The story of the great planes of WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam War and modern times with photographs and commentary

Nose Art on Post-World War II Military Aircraft

In the years after World War II, the practice of painting nose art was, for the most part, eliminated as military officials enacted, or enforced, rules to ban it. In 1993 the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command ordered that all nose art should be gender-neutral.

Today, the nose artform, where it exisits, tends to be smaller and less pronounced compared to the nose art of World War II.

We have photographed a number of nose art examples from modern-day aircraft such as the B-52 Stratofortress and the FB-111 Aardvark shown on this page.

Airplane Nose Art Photographs of Post-WWII Nose Art from Our Archives

B-1B Lancer "Midnight Train from Georgia", 116th Bomb Wing

Nose art on F-111E Aardvark "Heart Breaker", S/N 68-055, Museum of Aviation

Nose art on F-111E Aardvark "Heart Breaker", S/N 68-055, Warner-Robins, Georgia

"Free for All" nose art on FB-111A Aardvark, S/N 80248

B-52 Stratofortress 0185 "El Lobo II" at Eglin AFB
KC-135 "Highlife"

Nose art on AC-130 "First Lady"

Nose art "Hoosier Hot Shot" from a B-52G Stratofortress, at the Pima Air Museum in Tucson, Arizona

Rockwell B-1B Lancer "Spitfire" at the Air Depot Boulevard gate at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma City

F-84G Thunderjet, "Manny's Menace", Buzz Number FS-595, on display at the March Field Air Museum in California

Nose art on RF-4C Phantom II "Iraqi Scud Seeker" on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

KC-135 "Spirit of Pittsburgh"

KC-135 "Highlife"

U.S. Air Force C-124C Globemaster II, S/N 51-089

North American F-100A Super Sabre S/N 53-1684

F-15 Eagle "Gulf Spirit" S/N 74124 at Eglin AFB, FL
F-15 Eagle "Gulf Spirit" S/N 74124 at Eglin AFB, Florida

F-105G Thunderchief, S/N 62-4440, at Hill AFB museum
F-105G Thunderchief, S/N 62-4440

F-86F Sabre "Jolley Roger", buzz number FU-834, at the Hill Aerospace Museum, Ogden, Utah

Nose art on F-86D Sabre Dog "Dennis the Menace" at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Nose art on F-84 Thunderjet "Four Queens" at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Nose art on F-84 Thunderjet "Four Queens" on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

More Modern Day Airplane Nose Art

Additional examples of modern day, post-WWII nose art, courtesy of the 309th AMARG, Davis-Monthan AFB.

C-130H 83-0487, 109th Airlift Wing, ANGB NY

C-130H 83-0487, 109th Airlift Wing, ANGB New York

C-130 "We Have Not Forgotten"

B-1B Lancer "Apocalypse"

B-52H 60-0034 "Wise Guy"
B-52H Stratofortress 60-0034 "Wise Guy"