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...Mad Panda, Looks that kill, and Homicidal Hawg, who, or better yet what, are they? They are all pieces of artwork which can be found on the crew boarding ladder doors of the A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthog”. The A-10 has a design feature found on no other fighter/attack aircraft in the U.S Air Force inventory, which has caused debate and controversy from the day the first production A-10 rolled off the assembly line in 1975. The feature is a large extendable ladder allowing pilot and grounds crews access to the cockpit without the use of an external ladder. This ladder is covered and “stowed” by a large door on the left side of the forward fuselage under the cockpit. The door can be opened, and ladder extended, from the ground or by the pilot with a push of a button in the cockpit.
The ladder is not the subject of this book but the door which covers and holds the ladder in the stowed position is. The door is 14 inches wide by 24.5 inches high and has been, and still is today, the perfect pallet for artwork. This door has caused debate and controversy over whether the art placed there falls into the category of nose art. Nose art as you may or may not know is a war time endeavor and is not allowed on aircraft during peace time except under very special circumstances. Also nose art has become less and less acceptable to Air Force leadership in the past decade as political correctness has become more and more the norm. Unlike during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm, the female form, icons of death, or anything which can be viewed as offensive, in any way, is not welcomed in today’s Air Force.
How does the US Air Force define and view nose art? Does the art placed on the A-10 doors fall into this category? Like many things in the U.S. military these are not simple questions with simple answers. Different commands define and apply their definition differently. Each command views the very concept of nose art differently. The same command applies their views and definitions depending on the current political climate and/or their current command structure. To truly understand where the A-10 falls into the nose art debate we must look at the crew boarding ladder door itself, the history of nose and ladder door art, and where the A-10s place is is in this on-going debate. We will of course look at some of the artwork itself, and maybe gain a better appreciation of this art form which has its roots deep in Air Force tradition.
Ugly But Well Hung
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