You also can't beat the great double entendre of Ascender ("Ass-ender") for the canard XP-55. Ascender, was an official name, I believe. Was this a deliberate double entendre by the Curtiss design staff or was the double meaning only developed unofficially later?
Aircraft nicknames - what's your favourite?
- Thread starter CobberKane
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fastmongrel
1st Sergeant
Bent wing bastard for the Corsair. Dont know wether this was a USN, FAA or RNZAF nickname.
Not a nickname but a favourite description of iirc the B52 "It didnt take off it just flew straight and level till the curvature of the Earth took effect"
Not a nickname but a favourite description of iirc the B52 "It didnt take off it just flew straight and level till the curvature of the Earth took effect"
The C-124, Ole Shaky, or 100,000 nuts and bolts flying in formation. So I guess that makes it the big brother of the Avro Anson.
The Hughes TH-55 , Mattel Messerscmitt, though I never knew why.
The Cessna O-2 Skymaster, at NKP where it was first used, we called it the mixmaster.
The Hughes TH-55 , Mattel Messerscmitt, though I never knew why.
The Cessna O-2 Skymaster, at NKP where it was first used, we called it the mixmaster.
AC-47D - "Spooky", "Puff the Magic Dragon"
The Fw 190's is my fave, but someone got that one already.
Ju 88 = Maid of All Work
F-8/F8U = Last Gunfighter, The Gator (for its low slung intake)
F-100 = The Hun
F-105 = Thud, Triple Threat (it could bomb you, strafe you or fall on you)
Il-2 = Hunchback, Flying Infantryman
Fi 156 = Criquet
Hs 129 = Safe Cracker
F4U = Hose Nose
F-84 = Ground Loving Whore, World's Fastest Tricycle, The Iron Crowbar
I-16 = Mosca (Spanish for fly, common nickname during Spanish Civil War)
F2A = American Car, Flying Beer Bottle (both Finnish nicknames)
Ju 88 = Maid of All Work
F-8/F8U = Last Gunfighter, The Gator (for its low slung intake)
F-100 = The Hun
F-105 = Thud, Triple Threat (it could bomb you, strafe you or fall on you)
Il-2 = Hunchback, Flying Infantryman
Fi 156 = Criquet
Hs 129 = Safe Cracker
F4U = Hose Nose
F-84 = Ground Loving Whore, World's Fastest Tricycle, The Iron Crowbar
I-16 = Mosca (Spanish for fly, common nickname during Spanish Civil War)
F2A = American Car, Flying Beer Bottle (both Finnish nicknames)
I think the F-105 might have the most nick names. Thunderthud, Thud, Triple Threat, Hog, Ultra Hog, Squat Bomber, Lead Sled, and, Another Lead Sled from Republic, because the F-84 was also had Lead Sled as a nick name.
My first duty station in the USAF was Seymour-Johnson AFB, N.C., in 1966, the TAC sqd. stationed there was transitioning from the F-105 to the F-4 as I got there. Those were some happy pilots.
They weren't so happy when they got to Nam, and wished for guns.
My first duty station in the USAF was Seymour-Johnson AFB, N.C., in 1966, the TAC sqd. stationed there was transitioning from the F-105 to the F-4 as I got there. Those were some happy pilots.
They weren't so happy when they got to Nam, and wished for guns.
Edgar Brooks
Senior Airman
Sorry, but wrong (twice,) it was named by the Vickers chairman, and (according to his son) Mitchell said, "Bloody silly, naming it after a failure," meaning that he didn't like it having the same name as the dud Type 224.Spitfire - named by an Air Ministry worker after his quick tempered daughter. Designer R.J Mitchell is quoted as saying: 'that's just the sort of bloody silly name they would give it'
B-36 "Aluminium (sorry, but it's the U.K. spelling) Overcast."
Vulcan "Tin Triangle."
E.E. Lightning "Frightening."
meatloaf109
1st Lieutenant
Another name for the F-8 was, "The Sailor Inhailer"
A4K
Brigadier General
Post deleted. Irrelevant to thread subject.
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fubar57
General
Dang, all the good ones are gone. Not an aircraft but this still makes me smile. Short conversation overheard on board an LST(Landing Ship Tank) on it's way to Normandy on D-Day..."What's LST stand for anyhow?" "Long Slow Target".....silence.
Geo
Geo
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
meatloaf109
1st Lieutenant
Wow, no kidding, This was just a light-hearted thread on silly aircraft nicknames. Y'all need to step down a bit. It's not like we were debating something serious, like the kill ratio of the '109 vs. the P-51! (Let the fireworks begin!)
Edgar Brooks
Senior Airman
Excuse me for deleting the (poorly concealed) bad language; it was the Vickers chairman, since he called his daughter a spitfire.
Mitchell's son might have got it wrong, but he was there, while neither of us were, so I give him the benefit of the doubt. One thought, that you might like to consider, if Mitchell disliked the name so much, why didn't he make the same comment about the similarly-named Type 224?
As I've said, elsewhere, I do research, and pass the results on to others, with the idea that those others might find it useful; if you don't wish to receive that information, I can only suggest that you stop reading my posts.
If the moderators of this site feel that my input is no longer welcome, I'm sure they'll tell me, without resorting to bad language, and, if that happens, I shall go elsewhere.
Finally, please don't call my (deceased) mother a bitch (yes, I do know what SOB stands for.)
- Thread starter
- #38
CobberKane
Banned
- 706
- Apr 4, 2012
I think the Curtiss Helldiver has a prior claim to that term anyway
Joe said for you both to chill out! Knock it out!
A4K
Brigadier General
All cool from here, said my piece.
