September 1990 Vol.73, No. 9

Most airplanes have at least two names--the official one and the one given by the troops.

What They Really Called Them

By Jeffrey P. Rhodes, Aeronautics Editor

After at least four rounds of suggestions and reviews over eight years, the Rockwell B-1 bomber was officially nicknamed "Lancer" this spring. That may catch on as an everyday flight-line reference, or it may not. The airmen who fly and fix airplanes have a long history of deciding for themselves what they will call their machines.

In the list that follows, by no means complete (either in terms of aircraft that have had unofficial nicknames or as a complete list for a given aircraft, some aircraft will be seen to have several "real" (flight-line) nicknames, some affectionate, others derogatory. In some cases, the disrespectful appelations are the work of rivals who fly some other airplane. In other instances, the tough-sounding name was awarded with fondness and used with considerable pride. Still others were given because the airplane was regarded as a "dog."

Aircraft are listed by the date of first flight of the prototype (or specific model), except for such planes as the C-47, which moved over from the commercial world. The dates for those reflect when they joined the military. (Another exception: The SR-71 date is first takeoff of the SR-71--not the A-12--from the Lockheed Skunk Works.) To view the table, click here.