Fifi

Fifi, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Fifi, the sole airworthy Boeing B-29.

Jets

Jets, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The Black Diamond aerobatic team, flying in a nice formation. They use Eastern Bloc jets for their team-the four in the middle are Aero L-39 Albatros trainers from Czechoslovakia, and the two on the ends are MiG-17's. The Aero, in particular, is gaining popularity in the US as a privately owned jet warbird, as it's fairly inexpensive (relatively speaking, of course) and agile. The MiG's are two of 27 believed to be in private hands in the States-they are also quite maneuverable and well suited to aerobatics.

Gunfighter

Gunfighter, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A horse of a different color compared to yesterday's entry! North American Aviation's P-51 Mustang is one of the most legendary airplanes to come out of the Second World War. Designed as a long-range escort fighter, the Mustang was only a middling fighter until Packard began to license build Rolls-Royce's equally legendary Merlin engine. This transformed the Mustang into a fantastic, fast, long-range airplane and sealed it's place in aviation history. The Mustang went through several iterations, and continued to serve with American forces until the mid 50's, and with several other countries until the sixties. It remains a popular airplane, with many being used as the basis of racing craft, as well as touring with other warbirds.

This one is "Gunfighter", and flies with the Commemorative Air Force. It's been modified with a second seat, and gives rides at air shows across the country.

The Liberty Belle

I recounted a bit about Boeing's B-17 a week or so ago, but felt it was worthwhile to show you another, clearer photo of the Liberty Belle's nose art. The practice of personalizing aircraft began during before World War One, particularly with German and Italian pilots. During the war German pilots were renowned for painting all manner of garish designs on their mounts, with scant regard to camouflage-after all, the Red Baron was a real pilot, and his personal planes were all pure scarlet. Other popular motifs were mouths painted around the propeller spinners, as well as the American tradition of squadron logos on the sides of planes.

But, nose art truly came into it's own during the second World War. Often considered the Golden Age of this particular art, both Axis and Allied pilots indulged, particularly American bomber crews. In fact, when one thinks of nose art one almost automatically imagines a big B-24 or something, with a cartoon character or Vargas girl splashed on the side. Good artists were in high demand within Air Corps squadrons, and were well paid by the crews for their services. Popular themes were cartoon characters, tributes to famous people, and the aforementioned Vargas-style pinups.

The Liberty Belle is a good example of the latter. Sadly, she's no more, having crashed soon after takeoff on June 13, 2011.

Through The Viewfinder Tuesday

As I promised last week, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. One of the most famous aircraft of the Second World War, the B-17 was the backbone of the USAAF's bomber forces in Europe. A tough, reliable airplane, the Fort quickly gained almost mythic status, after photographs of grievously damaged airplanes began to circulate, showing dramatically wounded examples that still managed to get their crews home safely. So right was the B-17's design, the final examples didn't leave service-with the Brazilian Air Force-until 1968, and civilianized examples continued to fly for a few years yet.

Sadly, this particular example no longer exists. Soon after takeoff on June 13, 2011, the Liberty Belle caught fire and made an emergency landing in a field near Aurora, Illinois. None of the passengers onboard was injured, but the Belle burned to the ground.

Boeing

Founded in 1916, Boeing is probably one of, if not the, best known airplane manufacturer in the world. Initially providing seaplanes for the Navy and then fighters for the Army, Boeing eventually became known for their big, multi-engined craft, including the 247, the first truly modern airliner, and the famous Model 314 Clippers that plied long-distance routes the world over. This continued into World War Two, with Boeing's big bomber planes forming the backbone of the U.S. Army Air Corps. Today, of course, they're best known for their airliners, which are familiar in airports the world over.

This is Boeing's original logo, which was used until after the war. This particular one is on the co-pilot's wheel of a B-17G, about which I'll be writing more in the near future.