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Aircraft names. Of Beaks, Bones, Sluffs and Stoofs.

3

3/7charlie

Guest
I got to thinking about the names that aircaft receive from their makers, and purchasers, versus
the names given by their aircrews and maintainers. Thought it might make for an interesting
thread/ quiz, so- here's is a short list of cant names for some aircraft, see if you can
name the plane, and add any you know of! Some have been used on different aircraft, some aircraft attract multiple
names depending on era and opperator. If you know the origin of the handle, do tell! Some are well known,
some are obscure.
1- SLUFF
2- BUFF
3- Malfunction Junction
4- BONE
5- Beak
6- Ford
7- Banana
8- Stoof
9- Hiss
10- 'Vark
11- Sparkvark
12- Aluminium death tube
13- Ensign eliminator
14- Led Sled
15- Zip tube
16- Vibrator
17- All three dead
18- Willy Fudd
19- Hog
20- Pig
21- Hummer
22- 'Sader
23- Thud
24- Clunk
25- Drut
26- Zipper
27- Hose nose
28- Scooter
29- Wimpy
30- Shagbat
31- Middle River Stump-Jumper
32- Hoover/ War-Hoover
33- Awl
34- Spad
35- Duce
36- Tweet
37- Hun
38- Bug
39- Beast
40- Sonofabitch 2nd class
41- Dak
42- Hallibag
42- Turkey
43- Maytag Messerschmit
44- Dumbo
45- Jolly Green Giant


Have fun
3/7charlie
 
Not sure on those, here are my guesses:

SLUFF should be A-7 Corsair II
BUFF is Big Ugly Fat Fellow, B-52
Bone was B-1, IIRC
Hog is A-10 Thunderbolt II
Jolly Green Giant is a MH-53 I think...
Thud could be F-100
 
Thats a great one, eh Stiz. no gimmes yet. But it was a early AWACS

3/7charlie
 
I'll name what I can, as a game:
2- BUFF - B-17, B-29, B-52. Take your pick.
4- BONE - B1 Lancer
10- 'Vark - Advark?
11- Sparkvark - Advark again?
13- Ensign eliminator - Couple of planes, but most common is F4U Corsair
19- Hog - F4U and A-10
20- Pig - F4U and A-10 again
27- Hose nose - F4U again
38- Bug - I'm assuming the F/A-18 early versions, and the F and E versions are known as Super Hornets or "Superbugs"
40- Sonofabitch 2nd class - SB2C Dauntless
42- Hallibag - Halifax?
43- Maytag Messerschmit - Ryan PT-22
44- Dumbo - I'll assume C-130
45- Jolly Green Giant - Again, C-130? (after reading a previous comment, I'm sure it is the 53 now.)
 
Bit tough most of them!! But these are what I know:

1- SLUFF A-7
2- BUFF B-52
3- Malfunction Junction
4- BONE B-1B
5- Beak
6- Ford
7- Banana That weird chinook-like helicopter that isn't a chinook
8- Stoof
9- Hiss
10- 'Vark F-111
11- Sparkvark EF-111
12- Aluminium death tube
13- Ensign eliminator
14- Led Sled SR-71
15- Zip tube
16- Vibrator
17- All three dead A-3D
18- Willy Fudd
19- Hog A-10
20- Pig
21- Hummer
22- 'Sader
23- Thud F-105 Thunderchief
24- Clunk
25- Drut
26- Zipper
27- Hose nose
28- Scooter A-4 Skyhawk
29- Wimpy
30- Shagbat
31- Middle River Stump-Jummper
32- Hoover/ War-Hoover
33- Awl
34- Spad
35- Duce
36- Tweet T-37
37- Hun F-100
38- Bug
39- Beast
40- Sonofabitch 2nd class
41- Dak
42- Hallibag Halifax
42- Turkey
43- Maytag Messerschmit
44- Dumbo
45- Jolly Green Giant H-53
 
Stoof = Grumman Tracker (S-2F)

Tweet = Cessna T-37

'Vark = F-111

Sparkvark = EF-111

All three dead = A-3D Skywarrior

'Sader = F-8 Crusader

Thud = F-105?

