Celebrates six WWII aircraft: Spitfire, Lancaster, B-17 Flying Fortress, Messerschmitt 109, P-51 Mustang, and P- 47 Thunderbolt.

The unique art that graced military aircraft in World War II and the Korean War. Applied by amateurs or professional artists like Vargas, the art typically featured alluring women whose charms belied the deadly cargo the crew hoped to deliver to its targets. Hundreds of examples are shown in a combination of archival photos from the wars and current photos of artwork in museum collections.

Some of greatest dramas of World War II occurred in the skies, where courageous and the tenacious fighter pilots battled in dogfights so fierce that the pilots -- and their planes -- became legends in their own time. Their stories continue to capture the imaginations of World War II buffs and history fans today, as well as countless talented artists who painstakingly recreate their most famous battles in vivid detail, and with staggering accuracy. This fantastic volume presents more than one hundred such works, with detailed historical descriptions of each scene.-- With more than 100 full-color reproductions of works by today's most renowned historical artists-- Archival photographs of legendary Aces and historical descriptions of their planes and their greatest battles enhance each scene presented-- Includes the greatest Aces of both the Allied and Axis forces

Since the early days of flight, military pilots have personalized aircraft with artistic creations, giving each plane a unique identity and aircrews a sense of pride in ""their war bird."" This comprehensive volume covers the technical aspect on how nose art was applied to vintage military aircraft, with hundreds of fighters and bombers pictured. The uses of materials, supplies, and development of nose art designs are discussed with surviving nose artists. The author examines and analyzes WWII–era photographs and reveals their content along with numerous photos never before published. Recreating step-by-step flying war bird nose art restorations is outlined for the first time. Fighting Colors is an enjoyable read for military personnel and a graphic tool for all enthusiasts of pinup and vintage aircraft nose art.

Capture the glory of flight in this nostalgic look back at the colorful posters that lured yesterday's passengers to take to the air. Constellations, tri-motors, and DC-3s are featured decked-out in the liveries of their owners and presented in stunning color artworks created by such famed artists as Norman Rockwell, Calder, and other popular painters. Nostalgic poster art contained within tells the history of yesteryear's airways through its free-spirited and colorful advertising.

An awesome celebration of a timeless pastime, this book collects constructible paper airplanes—and a few other airplane-inspired crafts—created by some of today's hottest artists. Featuring work from rising stars and indie darlings from the aptly named artists' collective littlepaperplanes.com, including Gemma Correll, Michael Hsiung, Julia Rothman, Alyson Fox, and Lisa Congdon, these patterns take the paper plane to a whole new level. Printed on perforated pages for easy removal and assembly, the planes are accompanied by instructions, artist interviews, and loads of cool visuals. From paper doll planes and shark planes to plane mobiles and mix-and-match gliders, this delightful collection is jam-packed with creative ideas sure to launch the imagination into flight.