Aircraft Nicknames

[VEGAS]

I know we have'nt covered Russian stuff yet but because I like them so much, here are the list of NATO nicknames (well codenames actually) for the Soviet flying machines..

Antonov

An-2/3 = "Colt"
An-8 = "Camp"
An-10 = "Cat"
An-12 = "Cub"
An-14 = "Clod"
An-22 = "Cock"
An-24 = "Coke"
An-26 = "Curl"
An-28 = "Cash"
An-30 = "Clank"
An-32 = "Cline"
An-72/74 = "Coaler"
An-74AEW = "Madcap"
An-124 = "Condor"
An-225 = "Cossack"
Beriev
Be-2 = "Mote"
Be-6 = "Madge"
Be-8 = "Mole"
Be-10 = "Mallow"
Be-12 = "Mail"
Be-30 = "Cuff"
Be-40/42/44 = "Mermaid"
Chetverikov
Che-2 = "Mug"
Ilyushin
Il-2 = "Bark"
Il-4 = "Bob"
Il-10 = "Beast"
Il-12 = "Coach"
Il-14 = "Crate"
Il-18/20/22 = "Coot"
Il-28 = "Beagle"
Il-28U = "Mascot"
Il-38 = "May"
Il-40 = "Brawny"
Il-54 = "Blowlamp"
Il-62 = "Classic"
Il-76 = "Candid"
Il-78 = "Midas"
Il-86 = "Camber"
Ilyushin/Beriev
A-50 = "Mainstay"
Kamov
Ka-10 = "Hat"
Ka-15 = "Hen"
Ka-18 = "Hog"
Ka-20 = "Harp"
Ka-22 = "Hoop"
Ka-25 = "Hormone"
Ka-26/126/128/226 = "Hoodlum"
Ka-27/28/29/32 = "Helix"
Ka-50 = "Hokum"
Lavochkin
La-7 = "Fin"
La-9 = "Fritz"
La-11 = "Fang"
La-15 = "Fantail"
Lisunov
Li-2 = "Cab"
Mikoyan-Gurevich
MiG-9 = "Fargo"
MiG-15 = "Fagot" (I feel sorry for the poor jet!)
MiG-15U = "Midget"
MiG-17 = "Fresco"
MiG-19 = "Farmer"
MiG-21 = "Fishbed"
MiG-21U = "Mongol"
MiG-23/27 = "Flogger"
MiG-23-01 = "Faithless"
MiG-25 = "Foxbat"
MiG-29/30/33 = "Fulcrum"
MiG-31 = "Foxhound"
Ye-2A = "Faceplate"
Ye-152A = "Flipper"
Mil
Mi-1 = "Hare"
Mi-2 = "Hoplite"
Mi-4 = "Hound"
Mi-6/22 = "Hook"
Mi-8/9/17/171 = "Hip"
Mi-10 = "Harke"
Mi-12 = "Homer"
Mi-14 = "Haze"
Mi-24/25/35 = "Hind"
Mi-26 = "Halo"
Mi-28 = "Havoc"
Mi-34 = "Hermit"
Myasishchyev
M-3/4 = "Bison"
M-17/55 = "Mystic"
M-50/52 = "Bounder"
Petlyakov
Pe-2 = "Buck"
Polikarpov
Po-2 = "Mule"
Sukhoi
Su-7/17/20/22 = "Fitter"
Su-7U = "Moujik"
Su-9/11 = "Fishpot"
Su-11U = "Maiden"
Su-15 = "Flagon"
Su-24 = "Fencer"
Su-25/28 = "Frogfoot"
Su-27/30/33/34/35 = "Flanker"
Tupolev
Tu-2/6 = "Bat"
Tu-4/80 = "Bull"
Tu-10 = "Frosty"
Tu-14/89 = "Bosun"
Tu-16 = "Badger"
Tu-20/95/142 = "Bear"
Tu-22 = "Blinder"
Tu-22M = "Backfire"
Tu-70 = "Cart"
Tu-82 = "Butcher"
Tu-85 = "Barge"
Tu-91 = "Boot"
Tu-98 = "Backfin"
Tu-104 = "Camel"
Tu-110 = "Cooker"
Tu-114 = "Cleat"
Tu-124 = "Cookpot"
Tu-126 = "Moss"
Tu-128 = "Fiddler"
Tu-134 = "Crusty"
Tu-144 = "Charger"
Tu-154 = "Careless"
Tu-160 = "Blackjack"
Yakovlev
Yak-6/8 = "Crib"
Yak-7U = "Mark"
Yak-9 = "Frank"
Yak-10 = "Crow"
Yak-11 = "Moose"
Yak-12 = "Creek"
Yak-14 = "Mare"
Yak-15/17 = "Feather"
Yak-16 = "Cork"
Yak-17U = "Magnet"
Yak-18 = "Max"
Yak-23 = "Flora"
Yak-24 = "Horse"
Yak-25/27 = "Flashlight"
Yak-25RV = "Mandrake"
Yak-27R = "Mangrove"
Yak-28 = "Brewer"
Yak-28P = "Firebar"
Yak-28U = "Maestro"
Yak-30 = "Magnum"
Yak-32 = "Mantis"
Yak-36 = "Freehand"
Yak-38 = "Forger"
Yak-40 = "Codling"
Yak-41/141 = "Freestyle"
Yak-42 = "Clobber"

