On Sun, 28 Sep 2003 05:42:27 -0400, Cub Driver
wrote:


And how do they name planes?

It seems to be a collaborative effort between the manufacturer and the
air force. Then, after the uniformly awful names are applied, the
pilots and crews name it something else entirely.

This was always true to a certain extent. Famously, the P-47
Thunderbolt was the Jug. But it has accelerated as the official names
have become worse and worse.

Should we have a contest on worst plane name and best replacement?

Hands down winner, "Fighting Falcon" replaced by "Viper."


Surely the worse plane name was the B-36 Peacemaker, intended to drop
two or more hydrogen bombs upon the Russians.

Not that bad, since the earlier "Peacemaker" was the .45 Colt Single
Action Army. Might really consider the name vindicated when it is
noted that the B-36 never fired a shot in anger over its entire
service life.

And the best replacement of course is the Warthog for the A-10
Thunderbolt II.

Another question: how long has it been since the pilots of a USAF
warplane called it by the name assigned to it by the bureaucracy?

Not that long at all. F-15 Eagle.

There are always going to be "official" names and nicknames. Some
nicknames are going to be affectionately bestowed while others are
going to be a result of envy, dislike or disaffection. Some will be
commonly adopted and some will start as pejoratives and grow into
respect. I personally seldom/never use "Thud" to describe the F-105.
Lots of folks do and for most it has become a respected name.

Same thing is true of individual nicknames or "tactical call-signs."
When I was a squadron ops officer I told my guys that they couldn't
determine what they would be called. It would be a name given them,
not one they chose.

We had a guy come into the squadron, a former FAIP, newly qualified in
the F-4. He had name tags made up reading: "Jim Teak Fighter
Pilot". I told him that he wasn't a fighter pilot until other folks
told him he was. He couldn't unilaterally make the declaration. What
he really had was a misspelled name tag. It was supposed to read:
"Jim, Weak Fighter Pilot". From that day on, his nickname was
"Weak". He wasn't, but the name stuck and he bore it proudly.