Paint Locker Magic: A History of Naval Aviation Special Markings and Artwork - Hardcover

Naval aviation special markings and nose art is a field that has been largely ignored, primarily due to the lack of coverage in mainstream aviation history publications. Research into archives, feedback from veterans, and personal photographs by the authors, Jim Meehan and William Tate, have documented thousands of previously unknown individual aircraft with these markings. Paint Locker Magic: A History of Naval Aviation Special Markings and Artwork covers markings on US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aircraft over the 100 year history of US naval aviation. This fascinating and visually resplendent book includes illustrations of special markings and nose art on early canvas-covered airplanes through the World War 2 era when nose art flourished and on into the jet age, the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, and up to the present war on terror with aircraft marked to commemorate the 9-11 terrorist attacks. This coverage includes fighters and attack aircraft of the carrier navy and the patrol aircraft, transports blimps, research and test aircraft and helicopters. Markings include personal nose art and pinups, shark mouth and similar markings, cartoons depicting special missions, Christmas and similar markings and tributes.REVIEWS Unless you are around military aircraft a lot you may have never noticed that naval aircraft seem to have fewer decorations than those of other services and not just recently. Why? US naval aviation has been around for over 100 years so this can t be coincidence. Both authors have been around aircraft for a long time and apparently pondered this very question for a long time...There are lots of books about nose art this one takes a completely unexpected tack.Speed Readers Info"

Jim Meehan is a retired engineer employed by the Department of Defense in the repair, modification and maintenance of Navy and Marine Corps aircraft. Meehan is a member of the American Aviation Historical Society, Tailhook Association, Marine Corps Aviation Association and various aviation museums and societies.