Nose Art:
The Wild History of Military Plane Paintings

Almost from the beginning, aircraft fuselages, wings, and tail surfaces provided ample space for airmen to display individual or group identity. While national insignia became a necessity during World War I to determine friends from foe, pilots and crews also began adorning their aircraft with words, figures, or illustrations. Such designs often personalized the machine while providing a sense of ownership and to a degree companionship. Many of these nonstandard, colorful markings helped popularize aviation and is generally referred to as “nose art.” While these personalized markings can appear on various parts of an airframe, the term nose art comes from the general practice of pilots and crews placing such expressions near the cockpit or front parts of the aircraft. World War II is widely considered the golden age of nose art, as the proliferation of air forces and air power saw the presence of the art form grow exponentially. 

Nose art varied by crew, theater, or type of aircraft, though some general themes and trends on US WWII aircraft emerged. While focusing on American expressions, it should be noted that all the participating air forces in the global conflict had their own styles or forms of nose art reflective of their national culture.

Depictions of Women in WWII Nose Art

Away from wives and girlfriends, and assigned to remote areas of the world, the most popular theme for nose art was, by far, women. While depictions varied greatly, figures painted by Peruvian-born artist Alberto Vargas were a particular favorite. Working for Esquire Magazine starting in 1940, his work featured an idealized representation of the female form.  “Vargas Girls” were universally popular during the war, with his efforts continuing well into the 1980s.  

Such feminine depictions, along with USO shows with Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth, helped perpetuate the idea that this was “what the boys were fighting for.”  While women were decidedly the most popular subject for nose art, rules did apply. Full nudity was frowned upon and typically figures were discreetly covered either by clothing, a motif, or pose.

Female depictions also had deeper connotations. Reflecting the crew’s natural youthful instincts, the use of the female form also helped create a kind of bond between plane and crew. Much like the centuries-long tradition of sailors referring to ships with feminine pronouns, the same applied to aircraft with reflective art.  Given such depictions, a close relationship often formed between the crew and their machine. Aircraft were often viewed as “female” and sometimes seen as a mother figure, nurturing or protecting the crew. The plane would deliver them from danger of combat and safely return them back home.

Interestingly, the number of aircraft depicting women varied by theater. In a survey of over 700 examples of nose art, 43 percent in the European theater and 66 percent in the Pacific depicted women. While those certainly were the most popular depiction by far in both theaters, the 23 percent discrepancy between the two theaters might reflect the more remote nature of the Pacific war.  

However, many referenced wives, mothers, or girlfriends in a more respectful manner. American air ace Major Richard Bong had his wife’s face and name emblazoned on the nose of his P-38, while Brigadier General Paul Tibbets’s mother’s name, Enola Gay, appeared on the first atomic bomber.

Gender neutral themes with a logo or accompanying graphic were also common.  Irony, humor, geography, or fatalism were popular topics. “Bucket of Bolts,” “I Wanted Wings,” “A Wing and 10 Prayers,” and “Off Limits” are such examples.