Quote:
Originally Posted by Sailor Steve
One of my favorite 'unofficial' nicknames were the whole series applied to the aircraft from Seversky/Republic.
Plane.......... Official Nickname.......... Unofficial Nickname
P-47........... Thunderbolt................ Jug (this is claimed in some sources to be short for "Juggernaut", but in fact refers to the shape of the plane if stood on its nose). This also led to the other nickname - "Seven-Ton Milk Bottle"
F-84........... Thunderjet.................. Hawg
F-105......... Thunderchief................ Thud, Thunderthud, Lead Sled
A-10........... Thunderbolt II.............. Warthog
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You got the A-10 somewhat wrong A-10 drivers call it simply "Hog" trust me I used to work with these guys everyday."Warthog" was the name that pilots and maintenance crews originally named it back in the late 70's but developed into simply "Hog" a long time before I was ever working around them.I used to love talking the F-16 and F-15 pilots they would always say how badly that wanted to fly the Hog.
I heard that RAF pilots where the ones to call the P-47 Jug after a milk jug due to its massive size and lack of appeal that the Spitfire had.
One of the more interesting nicknames goes to the B-1B officially the "Lancer" it is known a simply as "Bone".
The F-16 is another example of an unpopular official nick name Lockheed went with "Fighting Falcon"(after the Air Force Academy football team "Fighting Falcons") while many even in the company and also its test pilots wanted to call it "Viper" because its shape is like that of a vipers head when it strikes.F-16 pilots have called it the "Viper" ever since I hear that they do mean things to you if call it Fighting Falcon.