Miss Angela

As I mentioned in a previous post, along with Betty Grable, the classic nose art icons of World War II came from Alberto Vargas and his Esquire Magazine collection of pinups called "Varga Girls." The art on this B-17G "Miss Angela" is one of the most famous and reproduced of those images, the flying girl with the Star and Bar on her billowing lingerie. Richard Branson still uses this image on his fleet of Virgin Atlantic aircraft. A variation appears on Virgin Galactic vehicles, including White Knight Two.

There used to be a gallery in San Francisco that specialized in Vargas prints and originals. I saw this particular piece for sale there. Unfortunately it was too expensive for us to even consider buying. I've regretted that somewhat ever since, but there are some things you can't do no matter how much you want it.

I still think of it, though. At least I got to see it in person. That will have to suffice.

Betty Grable Legs

This is a better shot of the Betty Grable nose art on Sentimental Journey from the other side of the B-17. Between Betty and the Vargas girls from Esquire Magazine, the metal canvases of American warplanes had a plethora of beauties to base their art upon.

With this pose, Betty Grable came to symbolize the idealized woman of the 1940s for many American men, at least as far as pin-ups and cheesecake were concerned. Another Bettie, Bettie Page, became an icon of the 1950s, along with Marilyn Monroe. Indeed, each decade produces its own visions of beauty, shaping the attitude of that generation.

But it was Betty Grable who became immortalized in a time of world war. Service to one's country comes in many ways; keeping up the morale of lonely young men in harm's way is one of them. All in all, it's not a bad way to be remembered.

Sentimental Journey

For those of you who weren't fans of "Twelve O'clock High," either the T.V. series or the movie, and have no idea what a Boeing B-17 looks like, here it is. The "G" model was the last mass produced version of the Flying Fortress. You can see the chin, belly and top gun turrets quite easily. It also had a tail gun position, plus two waist gun positions and two cheek gun installations. Some also had another gun sticking up from the radioman's position aft of the top turret where the dorsal spine fairs into the fuselage. All in all the later versions of the airplane carried thirteen .50 caliber machine guns.

And it still wasn't enough, even when flying in large formations with other B-17s covering you. German fighter pilots were bold and daring and the toll they took on our planes and crews was immense. Some raids in late 1943 saw 50 to 60 or more bombers lost out of the attacking force per raid, losses that approached 20% per mission. Considering each B-17 and B-24 carried a crew of 10, the crew attrition was tremendous as well. And this didn't include the damaged planes with killed or wounded crews that made it back to their bases in Britain. It wasn't until U.S. fighters started escorting bombers throughout the entire mission profile that our losses came down to an "acceptable" level. We really have no idea what casualties are these days.

I don't know if that American generation was the "greatest" of all, but they certainly can make a valid claim to it in my book - right next to the generation that fought the Civil War.

Betty Grable Eyes

When I was growing up my favorite airplane was the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. I don't know if it was because it was bristling with turrets and guns, but the plane captured my imagination. The TV show "Twelve O'Clock High," based on the outstanding movie of the same name, probably helped foster that enthusiasm as I watched it religiously.

That period of youthful romanticizing of aerial exploits was soon replaced by the hard realization of the horrors of war at 30,000 feet in freezing temperatures, black flak and deadly fighters. The documentary "The World at War," with its shocking German gun camera footage of our planes and men being shot down forever changed my perception of war. It's easy to score kills against machines; it's harder when you figure out people are inside them, no matter how necessary it seems at the time. But, as Robert E. Lee once said, "it is good war is so terrible, lest we become too fond of it."

Despite that, aircraft of all types, but especially warplanes, exert a pull on me that I can't explain. They have been a vocation and an avocation my whole life and I'm pleased and proud to be a part of the industry, despite it's flaws and shortcomings.

The bottom line for me has always been the machines. The B-17 remains a favorite, though not my absolute favorite anymore, to this day. This example, a B-17G in it's gleaming, polished natural metal finish, sports a wonderful piece of nose art of the legendary Betty Grable - she of the million dollar legs.

Nose art was especially prevalent among American aircrews and one could spend a lifetime collection images of that genre. Young men being what they are, women in various stages of dress and undress are well represented.

Peacetime nose art is less risque as the generals exert more influence over their commands and try to contain the excesses of youthful exuberance so as not to embarrass the service. But when in a war zone, all checks are usually removed as it is seen as a morale booster for the guys putting their lives on the line. With the advent of female combat pilots and crews, I'm waiting to see if beefcake joins cheesecake on the nose of warplanes. I'm not aware of any so far, but it's only fair and probably only a matter of time. C'est la guerre.

I shot "Sentimental Journey" last October at the 2009 Edwards AFB open house.