Air Force fighters and bombers are soaring into the wild blue yonder with new paint jobs, quietly reviving an old tradition.
(FOX)- The decorative painting and designs on the noses and wings of Air Force planes may not be as racy as they were during World War II, but they are just as meaningful, the Air Force Times reports.
“This is a tradition across the Air Force,” Col. Jeff Smith, commander of the 173rdFighter Wing in Klamath Falls, Ore., told the newspaper. “This truly is a source of morale and pride, especially for the dedicated crew chief to know that they have a little mark of themselves on the airplane.”
It took 31 days to transform one of the unit’s dull gray F-15 Eagles into a colorful work of art, commemorating the Oregon Air National Guard’s 75th Anniversary, the Air Force Times reported.
“Basically, we just wanted something bold that was going to make an impact,” Master Sgt. Paul Allen, the artist behind the paint job, told the paper. “The guys took a lot of pride in this. … And people considering coming into the Guard who see this see we have a lot of pride in our unit.”
Nose art caught on among American aviators during World War II with images of racy pin-up models and cartoon characters, according to the paper.