Some people don’t like the term ‘warbird’. Some think it’s ok. And some don’t give a t*** as long as they fly.
I came across the term ‘Historics’ the other day which I quite like. I know it encompasses potentially a much wider spectrum of machines but it just seems, well…’right’.
Thoughts?
By: Sky High - 16th September 2010 at 11:41
It is a great name for them but I can never get Flying Officer Kite and ITMA out of my mind………..
By: Super Nimrod - 16th September 2010 at 09:22
I am fortunate to still have four close relatives & friends whom served on or with Bombers in WW2, and they still to this day describe them as ‘Kites’ as JohnCooper and Kookaburra suggest.
It doesn’t really work today as a description, but it is interesting how the vernacular has changed in 60 years.
By: Sky High - 16th September 2010 at 08:58
I always thought that the company chose an apt name when it called itself the Old Flying Machine Company. OFMs, perhaps……………..I have heard “Legends” applied to old and rather passe musical and theatrical performers!!
By: Kookaburra - 15th September 2010 at 22:12
some antics [Antipodean semantics]
Down ‘ere, warbirds are made of wood and sound like angry lawn mowers. The wings come off and blokes cart them around in their cars.
Someone turned up at the field with a 1:3 Fokker DVII one day.
“That’s a nice warbird” I observed.
“That’s no warbird” was the reply. “It’s First World War you silly #@&%”.
I’ve always referred to them as………
KITES
That’s the way.
By: Arabella-Cox - 15th September 2010 at 19:32
Of course we are all missing the obvious here. We already have a name, and a politically correct one at that, for warbirds of any age………….. Legends 😀
It will of course mean a change to that most common question on this forum. “Will it be at………. ?” 😉
By: Sky High - 15th September 2010 at 15:45
Merlin3945 – quite so!:D
By: RPSmith - 15th September 2010 at 12:32
Instead of warbird – rawbird (retired airborne warrior)
Roger Smith.
By: Merlin3945 - 15th September 2010 at 12:16
Warbird is in itself a broad term. An se5a or Camel as well as Spitfires, Mustangs and then of course we have the Vulcan, Jaguars and Tornadoes oh as well as Bucaneers. These are all what could be classed as a warbird. Lets do what we do best and let everyone call them what they like. No need for new names for anything.
Oh and one last thing.
“Dont mention the war”
By: Phillip Rhodes - 15th September 2010 at 12:00
The process of finding a new name to replace an established term, only a few years ago would be worth gold to some branding/consultancy firm. Why call it “Royal Mail” when you can sit on your bottom for an afternoon (usually in Starbucks) and re-brand a well established company “Consignia” and charge a small fortune in the process – just for a scribbled name on a napkin.
Warbird is a term that appears to cover all military aircraft, not just historical aircraft preserved today. I could make a few suggestions, but I charge £750 an hour (not unheard of) 😀
Oh, Consignia?
Consignia by name and Consignia by nature, the new branded name was consigned to history after only a few years, along with 17,000 jobs.
By: trumper - 15th September 2010 at 11:29
In order to fit in with our current fascination with ‘political correctness’, how about:
Vintage Airborne Violence Delivery Vehicle.
I’m happy with ‘vintage aeroplane’. Not ‘old plane’. Far too tabloid!
If it crashes at an air display according to the press it becomes an old plane doing dangerous stunts:rolleyes:
By: Eye on the Sky - 15th September 2010 at 11:26
In order to fit in with our current fascination with ‘political correctness’, how about:
Vintage Airborne Violence Delivery Vehicle.
I’m happy with ‘vintage aeroplane’. Not ‘old plane’. Far too tabloid!
By: tornado64 - 14th September 2010 at 19:46
How about …………RMA? Redundant Military Aircraft !!!!!!
Planemike
wouldn’t work , that could possibly cover the new f35 joint strike fighter !!
well for us in the uk anyway !!
By: Arabella-Cox - 14th September 2010 at 19:32
I’ve always referred to them as………
KITES
By: K8B - 14th September 2010 at 19:02
The Germans call historic aeroplanes “Oldtimers”, though to us that sounds more like something out of the California Gold Rush. .
By: Arabella-Cox - 14th September 2010 at 18:39
How about …………RMA? Redundant Military Aircraft !!!!!!
Planemike
By: pagen01 - 14th September 2010 at 17:52
I hate ‘warbird’ as a term, I always thought it an American expression for aircraft that were actually involved in a war as a type, ie B-17, Mustang etc.
But as some say, historics seems to be too broad a brush.
Using the aircrafts’ name is good, until you have to make a poster for your Warbird/Historic airshow!
Maybe that is why I frequent Key historic and not WIX!
By: kev35 - 14th September 2010 at 17:48
Warbirds have a powerful meaning but i can see the darkside of the meaning.
I can’t see a dark side to any aircraft which was flown against Germany, Japan and Italy during the last great unpleasantness.
Regards,
kev35
By: Beermat - 14th September 2010 at 17:22
But remember if it is multi-engined it has to be a Lanc and if it is a jet then the Red Arrows normally does, don’t know about choppers though, that is just too confusing but there aren’t too many of those so don’t need to worry about it!
Of course, if it’s at an airshow it’s a stunt-plane.
By: Augsburgeagle - 14th September 2010 at 15:16
Just do what the germans do and call them ‘oldtimers’
By: Beermat - 14th September 2010 at 15:13
Got to admit, Fighters and Bombers do seem off-putting as words to the modern ear.
Being a member of the Cambridge Bomber and Fighter Society, I still haven’t had the nerve to put the sticker in the back of my car – what if the counter-terrorism people saw it?
I’m going to adopt my own suggestion. From now on, I’m an ‘Archaerologist’.
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September 13, 2010 at 9:33 pm