The Nose Art on the P-47D in the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, OH, Painted as Five by Five
Museum officials sought to make a perfect rendering of Colonel Joseph Laughlin's original nose art
The staff of the National Museum of the USAF researched the original nose art done by Captain George Rarey. They replicated it, in honor of both Colonel Laughlin and Captain Rarey, understanding the respect and love that Colonel Laughlin had for Captain Rarey and his original artwork.
Republic Aviation Corporation
National Museum of the United States Air Force - Restoration Unit
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
1940s
The P-47 with Bubble Top Canopy in the National Museum of the United States Air Force, redone as Colonel Joseph Laughlin's Five by Five
The record that Colonel Laughlin and the 362nd Fighter Group accrued during WWII caught the attention of staff when they were deciding on how to decorate the P-47 with Bubble Top canopy
The P-47D that sits in the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, was painted to represent the P-47 flown by Colonel Joseph Lyle Laughlin, Five by Five. The museum's curator, Jeff Duford, put forth several pilots for the honor, but after reading <em>The Art of Wing Leadership and Aircrew Morale in Combat</em> by Lt. Col. John J. Zentner, he and the administration decided on Five by Five.
Republic Aviation Corporation
National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
1940s
Propeller of a P-47
An up-close look at the propeller of a P-47
The propeller on the engine of a P-47. The engine, a Pratt and Whitney R-2800, helped to determine the size of the plane. The engine was covered with metal plates known as a cowling. During combat, the cowling cover was color-associated with the fighter squadron that the pilot was assigned to. Yellow was the cowling color of the 379th Fighter Squadron (F.S), one of three squadrons that made up the 362nd Fighter Group. Pilots with nicknames would have those nicknames in caricature on the cowling of their plane, known as nose art. Much of the nose art of the 379th F.S. and the 362nd F.G., was done by Captain George Rarey and Corporal Joe Carpenter, both of the 379th. The nose art on this plane has been painted to represent the plane of Colonel Joseph Laughlin, nicknamed Five by Five. The original nose art was done by Captain Rarey.
Republic Aviation Corporation
The National Museum of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
1940s