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Military Aircraft Sobriquet

Confuscius From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 3635 posts, RR: 2
Posted (9 months 2 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 5148 times:

Here's a few I can recall without googling.

A-7 SLUF: short, little, ugly
B-52 BUFF - Big, ugly, fat
CH-53 Shitter - large amount of exhaust

[Edited 2012-08-09 19:58:05]

Ain't I a stinker?

17 replies: All unread, jump to last

sprout5199 From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 1779 posts, RR: 2
Reply 1, posted (9 months 1 week 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 4760 times:

CH-47 Chinook --$hithook
S-3 Viking-- Hoover

Dan in Jupiter

GDB From United Kingdom, joined exactly 12 years ago today! , 12715 posts, RR: 80
Reply 2, posted (9 months 1 week 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 4696 times:

Tornado - Electric Flick Knife / Tonka Toy
(When it was, in development, the Multi Role Combat Aircraft, some cynics anticipating another cancellation reckoned 'MRCA' really stood for Must Refurbish Canberra Again).

DH Mosquito - Wooden Wonder.

Chinook - Wokar Wokar. (The sound it makes).

rfields5421 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 6150 posts, RR: 25
Reply 3, posted (9 months 1 week 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 4687 times:

A-3 Skywarrior - Whale

it is also known as

A-3D Skywarrior - All 3 Dead

n53614 From United States of America, joined May 2007, 229 posts, RR: 1
Reply 4, posted (9 months 1 week 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 4672 times:

F-4 Phantom: "Double Ugly"
F-15E Strike Eagle: "Mud Hen"
F/A-18 Hornet: "Bug"
KC-10 Extender: "Gucci"
B-1B Lancer: "Bone"
F-117A Nighthawk: "Wobblin' Goblin'"
C-5 Galaxy: "FRED" (F*cking Ridiculous Economic Disaster)
A-4 Skyhawk: "Scooter"
F-8 Crusader: "Gator"
C-130 Hercules: "Four Fan Trash Can", "Herk"
C-130J Hercules: "Jerk"
KC-135 Stratotanker: "Stratobladder"
S-2 Tracker:"Stoof" (from original S2F designation)
F-14 Tomcat: "Turkey", "Aluminum Cloud"
SR-71 Blackbird: "Habu", "Sled"

B722 B732 B733 B734 B735 B73G B738 B739 B742 B752 B772 A320 A319 CRJ2 DHC8 E135 E140 E145

Confuscius From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 3635 posts, RR: 2
Reply 5, posted (9 months 1 week 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 4665 times:

Quoting sprout5199 (Reply 1):
S-3 Viking-- Hoover

Sounds like a vacuum cleaner.

H-21 Flying Banana (pretty much self-explanatory)

Ain't I a stinker?

ebj1248650 From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 1932 posts, RR: 2
Reply 6, posted (9 months 1 week 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 4475 times:

B-36 was "aluminum overcast" though I believe other big airplanes have been called the same thing.

Dare to dream; dream big!

garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5244 posts, RR: 55
Reply 7, posted (9 months 1 week 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 4412 times:

Quoting n53614 (Reply 4):

S-2 Tracker:"Stoof" (from original S2F designation)

And let's not forget the E-1 Tracer, which was derived from the Tracker was a "Stoof With a Roof."

F/A-18E/F - "Rhino"
F4U - "Ensign Eliminator"
C-5 - "Linda Lovelace"
F-16 - "Viper" "Electric Jet" "Lawn Dart"
P-47 - "Jug"

And how could we forget the most famous sobriquet of them all?

A-10 - "Warthog"

South Carolina - too small to be its own country, too big to be a mental asylum.

flyingturtle From Switzerland, joined Oct 2011, 1286 posts, RR: 2
Reply 8, posted (9 months 1 week 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 4403 times:

Ah no, all these F-104 names, some of them from Germany... Widowmaker, Lawn Dart, Coffin Nail, Tent Peg...

Even a letdown, if it is thoroughly and final, is a step forward.

n53614 From United States of America, joined May 2007, 229 posts, RR: 1
Reply 9, posted (9 months 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 4393 times:

Quoting garnetpalmetto (Reply 7):
And let's not forget the E-1 Tracer, which was derived from the Tracker was a "Stoof With a Roof."

I've never heard that one before! I have however heard Tracers called "Willie Fudd", from the original WF-1 designator. Stoof with a Roof is fantastic though.

