'Pet' names for aircraft types?

[Flat 12x2]

While reading about Brian Shul's experiences in his book 'Sled Driver' I started thinking about the pet names given to some (or all?) US aircraft types.

The ones I already know are:

SR71 Blackbird - Sled

Don't go using the term 'sled' with any SR-71 Blackbird crew's as it is a derogatory term used by U-2 crews & Brian Shul who is a pariah amongst other SR-71 crews

[Dan Jones]

The BAE 146 is known as "the Fisher-Price Galaxy".

[Clifford Bossie]

The BAE 146 is known as "the Fisher-Price Galaxy".

Also "Barbie's dream jet".

[Clifford Bossie]

The ERJ-135/145 is sometimes the "Jungle jet".

[Steve Nelson]

Speaking of names being media or after-the-fact creations, I've also read that the nickname "whistling death" for the Corsair and "whispering death" for the Beaufighter were made up by Allied writers, and were never used by the Japanese. Similarly, from what I understand the Luftwaffe never used the letter-based nicknames like "Emil" for the Bf 109E, "Gustav" for the Bf 109G, or "Dora" for the Fw 190D.

When it comes to WWII aircraft, it's next to impossible to conclusively determine when the now-popular nicknames came about. Martin Caidin has been pointed to as the source for several, including the aforementioned Fork-Tailed Devil (I've also read claims that he invented the "Jug" moniker for the P-47, and it was never called that during the war.)

Oe more modern nickname I haven't seen mentioned in this thread is the CH-47, which I've heard many military personnel refer to as the "Sh** Hook."
()

SN

[Clifford Bossie]

Speaking of names being media or after-the-fact creations, I've also read that the nickname "whistling death" for the Corsair and "whispering death" for the Beaufighter were made up by Allied writers, and were never used by the Japanese. Similarly, from what I understand the Luftwaffe never used the letter-based nicknames like "Emil" for the Bf 109E, "Gustav" for the Bf 109G, or "Dora" for the Fw 190D.

When it comes to WWII aircraft, it's next to impossible to conclusively determine when the now-popular nicknames came about. Martin Caidin has been pointed to as the source for several, including the aforementioned Fork-Tailed Devil (I've also read claims that he invented the "Jug" moniker for the P-47, and it was never called that during the war.)

Oe more modern nickname I haven't seen mentioned in this thread is the CH-47, which I've heard many military personnel refer to as the "Sh** Hook."
()

SN

I believe you are correct, Steve. The "Dora", "Emil", "Fritz", "Gustav", etc. is something more akin to a way for modelers to identify a type rather than use the full designation. You are probably right on target with many of the nicknames used in print as more PR than reality. My dad served in the PTO and told me far from being "Whispering Death" the Aussie Beaufighters could be heard a long distance away. The collector rings tended to rust through and they made a "He** of a racket".

Most pilots I have spoken with called their mounts by the designation: P-47, P-51 and so on.

I see "Sh** hooks" over my house almost daily. Cool helo!

[JohnB]

Can we try to clear up this Caidin / P-38 business?

His book came out in 1973...anyone other than me...recall seeing the name used earlier?

[raconnel]

A Google search reveals this:
From the Lockheed Martin site - http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/100years/stories/p-38.html
“With its distinctive design, the P-38 was sleek but its twin tails gave the Lightning a radical new look. The pilot, pumping 409 rounds per minute from its nose-mounted machine guns, dispatched the Condor in seconds, marking the first successful American engagement of a German aircraft during World War II.
Within six months, as the P-38 showed its versatility in North Africa, a lone hysterical German pilot surrendered to soldiers at an Allied camp near Tunisia, pointing up to the sky and repeating one phrase—“der Gableschwanz Teufl”—over and over.
Once the phrase was translated, U.S. officials realized the focus of the pilot’s madness. The P-38 had been given a new nickname: the “fork-tailed devil.””

And the first appearance in print I could find (from a quick search) is in Popular Science, September 1943:



Richard