AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 70
TONY STARCER
that once appeared on World War II bombers (below left) by artists
such as Tony Starcer (above). In his more than 20 years of re-creating
the art, Velasco has perfected his painting techniques and collects
as many old photographs as he can. He convinced a reluctant Chuck
Yeager to sign one of his pieces (opposite page).
70 | AOPA PILOT February 2020
TOP: USAAF/NATIONAL ARCHIVES
NOSE ARTIST GARY VELASCO paints panel reproductions of artwork
More than 300,000 aircraft were
built and in use during World War
II and the United States lost an
average of 170 aircraft per day
during the war. It was not uncommon to have a crew name an
airplane and the nose artwork
appear the next day. Most often,
the painter was a crewmember
who accepted cash or barter
to paint the art. Crew chiefs or
chief pilots came up with the
name-often for their wives,
their girlfriends, or actresses-
and the artwork was inspired
by Esquire calendar artists
Alberto Vargas or George
Petty. However, Cpl.
Anthony (Tony) Starcer of
the U.S. Army Air Forces
91st Bombardment Group
(left) is credited with
painting nearly 130 aircraft,
including Memphis Belle, Shoo Shoo
Shoo Baby, General Ike, and Mount 'n Ride.
Starcer painted the original nose art on the
Collings Foundation's B-17G Nine-O-Nine,
which was destroyed in a recent accident.
After the war, Starcer did not paint again
until 1981 when he was asked to re-create
the nose art for the restored B-17G Shoo
Shoo Shoo Baby, based on Vargas's "Hawaii" pin-up artwork and named by the
aircraft's World War II pilot Paul McDuffie
for his wife's favorite song. Another prolific
nose artist was Cleveland, Ohio, native Don
Allen, who is credited with painting nearly
40 aircraft. Allen said he did not paint
nude women on aircraft because he was an
Eagle Scout-although his Miss Dallas on a
P-47 Thunderbolt is clearly naked behind a
big cowboy hat.
-JSW
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020
Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - Intro
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - Cover1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 4
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 6
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 9
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 33
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 34
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 35
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 36
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 37
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 38
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 39
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 40
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 41
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 42
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 43
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 44
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 45
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 46
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 47
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 48
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 49
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 50
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 51
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 53
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 54
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 55
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 56
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 58
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 60
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 61
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 62
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 63
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 64
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 65
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 66
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 67
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 68
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 69
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 70
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 71
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 72
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 73
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 74
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 75
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 76
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 77
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 78
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 79
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 81
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 84
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 89
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 91
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 93
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 94
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 95
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 96
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 97
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 98
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 99
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 100
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 101
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 103
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 105
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 106
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 108
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 109
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 110
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 111
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 112
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - Cover4
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