F6F naming (1 Viewer)

[GrauGeist]

There was also the F4F-3S "Wildcatfish" prototype.

 

[Colin L]

Don't forget Grumman's 'Sea Bird' series ... Duck, Widgeon, Gosling, Goose, Mallard, Albatross.
It's good to have a theme, look at Hawker's 'Storm' series.

 

[fannum]

Grumman employees supporting VF-31's F-14s spoke of keeping the scrappy "Alley Cat" name in abeyance for the future.
"Tomcat" had been proposed earlier, in consideration for the F8F at least, but was considered a bit racy with scurrilous connotations in those rather censored times, when Desi and Lucy slept in separate beds.
Remember that the largely experimental Grumman F10F was the "Jaguar," and Leopard, Puma, and Lynx were considered ... and Tiger, Cheetah, etc. applied to their light plane line, based on Jim Bede's clever BD-1.
The F5F "Skyrocket" was the notable non-feline exception.

 

[GrauGeist]

Grumman's FF, F2F and F3F were un-named.

It was the F4F that started the feline naming tradition for their fighters.

 

[SaparotRob]

Grumman employees supporting VF-31's F-14s spoke of keeping the scrappy "Alley Cat" name in abeyance for the future.
"Tomcat" had been proposed earlier, in consideration for the F8F at least, but was considered a bit racy with scurrilous connotations in those rather censored times, when Desi and Lucy slept in separate beds.
Remember that the largely experimental Grumman F10F was the "Jaguar," and Leopard, Puma, and Lynx were considered ... and Tiger, Cheetah, etc. applied to their light plane line, based on Jim Bede's clever BD-1.
The F5F "Skyrocket" was the notable non-feline exception.
View attachment 888519

View attachment 888520

Like + informative + Skyrocket = winner.