The Army Air Force "official guide" lists the "approved names" for a number of aircraft, but the P-35 is not among them:
AAF: The Official Guide to the Army Air Forces wrote:
MILITARY AIRCRAFT
DESIGNER AAF DESIGNATIONS APPROVED NAME
BOMBERS
Boeing . . . . B-17 . . . . Fortress
Douglas . . . . B-18 . . . . Bolo
Douglas . . . . B-23 . . . . Dragon
Consolidated . . B-24 . . . . Liberator
North American. . B-25 . . . . Mitchell
Martin . . . . B-26 . . . . Marauder
Boeing . . . . B-29 . . . . Superfortress
Vega. . . . . B-34 (O-56) . . Ventura
Douglas . . . . A-20 (P-70) . . Havoc
Douglas . . . . A-24 . . . . Dauntless
Curtiss . . . . A-25 . . . . Helldiver
Lockheed . . . A-29 (AT-18) . . Hudson
Martin . . . . A-30 . . . . Baltimore
Vultee . . . . A-31, A-35 . . . Vengeance
Brewster. . . . A-34 . . . . Bermuda
North American. . A-36 (P-51) . . Mustang
FIGHTERS
Lockheed . . . P-38 . . . . Lightning
Bell . . . . . P-39 . . . . Airacobra
Curtiss . . . . P-40 . . . . Warhawk
Republic . . . P-47 . . . . Thunderbolt
North American. . P-51 (A-36) . . Mustang
Northrop . . . P-61 . . . . Black Widow
Bell . . . . . P-63 . . . . King Cobra [sic]
Douglas . . . . P-70 (A-20) . . Havoc
LIAISON
Taylorcraft . . . L-2 (O-57) . . . Grasshopper
Aeronica [sic]. . . . L-3 (O-58) . . . Grasshopper
Piper. . . . . L-4 (O-59) . . . Grasshopper
Vultee . . . . L-5 (O-62) . . . Sentinel
OBSERVATION
Vultee . . . . O-49 . . . . Vigilant
Curtiss . . . . O-52 . . . . Owl
Lockheed . . . O-56 (B-34) . . Ventura
Taylorcraft . . . O-57 (L-2) . . . Grasshopper
Aeronica [sic]. . . . O-58 (L-3) . . . Grasshopper
Piper. . . . . O-59 (L-4) . . . Grasshopper
Vultee . . . . O-62 (L-5) . . . Sentinel
TRAINERS
North American. . AT-6 . . . . Texan
Beech . . . . AT-7 . . . . Navigator
Beech . . . . AT-10 . . . . Wichita
Beech . . . . AT-11 . . . . Kansan
Boeing . . . . AT-15 . . . . Crewmaker
North American. . AT-16 . . . . Harvard
Cessna . . . . AT-17 . . . . Bobcat
Lockheed . . . AT-18 (A-29) . . Hudson
Vultee . . . . AT-19 . . . . Reliant
Fairchild. . . . AT-21 . . . . Gunner
North American. . BT-9, BT-14 . . Yale
Fleetwing [sic] . . . BT-12 . . . . Sophomore
Vultee . . . . BT-13, BT-15 . . Valiant
Stearman . . . PT-13, PT-17
PT-18, PT-27 . . Cadet
Fairchild. . . . PT-19, PT-23
PT-26 . . . . Cornell
Ryan. . . . . PT-21, PT-22 . . Recruit
TRANSPORTS
Beech . . . . C-43 . . . . Traveller
Beech . . . . C-45 . . . . Expediter
Curtiss . . . . C-46 . . . . Commando
Douglas . . . . C-47 . . . . Skytrain
Douglas . . . . C-49, C-53. . . Skytrooper
Douglas . . . . C-54 . . . . Skymaster
Lockheed . . . C-56, C-60 . . . Lodestar
Lockheed . . . C-63 (AT-18)
(A-29) . . . . Hudson
Lockheed . . . C-69 . . . . Constellation
Curtiss . . . . C-76 . . . . Caravan
Consolidated . . C-87 . . . . Liberator
Grumman OA-9 . . . . Goose
(Source:
AAF: The Official Guide to the Army Air Forces (New York, NY: Pocket Books, Inc., 1944), 126-127.)
In addition to the P-35, also notably absent is the AT-9 and P-43. The origin of the "Texan" nickname is actually mentioned in a
newspaper article. According to a
magazine article, the A-31 was christened "Vengeance" by Lady Halifax.
JohnB wrote:
Boeing trademarked "Flying Fortress".
For anyone who missed the discussion of that, see the
Flying Fortress etymology thread. (Or, for a similar discussion of nickname origins, a
thread about "Mustang".)
Mark Sampson wrote:
It's also true that many WWII aircraft names came from the designations the British gave them, and then adopted by the USA.
For reference, the nicknames were made official in January 1943, as mentioned in a
newspaper article.
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