B722 B732 B733 B734 B735 B73G B738 B739 B742 B752 B772 A320 A319 CRJ2 DHC8 E135 E140 E145

Confuscius From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 3635 posts, RR: 2
Reply 10, posted (9 months 1 week 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 4355 times:

Quoting garnetpalmetto (Reply 7):
And how could we forget the most famous sobriquet of them all?

A-10 - "Warthog"

...or UH-1 "Huey"

More...

A-1 "Spad" and "Sandy"
AC-47 "Puff the Magic Dragon"

[Edited 2012-08-17 17:11:05]

Ain't I a stinker?

Spacepope From Vatican City, joined Dec 1999, 2739 posts, RR: 1
Reply 11, posted (9 months 1 week 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 4345 times:

Quoting garnetpalmetto (Reply 7):
F/A-18E/F - "Rhino"

That one always bothers me. The F-4 will always be the only Rhino.

Quoting Confuscius (Reply 5):
Quoting sprout5199 (Reply 1):
S-3 Viking-- Hoover

Sounds like a vacuum cleaner.

That's exactly how it got that name.

The last of the famous international playboys

rc135x From United States of America, joined Aug 2007, 161 posts, RR: 2
Reply 12, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 4217 times:

RC-135V/W --- "Hog"
KC-135A and other J57-equipped versions -- "Steam Jet"
RC-135U -- "U for Ugly", "U-Boat"

These derive from their mission name:

RC-135S -- "the Ball"
RC-135X -- "the Eye"
RC-135V/W -- "the Wind"

T-37 -- "Tweet" , "Subsonic Dog Whistle"
OA-37B -- "Dragonfly"
T-38 -- "White Rocket"

SR-71 -- "Black Mariah" (this name was common among local civilians around Beale in the late '60s and early '70s)

F-15E -- "Beagle" (from Bomber EAGLE)

Indeed the S-3 Viking sounds like a Hoover vacuum cleaner, hence its name. When the MAD is extended in flight the nickname becomes "Horny Hoover"

Not to wander too far off topic, but US carriers also had sobriquets, often based on their perceived "friendliness" to naval aviators. Two I recall are

USS Ranger -- "Danger Ranger"
USS Kitty Hawk -- "Shitty Kitty"

KC-135A, A(RT), D, E, E(RT), Q, R, EC-135A, C, G, L, RC-135S, U, V, W, X, TC-135S, W

trident3 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2001, 1012 posts, RR: 3
Reply 13, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 4211 times:

The Armstrong Whitworth Argosy was known in RAF services as the Whistling Tit. Check out the photos to see why
http://www.argosyair.co.uk/1st20.html

"We are the warrior race-Tough men in the toughest sport." Brian Noble, Head Coach, Great Britain Rugby League.

rfields5421 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 6150 posts, RR: 25
Reply 14, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 4206 times:

Quoting rc135x (Reply 12):
US carriers also had sobriquets, often

USS Forrestal - "Forest Fire"
USS Saratoga - "Sorry Sarah"
USS John Hancock - "Hand Job"
USS John F Kennedy - "Can Opener" - after the collisions with the USS Belknap (1975) and USS Bordelon (1976)

KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11711 posts, RR: 52
Reply 15, posted (9 months 1 week 10 hours ago) and read 4067 times:

AC-130, Spook, Spooky
U-2, Dragon Lady
E-3, Flying Frisby
EC-135, Speckled Trout
WWII USN Escort Carriers, CVE, Combustible, Vulnerable and Expendable
WWII USN Troop Landing Ships, LST, Large Slow Target

rc135x From United States of America, joined Aug 2007, 161 posts, RR: 2
Reply 16, posted (9 months 1 week 3 hours ago) and read 4016 times:

Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 15):
EC-135, Speckled Trout

The SPECKLED TROUT was chronologically KC-135A 55-3125, C-135C 61-2669, very briefly KC-135E 57-2589, and currently KC-135R 63-7980.

KC-135A, A(RT), D, E, E(RT), Q, R, EC-135A, C, G, L, RC-135S, U, V, W, X, TC-135S, W

GlobalMoose From United States of America, joined Aug 2012, 20 posts, RR: 0
Reply 17, posted (9 months 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 3822 times:

After 12 years of stalking, I finally joined - first post!

C-17A - Moose
T-1A - Tone, or Tonner

When it absolutely positively has to be there ... at some point.

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