[britishtourer]

Hormone?!!! :think:

Fagot?!!! :think:

[Chris Trott]

Vegas, we're talking the unofficial nicknames given to airplanes by crew, maintainers, passengers, etc., not the official designations.

BTW, one of those links shows "Aardvark" as the nickname for the F-111. That's the aircraft's official name, not a nickname. As well, the B-36 was never called the Aluminium Overcast. It was and always will be "Magnesium Overcast".

[d0mokun]

"Banana Jet"- Bucc..
"Tin Triangle"- Vulcan..

Apologies if these are already posted.. I didn't see them though!

Dan.

[VEGAS]

Vegas, we're talking the unofficial nicknames given to airplanes by crew, maintainers, passengers, etc., not the official designations.

Hi Chris,

I am aware of that matey. I put a line in my post refering to the fact they were actual NATO codenames for the aircraft. However, because of this fact its not been uncommon, certainly in my experience, for people to refer to the aircraft from their actual codename which in turn has kind of become its AKA nickname and its kind of stuck.

I have often had discussions with aviation enthusiasts who talk about a 'Crusty' at an airport or perhaps a 'Fishbed' they have seen recently etc..

Obviously I think this is exclusive to the Soviet machines

ATB

[Garry Russell]

Thanks Eddie

I took the post in the vein it was intended as you pointed out the NATO code names.

I am glad you took the opportunity to post that as it is good info but not one that is easily slipped into a normal post

It is I feel pertinent as well as it show that some names that folks might have though were nicknames were "Official" so a very useful list.

Thanks for taking the time and trouble to type it out and post.


Garry

[Kevin Farnell]

I put a line in my post referring to the fact they were actual NATO codenames for the aircraft.ATB

These are indeed, official NATO codes for the respective aircraft.
They were issued to help against confusion with difficult to pronounce Soviet manufacturers names.
Incidentally, the codes were also linked with aircraft roles.

NATO codes beginning

B = bomber
C = cargo/transporter
F = fighter
H = helicopter
M = miscellaneous

I believe that a similar idea was applied to Japanese aircraft during WWII.
Eg 'ZERO'
and 'BETTY'

Kevin

PS I learned all of these when in the Air Cadets Aircraft Recognition Team.

[DispatchDragon]

Kevin -- NOT trying to split hairs - I thought that the A6M allied codename was Zeke and that Zero actually referred to the japaneses year in which it was built????

Course I have been knwon to be wrong - And Im sure our resident expert on everything will be along to correct me shortly

[Chris Trott]

I know that most of the names were chosen for their familiarity by "farm boys" who made up a sizeable portion of the US military. Names like "Zeke", "Betty", "Oscar", "Nate", etc. were relatively common names back then and thus were easier to remember.

[LongHaul]

I believe that 'Zeke' was the codename for landplane and carrier based Zeros - the floatplane was something else again. 'Zero' did refer to a Japanese produuction designation, but I'm not sure if it was linked to the year the a/c entered service in