The CAF's WWII Nose Art exhibit comes to the EAA AirVenture Museum!

The EAA AirVenture Museum, in collaboration with the Commemorative Air Force, will be hosting the CAF's ultra rare collection of authentic WWII nose art, which just happens to be the largest and only collection of its kind in the world. 34 panels cut from B-24s and B-17s at a scrap yard in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas after the war feature pinups reminiscent of those by Alberto Vargas, Gil Elvgren, and George Petty. All but one are from aircraft that flew combat overseas during the war and each has an amazing story behind it.

I along with a number of other EAA staff began the installation of the exhibit in the museum's Eagle Hangar last week, with supervision from CAF Curator Keegan Chetwynd. We have about half of the collection installed, but more work will be done over the next 3-4 weeks to completely finish the exhibit. We are absolutely thrilled and honored to host this collection, which will be on display through the end of 2016. Here is a peek at some of the work we've accomplished so far with the exhibit.

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I saw the exhibit at the CAF museum in Midland. Pretty neat. As your photos show, the back side of the panels is fascinating too. How long will it be at EAA? At least through next August?

Mike E

Mike, Zach said in his post that the exhibit would be in place till the end of 2016 which is great. Means there will be something new and unique to check out at the museum at Oshkosh 16.

Do you guys still have the bars that were built out of (pseudo) nose art? I think that was the EAA museum I saw them in.