Aircraft nicknames

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 30-09-02 AT 04:24 PM (GMT)]Thanks for that Charlie.

Any body know if other aircraft had more than one nickname bestowed upon them dependant on what role they where doing at the time ?

By the way, welcome to the Forum…it’s addictive !

Cheers

Gary

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

In WWII Malta, the following nicknames were given to Wellington bombers.

Stickleback ASV radar version “Goofington”
Torpedo dropping version “Torpington”
Then when normal bombers arrived “Bombington”

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

Well spotted Lancman

Come to think of it, I don’t remember seeing at any time, any nicknames for some of the other ‘heavies’ like the Lincoln, Stirling or the Warwick.

Have to go back through my library methinks !

Cheers

Gary

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

Sir Arthur T Harris (God bless him) may have called it ‘The Shining Sword’, but one aircraft that’s never seemed to have a nickname is the Lancaster.

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

For an Australian touch, any nickname the Boomerang had escapes me, but it was described as a “high-speed crop duster” when performing its army co-op duties.

Probably had a few other names when being used as a fighter, though.

Wombat

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

Found another list hope you like them.
Alot of them are in the other list also.
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RE: Aircraft Nicknames

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 13-09-02 AT 06:02 PM (GMT)]Only a few… blimey!

Thanks for that lot Shorty, i’ve learnt a shed load nmore than I did previously.

Hope that list aint definitive !!!

Cheers

Gary

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 13-09-02 AT 05:36 PM (GMT)]Here are a few in the attachment.
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RE: Aircraft Nicknames

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 13-09-02 AT 05:12 PM (GMT)]Interesting Subject.

I think the Corsair was “old hog nose” not “old hose nose”

I agree about the AC-47. They were also called “Spooky”. The AC-130 is the “spectre”.

I’ll add a couple of Canadian examples:

Beech 18 – “bug smasher”
Avro Canada CF-100 – “clunk”
DeHavilland Canada Twin Otter – “twotter”

Perhaps not uniquely Canadian but:

F-104 – “flying coffin”, “wingless wonder”

One of my favorites:

DeHavilland Mosquito – “Freeman’s Folly”, for a British politician who was one of the only people in Britain in 1940, outside the Mosquito design team, who though a wooden airplane could be useful in World War 2. Sir Freeman wasn’t so foolish afterall. He was instrumental in getting the Mosquito into it’s first operational service, for reconn work. The rest, as they say, is history.

Lots of nicknames at: http://www.warbirdalley.com

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

Wasn’t Puff the magic dragon the AC47? Maybe it was both…

Others I can think of (not sure if these have been mentioned yet):
Mosquito – ‘wooden wonder’
Argosy – ‘whistling wheelbarrow’
F16 – ‘electric jet’
Jaguar – ‘mud mover’ (or is that all RAF low level boys?)
Anything I’ve ever flown – ‘you bu&&er’. (As in, ‘climb you bu&&er’, ‘trim level you bu&&er’, and when landing on wet grass ‘WHOA you bu&&er’ 😉 )

Strictly speaking this one isn’t a nickname, but I also seem to recall the Jet Provost’s performance used to be referred to as “constant speed, variable noise” 🙂

RE: Aircraft Nicknames (Pedantry)

Regarding the F-111, the USAF actually officially gave the aircraft the title of Aardvark so that is the official name for the aircraft now just as Phantom is for the F-4 or Eagle is for the F-15.

Anyway here are some others I can think of:

F-111 – Pig (in RAAF service)
T-37 – Six-Thousand Pound Dog Whistle
F-15E – Beagle (Bomber-Eagle)
F-104 – The Widow Maker (in Luftwaffe service)
– Zipper
B-1 – Bone (B-one) 🙂
A-7 Corsair II – SLUF (Short-Little Ugly F**ker)
Swordfish – Stringbag (one of my favorites…just love that plane!)
F-117 – Wobblin’ Gobblin
UH-1 – Huey (many people don’t realize Huey was a nickname rather than the official name which was Iroquois..I prefer to call it Huey though)
F-16 – Viper
F-8 – MiG Master
F-15 – Flying Tennis Court

NOTE: Regarding the Huey, actually the Model 212 is known as the UH-1 Twin Huey so I suppose the name Huey was finally adopted in a way.

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

Fw190 – Butcher Bird
C130 Spector Gunship “Puff the magic dragon”

RE: Aircraft Nicknames (Pedantry)

Thanks for that

Got the spelling from a poem…author probably didnt spell it properly ‘cos it wouldn’t fit the poem…Poetic justice ??.

Moral…never trust a poem !!

Gary

RE: Aircraft Nicknames (Pedantry)

Earlier post gave “Wimpey” as the nickname for the Wellington.

In fact this derived from the character “Wimpy” in the Popeye cartoons so should be spelt without the ‘e’

Also be aware, WIMPEY as the name for a construction company much given to using Irish labourers on the UK mainland was actually an acronym for

We Import More Paddies Every Year

Moggy

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

Here are a few I can remember from the top of my head
Canadair CL44 = Monster
BAe 146 = initials stand for Bring Another engine
BAe ATP = Advanced tecnichal problem
Grumman S2F = The Stoof
Grumman S2F with early warning radome = Stoof with a roof
Heinkel He 177 = The Luftwaffe Lighter
Hercules = Fat Albert
Shackelton = one hundred thousund rivets in loose formation

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 13-09-02 AT 12:01 PM (GMT)]The Skyraiders in Vietnam were also known as ‘Spads.’

Helicopters also had nicknames appropriate to their role.

Slicks – usually UH-1’s used for troop insertion.

Dust-off – Any medical evacuation aircraft but again predominantly UH-1’s.

Guns – also known as ‘snakes’ and ‘hogs.’ UH-1’s and AH-1 Cobras.

‘Freedom Bird’ – refers to the civilian jetliners, DC-8’s and 707’s which brought the troops home after their tour in Vietnam.

Regards,

kev35

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

In Vietnam the Skyraiders were always known as “Sandies”

Moggy

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

Gloster Javelin – Harmonious Dragmaster

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

Electric Flicknife – Fly by wire controls, wings fold like a flicknife blade folds!

MRCA – Mother Reilly’s Carboard Aeroplane or Must Refurbish Canberra Again!

KeithMac

RE: Aircraft Nicknames

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 12-09-02 AT 06:58 PM (GMT)]Thanks for the input guys, keep ’em coming…this could get interesting ?

I’ve also remembered :-

B52 = BUFF (Big Ugly Fat F***er)
A7 Corsair = SLUF (Slow Loveable Ugly F***er
Dakota = Gooney Bird
F111 = Aardvark ??
Constellation = Connie
Chinook = Wocca Wocca
Wellington = Wimpey
Halifax = Halibag
Marauder = Widow Maker
Tristar = Timmy
VC10 = Queen of the Skies
P47 Thunderlbolt = Jug
DH9 = Nine Ack (one for the WW1 types)
Brittania = Whispering Giant
Anson = Faithfull Annie