Aircraft nicknames - what's your favourite?

[NEEBLAMMERS]

I'm sure I've read that the Hudson also had the moniker 'The Boomerang' not because of its planform , like the B2, but because 'it always came back'?
Also, here's the germination of a propaganda derived nickname:-

Bristol Beaufighter; The Ten Gun Terror


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsUdbzQCm_Y

 

[Geedee]

Methinks the most bizarre knickname was the 'Shagbat'... the common knickname for the Supermarine Walrus. Not sure where it came from, but its certainly different !!

 

[nuuumannn]

Shagbat... yep, weird one; from what I've read it comes from a mythical creature that flies in ever decreasing circles.

 

[mhuxt]

The Ventura was referred to by RAF crews as "The Flying Pig."

 

[model299]

A couple that I don't believe I've seen mentioned yet:

B-36 = "Thundering Peacemaker" Because of the incredible noise they made, and the fact they never fired a shot in anger.

Boeing 707 = "Kerosene Queen" Due to the early model's appetite for fuel.

 

[stona]

Panavia Tornado; The Fin

And related to that is "Norfolk land shark" as the fin was visible at distance across the flatlands of Eastern England like something from jaws.

The most common RAF nick name for the Tornado was "Tonka" after the well known tough kids' toys.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Timppa]

"At first I didn't like when I heard the nickname "turkey". I thought it was disrespectful, until one day I was in the ready room watching a recovery. When you're in the ready room, everything just stops when an airplane is recovered. Everybody's watching the TV screen to make sure it goes okay. So I'm watching the airplane come in, and it has so many moving surfaces-these huge horizontal stabilators that are as big as an A-4's main wing and they move differentially, and the spoilers rise on the wing, and it's flapping and rocking. And i had to admit: It looked just like a turkey".

Dave Parsons, VF-102, -32, -101

 

[tyrodtom]

Then there's aircraft with official names that were just too close to something else to be ignored.
Like the CH-47 Chinook, we changed that to **** hook, which was really a better description, because there was no guessing what you might see getting sling loaded from a Chinook. Everything from downed aircraft to a dead elephant.

 

[J dog]

My favorite is the Jug for the P 47 Lightening bolt because that plane could take a hell of beating and still come home!

 

[SonofaVBF-13Pilot]

Don't forget the old "Speedy-D" was also called Slow But Deadly, used affectionately, which is why it is my favorite nickname.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Then there's aircraft with official names that were just too close to something else to be ignored.
Like the CH-47 Chinook, we changed that to **** hook, which was really a better description, because there was no guessing what you might see getting sling loaded from a Chinook. Everything from downed aircraft to a dead elephant.

We still call it a Shithook today.

 

[wuzak]

Just learned from The Discovery Channel than the B-36 was nicknamed "the aluminium overcoat"!

I think they meant "overcast".


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL0CpD0YlsU

(near the end)

 

[hedge hopper]

Hi all, just joined.
One of my favorite aircraft nicknames is; ''Hang The Expense''. This name being used on seven different B-17s mostly from the 100th BG and piloted by Frank Valesh. I was going to have a 1/72nd scale model made of this particular aircraft. Instead I chose one called; ''Our Gal Sal'' another B-17 from the 100th BG.