Nose Art of the 5th Air Force

More than 1,000 images of the boldest aircraft nose artworks of the 5th Air Force during WWII; includes contextual information on individual artists and specific planes.

This massive volume includes more than 1,150 vintage images of WWII aircraft nose art. The artwork appears on American planes in the Pacific theater, specifically from the US 5th Air Force. Readers will see all kinds of aircraft, from bombers to fighters and cargo planes.

The artists range from amateurs to professionals, and the subjects include both the famous female "pin-ups" and more-aggressive militaristic or animal designs. The bulk of the photos are sourced from the author's private collection and are previously unpublished.

Text accompanying the images includes combat histories of specific aircraft and crews, along with biographical information on prolific artists.