The Original Nose Art of Colonel Joseph Laughlin's P-47, Five by Five

Title

The Original Nose Art of Colonel Joseph Laughlin's P-47, Five by Five

Subject

Captain George Rarey's original nose art on Colonel Laughlin's first P-47

Description

The cowl color of P-47s fresh from the factory was black. They did not require a new color until they were to enter combat. However, Colonel Laughlin was so enamored with his nose art that he asked his crew chief to salvage the cowl off of every plane he flew. His crew chief, Sergeant Chodor, did just that. His cowl color would change to yellow when the 379th Fighter Squadron became active combat, and at the end of the war would be checkerboard yellow, blue, and red.

Creator

Republic Aviation Company
Captain George Rarey

Source

National Museum of the United States Air Force - Research Division

Publisher

United States Air Force

Date

1940s

Files

Five_by_Five_original_nose_art.JPG

Citation

Republic Aviation Company and Captain George Rarey, “The Original Nose Art of Colonel Joseph Laughlin's P-47, Five by Five,” A Look At United States Air Force Colonel Joseph Laughlin, accessed March 29, 2024, https://coloneljoelaughlin.omeka.net/items/show/28.