Sonofabitch 2nd class = SB2C

Dak = Dakota

Turkey = Grumman Avenger

Ensign eliminator = F4U Corsair

Shagbat = I know a Supermarine model by that name, but that's not a nick..

This is as far as I get without googling..
 
"Stoof with a roof" = E1 Tracer
Erpcup= Ercoupe
Slick=Bell UH1 series (troop transports)
Charlie Model=Bell UH1C
Hog=UH1C gunship
 
Ferry_VO is getting there. B-36 was called, by the PR flaks, The magnsium overcast. doubt the aircrews called it that. It actually had a fairly low attrition rate. We haven't flushed any zipper drivers out yet? Never heard BUFF applied to anything but a B-52. I have read that in wartime Japan, the B-29 was refered to as 'B-san'. Who ever cracks the list or the most of it is going to have to come up with the next list! So is Century.
3/7charlie
 
SLUFF => A-7
BUFF => B-52
BONE => B-1
Ford => F4D Skyray
Banana => CH-47
Hiss => F-104?
'Vark => F-111
Sparkvark => EF-111
Ensign eliminator => T-2?
Led Sled => F-105(?)
Zip tube => F-104?
Vibrator => UH-1?
Willy Fudd => F-100D?
Hog => A-10
Pig => F-4?
'Sader => F-8
Thud => F-105
Zipper => F-104
Scooter => A-4
Wimpy => Wellington
Hoover/ War-Hoover => F-100(?)
Spad => A-1
Tweet => T-37
Hun => F-100
Bug => F-18
Sonofabitch 2nd class => SF2C?
Dak => C-47 (RAF)
Turkey => F-14
Dumbo => C-117
Jolly Green Giant => HH-3C


You forgot "Rhino", btw. :d
 
Bjoern and Century have hammered the '104, but one. Have heard the '117 called the 'wobblin Gobblin' but never dumbo. But hey, I've never strived for perfection, and I think I've acheived that goal! I usually carry a third shoe around with me.Saves time when it comes to putting my foot in my mouth!
3/7charlie
 
1- SLUFF A-7 Corsair
2- BUFF B-52
3- Malfunction Junction
4- BONE B-1 LANCER
5- Beak B-2 Spirit
6- Ford Douglas Skyray
7- Banana HS Buccaneer
8- Stoof Grumman Tracker
9- Hiss
10- 'Vark F-111
11- Sparkvark EF-111
12- Aluminium death tube B-36, B-52
13- Ensign eliminator F4U Corsair, F-7U Cutlass
14- Led Sled CF-100, f3h Demon
15- Zip tube F-104 ?
16- Vibrator VC-9 Vanguard
17- All three dead A-3D Skywarrior
18- Willy Fudd E-1 Tracer
19- Hog A-10
20- Pig F-111, B737
21- Hummer E-2 Hawkeye
22- 'Sader F-8 Crusader
23- Thud F-105 Thunderchief
24- Clunk Dauntless
25- Drut F3d Skynight
26- Zipper F-104 Starfighter
27- Hose nose
28- Scooter A-4 Skyhawk
29- Wimpy Vickers Wellington
30- Shagbat Supermarine Walrus
31- Middle River Stump-Jumper
32- Hoover/ War-Hoover S-3 Viking
33- Awl
34- Spad Skyraider
35- Duce f-102 Delta dagger
36- Tweet A-37
37- Hun F-100
38- Bug FA-18
39- Beast SB2C Helldiver
40- Sonofabitch S2BC Helldiver
41- Dak DC3 Dakota
42- Hallibag HP Halifax
42- Turkey F-14 Tomcat
43- Maytag Messerschmit PT-22 Recruit
44- Dumbo PBY-5 Ccatalina
45- Jolly Green Giant HH-53
 
Aluminium death tube => F-104

Could be, since the Zipper was also known in Germany as the "coffin nail", "widowmaker" and "tent peg".
 
Some of these names have been applied more than once to a single aircraft. I have heard reference for example of an F4U being called a "hog," "hose nose" and "ensign eliminator." A-10 the same thing.

I have heard BUFF used for some bombers. It is usually applied to the B-52, but I have heard it in reference to the B-17 and B-29, and even the B-36, in which cases it was simply a name applied to any large bomber.

BTW, I have heard reference of the 104 being called the "lawn dart."
 
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