5 Grand

[DiggerWW2]

I used to make My Own WW2 AAF Nose Art sections, from Home Depot sheet metal...
One of them I made was "5 GRAND" as shown here.
The "rivets" are actually baby-doll eyes purchased from a Craft Store:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v674/ ... SEART7.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v674/ ... SEART8.jpg

Here's a few more I made.
I used FLOQUIL Model Railroad Paint because it has authentic looking dull, subdued 1940's paint shades.
Modern paint shades are much to bright & vibrant for the 40's era:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v674/ ... SEART9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v674/ ... SEART4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v674/ ... SEART3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v674/ ... SEART6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v674/ ... SEART1.jpg

Ha! Ha! Note My "Strategicaly Placed" Rivet on this one:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v674/ ... SEART2.jpg

Digger

Last edited by DiggerWW2 on Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:55 pm, edited 6 times in total.

[Steve Nelson]

Somebody needs to make a decal sheet for those birds....

Maybe throw in the B-25H "Old Bones" as well.

SN

[mustangdriver]

Digger those are awesome.

[tom d. friedman]

digger, did you replicate all the autographs as seen in the pics?? or did you just add a bunch of names that popped into your head?? either way, a really unique piece of work that rivals the velasco made ones!!! if you replicated the actual names your eyes must have been ready to explode with all that fine minute detail!! great job.

[B-29 Super Fort]

What a great collect Digger...like your rivet locations.

[B17news]

those are great.

B

[Hal B]

From what I have read on 5 Grand, the City of Seattle was offered the bird for free but they decided that it would cost too much to display it and it was abandoned to the scrap heap.

That's what I've heard and read also.

Just another case of Seattle failing to save an artifact

[DiggerWW2]

Thanks Guys, Yeah, I made that Nose Art back during the "Down Time" when I ran My Funeral Home.
I'd run into a rut sometimes when people stopped dying. Unfortunately, I ran into some hard times & sold them all.
They're now hanging in a WW2 Themed Bar somewhere up in New England...

Trust Me, They're very easy to make. Any idiot can do them...
After Your first one, You'll be cranking out many more. I used actual Nose Art photos & enlarged them with an overhead projector onto a piece of news paper. Then traced the image & used carbon paper to transfer it onto the sheet aluminum. Painting is simple!! No more complicated than a child's coloring book. Most WW2 Nose Art images aren't that complicated. The trick is to get the dull, subdued 1940's colors right. Again, I used FLOQUIL Model Railroad Paint, applied in several coats with an Air Brush. After I finished & let it cure for a week, I used a Latex Paint Brush covered with Garage Floor CRUD to brush over everything. This gave it a "Battle Weary" look!!
Very Important, You don't want the paint looking fresh & new....

Yes, most of the "5 GRAND" Names are authentic, like "BOB WEBSTER" etc, the rest are made-up from the phone book... Digger