Does the manufacturer just throw a dart at a chart of the animal kingdom and then name its next aircraft after it? Probably not, but I'm interested in
how it happens. Are there restrictions limiting names to creatures that fly? (Hornet, Osprey, Blackbird, etc.) I was out in the yard the other day and saw a
Blue Jay fending off other birds from his area. A Blue Jay may never come to be an aircraft moniker, but it is an aggresive little terror. 
0 Kudo
How Are Planes Named?
| Author | Comment | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 Kwajalein |
How Are Planes Named? |
Lead | |
|
Posts: 158 (26-Jun-2008 15:07:34) |
|
||
|
BenRoethig |
|||
|
Posts: 1801 (26-Jun-2008 15:38:51) |
A lot of it depends on who designed the aircraft. A lot of them have themes. The exception came in the 70s when the Air Force decided to start naming things
after birds.
|
||
|
CliffS |
|||
|
Posts: 528 (26-Jun-2008 17:02:57) |
BenRoethig wrote: I don't think it matters, as long as the names signify speed, power & aggression. (Hawk, Lightning & Typhoon have been recycled from WWII
usage.) Generally speaking, the British have always favoured striking names for their aircraft, whereas US designers were content with alpha-numeric
designations. These days, I suspect a powerful name for an aircraft is seen as an overseas sales booster.
|
||
|
emc |
|||
|
Posts: 3885 (26-Jun-2008 17:24:51) |
I believe that US military aircraft are named by their manufacturers, with the contracting service having a veto. Some of the names are, in my opinion, banal
(Fighting Falcon), downright stupid (Peacemaker) or sound like the name of a train (Thunderchief). I'm also not a big fan two-word names, especially those
which start "Super."
Of course, some of the names are never official (Blackbird, Aardvark) and I suspect that some of the official names are never used, except in corporate correspondence. |
||
|
seasick |
|||
|
Posts: 4806 (26-Jun-2008 17:52:25) |
Grumman: Cats
F4F -- Wildcat F6F -- Hellcat F8F -- Bearcat F9F-1 -- Panther F9F-3 -- Cougar F11F -- Tiger F-14 -- Tomcat |
||
|
Red Admiral |
|||
|
Posts: 1885 (26-Jun-2008 19:48:14) |
The RAF had strict naming proceedures based on the type. I have a copy somewhere in an old flying magazine which I'll try and find.
|
||
|
jhack |
|||
|
Posts: 107 (27-Jun-2008 00:51:47) |
For a while, in WWII through Vietnam, the various U.S. airplane companies had themes. Republic's planes had thunder in them (P-47 Thunderbolt, F-84
Thunderjet, F-105 Thunderchief) Grumman had its cats, Vought's planes were pirate theme (F4U Corsair, F7U Cutlass, F8U Crusader). I'm not sure where
the North American company fit into that with P-51 Mustang, F-86 Sabre. I guess after the way they started naming fighters after sharp objects, Sabre, F-108
Rapier. Before and during WWII, Curtis fighters were named for hawks (P-36 Hawk, P-40 Kittyhawk and Warhawk). Boeing bombers had the word "fortress"
in them during the war (B-17 Flying Fortress, B-29 Superfortress) With the B-47, they took up the prefix Strato- (B-47 Stratojet, KC-135 Stratotanker) the B-52
put them together with Stratofortress.
Last Edited By: jhack
27-Jun-2008 00:55:49.
Edited 1 times.
|
||
|
bager1968 |
|||
|
Posts: 3011 (27-Jun-2008 02:04:19) |
Blue Jay was the code name of the developmental versions of the UK Firestreak A-A missile (comparable to early model AIM-9 Sidewinders).
|
||
|
jhack |
|||
|
Posts: 109 (27-Jun-2008 06:37:40) |
You are right about some official names enc. Don't ever tell an F-16 pilot he flies a fighting falcon. He (or she) is a Viper pilot. The A-10 is the
Thunderbolt II in official correspondence, but it's an Aardvark to the pilots.
|
||
|
pascaly |
|||
|
Posts: 1506 (27-Jun-2008 07:23:36) |
I think you mean Warthog
Aadvark is (was) the F-111. Except the ones still flying, the RAAF's are called Pigs. |
||
|
Duncan Albermarle |
|||
|
Posts: 117 (28-Jun-2008 03:49:43) |
Speaking of themes, McDonnell-Douglas used the supernatural ie. Banshee, Demon, Voodoo, Phantom.
|
||
- Battleship Vs Battleship
- Should Battleships Be Back In Service?
- The United States Navy
- The Royal Navy
- The European Navies
- The Commonwealth Navies
- The Asian Navies
- Aircraft Carriers
- Fighting Ships Of The World
- Submarines
- Designing A Navy/Ship
- The Land Forces
- The Air Forces
- The Naval Fiction Board
- The Politics Of War
- Naval Help
