Worst Possible Name For A Combat Aircraft.

So, what would you consider the worst possible (but still mildly plausible) name for a combat aircraft.

There have been a few Lightnings (P38, Arado 234, Macchi 205), a few unique classics (Spitfire, Flying Fortress, Störtebecker, Rigorous Sword), and some embarrasing efforts from the marketing department (Lightning II? Ugh!) but has there ever been - or could there ever be - something as awful as the Ford Edsel? It was named for Henry Ford's son, but respondents to a survey felt it was more likely to be the name of a plough or a tractor.

The best I can think of is this. A state of the art fighter loaded with the name of Peashooter.
Peashooter.arp.750pix.jpg
 
Buffalo - that's a really Rubbish name

What's worse though is taking a good name....I dunno...Wild cat that is a good name and giving a lame name..likeeeeee Martlet???

And then some people are never happy even with a very good name

"Spitfire was just the sort of bloody silly name they would choose."

R J Mitchell on discovering the name Vickers had given his creation
 
Christmas Bullet

c. 1918
Role Scout
National origin United States
Manufacturer Christmas Aeroplane Company
Designer William Whitney Christmas, Vincent Burnelli
First flight January 1919[1]
StatusDestroyed
Number built2

Would not work as "Valentine Arrow", "Easter Missile" or "Thanksgiving Torpedo"

Ah, the Christmas Bullet. I'd forgotten that one. It sounds like sage and onion as a replacement for buckshot. You can kill the turkey and stuff it at the same time.
 
It depends on if you are limiting us to 'official' names. (I don't think Peashooter was an official name) but there is always the name the F-111 got stuck with - Aardvark
 
Buffalo - that's a really Rubbish name

What's worse though is taking a good name....I dunno...Wild cat that is a good name and giving a lame name..likeeeeee Martlet???

And then some people are never happy even with a very good name

"Spitfire was just the sort of bloody silly name they would choose."

R J Mitchell on discovering the name Vickers had given his creation

It was nearly the Supermarine Shrew according to a 1976 TV documentary fronted by Raymond Baxter, which also had Douglas Bader and Adolf Galland in it. It's on Youtube and this is the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDzZnCkbxgs
 

TFSmith121

Banned
Department of Aeronautical Engineering Department

I give you the Blackburn Blackburn - I case you forgot who had built it:

Blackburn_Blackburn_II_in_Flight.jpg


Best,
 

Saphroneth

Banned
The Blackburn Dodo?
Or perhaps the phoenix? Sounds dramatic until you know that the aircraft is an ultra-long-range plywood bomber with no armour or self-sealing fuel tanks to speak of, and as such catches fire all the dang time!
 
What's worse though is taking a good name....I dunno...Wild cat that is a good name and giving a lame name..likeeeeee Martlet???

The FAA committed a worse crime against Grumman. Ladies and gentlemen, I present the Tarpon.
AvengerB-W.bmp


In case you're wondering what a tarpon is, it's this.

Tarpon-rod-in-teeth.gif
 
It depends on if you are limiting us to 'official' names. (I don't think Peashooter was an official name) but there is always the name the F-111 got stuck with - Aardvark

Sorry, I should have made it clearer. You can have official names, unofficial names that were adopted (Warthog) or creative ideas of your own that you could slip past the marketing department.
 

TFSmith121

Banned
The Tarpon is actually a pretty fish to land

The Tarpon is actually a pretty challenging fish to land; pretty good "fighting" fish, like a marlin or sailfish.

But yeah, the whole rename US aircraft with existing nicknames to fill the Admiralty nomenclature system seems a little Department of Redundancy Department to me...

Best,
 
The Tarpon is actually a pretty challenging fish to land; pretty good "fighting" fish, like a marlin or sailfish.

But yeah, the whole rename US aircraft with existing nicknames to fill the Admiralty nomenclature system seems a little Department of Redundancy Department to me...

Best,

The F-4C Phantom II was going to be the F-110A Spectre in the USAF before unified designation system was introduced.

Also the F-86 Sabre was the FJ Fury.
 
What is wrong with Tarpon? It follows Swordfish, Albacore, Barracuda. It shows some consistancy in naming torpedo bombers after gamefish

Avenger sounds like a plane a young man could die in. Tarpon is something your mother buys at the chemists.
 
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