Normally I don’t like to post two tattoos of the same type of aircraft one right after the other, but since the P-51 Mustang WWII fighter is so popular as a tattoo and technique of this specific tattoo is so unique, I couldn’t help myself!

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The P-51 that is the subject of this tattoo is the North American P-51D Mustang “Double Trouble Two” now owned and operated by the Fighter Factory of Suffolk, VA (and seen at many airshows around the East Coast).  Though the art is not as detailed as the real thing, the surreal… almost airbrushed look of this tattoo is quite interesting.  Unlike many tattoos, this one uses little outline and is defined almost entirely by subtle color work where the needle grouping almost acts more like a paintbrush than a pen.

The artist who accomplished this beautiful piece of aviation art skillfully applied to the curving canvas of an upper hip, lower right rib area is Kris Grimmer who performs his craft from Empire Tattoo of Clementon, NJ

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One of the things that makes tattoos featuring aircraft so challenging is the amount of detail that many aircraft require to look accurate.  As a result, airplane tattoos generally work better when they cover a larger part of the body rather than small areas… backs and torsos seem to work especially well.  The tattoo we are proud to feature today of a North American P-51 Mustang fighter from World War II is a perfect example of the artist and wearer giving a tattoo plenty of room to look its best!

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The P-51 is considered by many enthusiasts to be the “Cadillac of the Skies” as they point out it’s aggressive appearance and powerful performance figures combined with its outstanding WWII record and active usage for years after the war.  Because of this, the P-51 has remained one of the most popular warbird aircraft flown by private collectors and museums today.  Over 120 P-51 Mustangs are maintained in flying condition today out of over 16,000 that were built – pretty impressive considering the fact that the design is over six decades old.  This popularity makes the P-51 one of the most recognizable aircraft of all time… and has made it a very popular tattoo subject as well.

The gentleman who sent us his P-51 Mustang backpiece was excited to share this fantastic piece of personal art with us and he certainly has a great reason to be excited!  The proportions of the P-51 are right on the money!  He got the tattoo in honor of his grandfather who flew as a crewmember aboard a B-29 Superfortress during the war.  The “S2” on the nose of the P-51 symbolizes both he and his wife as their initials both begin with the letter “S.”

The tattoo was created by tattoo artist C.W. who can be found at Royal Street Tattoo located in Mobile, AL.

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As a follow-up to yesterday’s post that featured the poem of RCAF pilot John Gillespie Magee, today we feature a beautiful tattoo of the aircraft that inspired that poem, the Supermarine Spitfire.

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The Spitfire was one of the most famous fighter aircraft of World War II.  Known for it’s nimble maneuverability, the Spitfire was a formidable defender as it went head-to-head against Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters of the German Luftwaffe over the skies of England during the Battle of Britain in the Summer of 1940.  The Spitfire operated through the end of WWII and was the only Allied fighter that was produced continually from before the war through the end of the war.  In fact, from 1938 through 1948, over 20,351 Spitfires were produced, making it one of the top 10 most produced aircraft in history.

Over 44 Spitfires remain in flying condition, many being found in England or other British Commonwealth countries in private ownership.  Many can be found flying during the annual Flying Legends Air Show at IWM Duxford in Cambridgeshire England each summer, which is sponsored in part by the Fighter Collection, operators of many WWII fighter aircraft based at Duxford.

Its history combined with its performance and refined styling has made it a highly cherished collectors item for aviators worldwide. Because of that demand, restored and flying Spitfires have sold for over $2 Million dollars in recent years.

So, if you can’t afford to buy your own Spitfire, you can at least have a permanent homage to the famous fighter tattooed on you!  This colorful calf tattoo of a pair of Spitfires in flight over a field of poppies was created by tattoo artist Derek Dufresne of Fleshworks Tattoos in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

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I will admit that when I first saw this tattoo, I thought the aircraft pictured was a North American AT-6 Texan… one of the more common trainers of WWII vintage.  However, as I reviewed it this past week as I was preparing posts, I realized it was far more rare than an AT-6… this tattoo features the obscure Curtiss-Wright CW-22 Falcon.  Certainly one of the more unique aircraft we have featured here.

