking off from Floridablanca and returning for a landing. Roger Wilco66 is making the scenery for Floridablanca. Just a gesture for a WWII pilot that is still alive at 97 and deserves a little thanks for serving.
    Regards, Tom Stovall KRDD


  25. #25
    Senior Administrator huub vink's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Noordwijk, The Netherlands (EHVB)
    Age
    65
    Posts
    10,268
    Hi Rohan,

    You could be right. It is also possible that the nose art was damaged and repaired what easily could cause a difference.

    for Tom,

    But this is my final design. Of course a pair of shoes. I made the girl's background pale blue as I see a difference with the edge on Mal's picture. I've chosen for golden letters for the "Mischievous Mary II" I think the red banner is incorrect and should be blueish medium gray, but I liked the red colour for now.

    Cheers,
    Huub


Members who have read this thread: 0

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •