Warbird Information Exchange

So...I found a schematic of the B-25B's left exhaust stack:

Say, Mustang, have you found the drawing yet?

Here you go.

_________________
Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Chris--

Just to be clear....this was hand drawn by Ted Lawson?

No. This was not hand drawn by Lawson. Ted had an artist make this as he described it as a more accurate depiction of the art work. He then had these post cards made for friends and family. Ellen Lawson gave me one of these cards.

_________________
Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Thanks, man. This'll be very useful.

Thanks, man. This'll be very useful.

Accidentally posted thrice. My internet was slow and I thought it wasn't loading, so I pressed the button too many times. Also, how big is the drawing in real life?

There seems to be a lot of interest in just what the Ruptured Duck nose art was. There is the MGM version which "looks" like Donald Duck, there's Lovelace's representation and then there is the Ted/Ellen Lawson version. Lovelace wrote a brief article to a N. Calif. newspaper in 1989 indicating and supplying a sketch of what he states was on Lawson's aircraft. And then we have everyone else's version who can draw a duck with crutches and headphones. Who is correct?

One would have to give the "nod" to the artist. Why? Well he drew it and I'm sure that over the years he's had to draw it several times. It was his most "famous" piece of artwork. Now saying that, I worked for a very well known artist for 15 years and he sold $50plus million dollars of art each year. But when asked at a public function to redraw a selected image from one of his paintings, he would do it slightly different then on the "$$$$$$" piece of art. Why? Because each time he would include or exclude detail depending on his mood and the time allowed. We sign our names slightly different each time we sign them also.......most of us. The artist that I worked for had 7 "auto pens" each a different style of signature. So could be the same for Lovelace with his character.

Ted Lawson when asked for an autograph (I knew he and Ellen for many years) would sign his name to a 3x5 or so photo that he had created and swore that what he sent out was THE Ruptured Duck. I have one of those photos and it is stated on the back that this image is correct. When Dave Thatcher, Dean Davenport and Mac McClure were asked by me back in the 80's what or if they remembered what the 'Duck looked like all they could relate was a duck with crutches and "WHO really cares, Geez that was along time ago!!" Well I did and apparently there are others.

If you've seen the B-25B type (courtesy of Carl Scholl) that is at the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island, the nose art represented on that plane is another version and he would NOT listen to any suggestions.....again, artistic license.

Accurate Miniatures (Bill Bosworth) was supplied the Doolittle Raider Nose Art and Doolittle's Report included in the kit by me. Am I the authority..........no. But based on research including so many interviews,photos and 8mm film taken by Roy Stork that I don't want to look at any more...... I'm convinced that over time our minds forget the "details" and either Ted Lawson or Mr. Lovelace may be correct because that's how they remember it.

Say, can anyone identify this bird? Sorry about the backwards watermark, I got it from a Boeing website and it was clearly mirrored, so I flipped it the right way. It seems to be a B.

That is a B-25B model of which there were 124 produced.