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There is a reason why few people know of the CW-22 – only around 600 were built from 1940 onward, originating from Curtiss-Wright’s St. Louis factory.  Originally designed from the single-seat CW-21, the –22 was a two seat, light sport or training aircraft that found it’s way into becoming a combat trainer and light attack airplane.

The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force was the main customer of the CW-22 as 36 were exported to support their defense of the East Indies.  However, due to Japanese advancement, the exported CW-22’s were delivered to the Dutch in Australia. The CW-22B was later delivered to Turkish forces and some replaced original –22’s with the Netherlands and some even made their way to South America flying with Peru, Bolivia and Uruguay.

The US Navy bought 455 unarmed aircraft and designated them the SNC-1 Falcon and operated them as trainer aircraft.  One SNC-1 hangs in the hall of the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL… one of four still in existence.

This colorful tattoo of the CW-22 was created by tattoo artist Brian Mcdermott at Electra Art Tattoo in Corpus Christi, TX.

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While visiting the forums on the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) website, I found a post by a passionate pilot from Southern California about aviation tattoos containing this photo of his latest addition: a North American P-51 Mustang tattoo on the right side of his upper back.

We have featured the famous fighter from World War II here at Tattoos In Flight before… in fact it remains the single most popular aviation tattoo design we’ve featured.  There is something about the timeless design of the “Cadillac of the Sky” that inspires people… and certainly it’s superstar status in pop culture as one of the icons of WWII helps too!

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If you’d like to read about the history of the P-51 Mustang, we encourage you to read some of the previous posts we’ve made on the famous fighter… check them out here.

Today, we’d like to talk a bit about the story behind this particular tattoo. Our subject learned how to fly at a back patio flight school at the famous Van Nuys Airport in the Los Angeles area. The airport, featured in the 2005 documentary One Six Right, remains the World’s busiest General Aviation airport and has been home to many aircraft, including many P-51 Mustangs over its history.

During his training, our subject became friends with a fellow student pilot at the club, a Russian native who also happened to be a talented tattoo artist from Hollywood.  His name is Konstantin Nossatchev.

Since both were obviously aviation fans, they talked about a deal to create an elaborate piece for our subject. As both knew and loved the P-51 Mustang, the design was a perfect fit. Also incorporated into the design was the tail-number of the Cessna 172 he first soloed in, his lucky number as the squadron number on the fuselage and his last name as the nose art. The entire piece took Konstantin three sessions to complete.

And being a true artist, Konstantin even found the perfect light and background for this photo for his portfolio… within one of the hangars at Van Nuys Airport.

If you are interested in a great piece of work from a fellow pilot and artist, Konstantin can be reached through his website at Noskos.com for private appointments in the area.

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Greetings everyone… we’re back from our little summertime hiatus here at Tattoos In Flight, ready for another great year of great aviation tattoos from around the world!  Drop us a line at tattoosinflight@gmail.com if you have any good stuff to share!

The Chance Vought F4U Corsair continues the trend of being one of the most popular tattooed airplanes in today’s post.  With it’s famous inverted gull wings to provide ground clearance for the massive Hamilton Standard propeller with a diameter of 13 feet, 4 inches attached to the powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine.

With the combination of advanced aerodynamics, one powerful engine and a large prop, the F4U Corsair became the first U.S. fighter aircraft to exceed 400 mph in flight, with the XF4U-1 reaching 405 mph on October 1st, 1940 on a flight from Stratford, CT to Hartford, CT.

The Corsair remained one of the fastest fighters used during WWII, though it’s full usefulness as a carrier-based fighter was never fully realized as the aircraft remained a tricky aircraft to operate on and off aircraft carriers. 

The Corsair was a long-serving design as well.  Along with use throughout World War II, the Corsair flew in the Korean War as a night fighter and even flew in the early days of the Vietnam War before U.S. entry during the First Indochina War in use by the French Navy’s Aéronavale.

This fantastic and colorful rib tattoo was created by artist Cecil Porter of Hollywood, CA.  Cecil works from a private studio at Under The Gun Tattoo on Melrose Ave. in Hollywood. This particular tattoo won Best Tattoo of the Day at the Body Art Expo in Pomona, CA in January 2009.

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