Aircraft Nicknames – The 100+ Most Creative Ones With Explanations

Military Aircraft Nicknames

US Military Aircraft Nicknames

B-1 Lancer – Bone, lengthened form of “B-1” (“B-one”)

B-2 Spirit – Beak, reference to its sharp nose, Voron (Russian for “hawk”), Boomerang reference to its shape

A-7 Corsair II – SLUF (Short Little Ugly Feller)

C-17 Globemaster III – Barney

A-1 Skyraider – Able Dog, reference to its original “AD” (Attack aircraft, Douglas) designation, Zorro, Spad, Fat Face (A-1E), Sandy

A-6 Intruder – Drumstick, Pregnant Guppy, Whale (KA-6)

B-52 Stratofortress – BUFF, Big Ugly Fat F****r

C-121 Constellation – Connie, short form of “Constellation”

C-124 Globemaster II – Shakey. If you ever flew aboard one you’d quickly understand why. Aluminium Overcast, as well.

F-4 Phantom II – Double ugly, Eisensau (German for “iron pig”), Fliegende Ziegelstein (German for “flying brick”), Luftverteidigungsdiesel (German for “air defense diesel”)

U-2 – Dragon Lady, Angel

O-2 Skymaster – Cessna suck-blow, reference to the pusher and puller engine arrangement, The duck, Mixmaster, Oscar Deuce, long form of the “O-2” designation, Pushmepullyou

F-16 Fighting Falcon – Electric jet, reference to its “fly by wire” operation

H-21 Shawnee – Flying banana, reference to its shape

F-104 Starfighter – Flying coffin, reference to the number of Luftwaffe crashes, Zipper, Missile With A Man In It, Sled, Widowmaker (in the Luftwaffe), Erdnagel (tent pegs)

C-5 Galaxy – Aluminum Overcast, Cumulus Aluminus, Big Mac, Fat Albert, FRED (Foolishly Ridiculous Economic Disaster), Linda Lovelace, Queer (every time it kneels, it blows something)

CH-46 Sea Knight – Frog

KC-135 Stratotanker – Strato-Bladder, Steam Jet, Fanbird (R version)

F-15 Eagle – Flying tennis court, reference to the size of the wings, Big Bird

F-15E Strike Eagle – Beagle (Bomber Eagle)

A-4 Skyhawk – Heinemann’s hot rod, reference to the designer Ed Heinemann. The A-4 was also lovingly referred to as the Scooter by pilots and crews. Bantam Bomber

F-117 Nighthawk – Hopeless diamond, a play on “Hope diamond” because of its unairworthy-looking shape, Wobblin’ Goblin, reference to its supposed instability in flight, BatPlane, Cockroach, Roach (they only come out at night)

UH-1 Iroquois – Huey, derived from its original “Hu-1” designation, Teppichklopfer (German for “carpet beater”)

E-2 Hawkeye – Hummer

F-100 Super Sabre – Hun, short for “hundred”, a reference to its designation. Also called Lead sled.

AC-47 ‘Spooky’ gunship – Puff the Magic Dragon, Night Dragon Lady because of its three 6-barrel 7.62×51 mini-guns firing 2K-6K rds per minute of fire breathing red tracer ammo at night.

AT-6 Texan – The pilot maker, Awful Terrible Six

S-2 Tracker – Stoof

F-105 Thunderchief – Thud, Nickle

A-10 Thunderbolt II – Warthog, Hog

XF-84H – ground crews nicknamed it “Thunderscreech” because the plane was so loud. The XF-84H remains the loudest aircraft ever produced.

A-37 Dragonfly – Dog Whistle, Converter (jet fuel into noise)

F-14 Tomcat – Turkey, Bombcat (bomb capable version), Peeping Tom (equipped w/TARPS), Tomturkey

Douglas F4D Skyray – Ford

Chance-Vought F7U Cutlass – Gutless (It was underpowered)

Douglas A3D Skywarrior – All Three Dead

Convair B-36 Peacemaker – Aluminium Overcast, Big Stick, Six Turning Four Burning

McDonnell F2H Banshee – Banjo

Lockheed C-130 Hercules – Bleed-Air Blimp

McDonnell XF-85 Goblin – Bumble Bee

Russian Military Aircraft Nicknames

Su-27 was nicknamed the Zhuravlik (Crane) and sometimes Sushka

MiG-29 was called, well, Fulcrum in Russian service. Apparently, their crews thought the name to be rather fitting.

Su-25 – Grach (Rook). Su-25 was sometimes called the Russian word for Comb (Raschoska) because of the many pylons on each wing, it looked like a comb in plain view.

Tu-160 – Biyeliy Lebed (White Swan)

Tu-22 (Blinder) was the Russian word for Awl (Shilo) as in the leather punch, because it looks like one.

Mi-24 is invariable – Krokodil

Su-9 and Su-11 supposedly were nicknamed Balalaika because of their shape

Two-seat trainers like MiG-21UM, Mig-23UB, and others are called Sparka which is a slang designation of something that is paired

Mig-23 was called Chiboraska (a popular Russian TV cartoon) in some units. In GDR units the Mig-23 was called “The Piper” due high noise of its engine

Dove of Peace – Golub Mira was the humorous nickname for any early MiG or Su fighters that did not have a built-in cannon

WWII World War 2 Nicknames

UC-78 Bobcat – Boxkite, Brasshat, Rhapsody in Glue, Useless-78, a play on the UC-78 designation, Wichita Wobbler

F4U Corsair – Bent wing bird, reference to its gull-wing design. Ensign Eliminator (a handful for inexperienced pilots)

North American B-25 Mitchell – Billy’s Bomber

Beech C-45 Expeditor – Bug Smasher

Martin B-26 Marauder – Widowmaker, Baltimore Wh**e (small wings = “No visible means of support”)

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt – Jug

F6F Hellcat – Ace Maker, reference to its success in battle

Douglas SBD Dauntless – Slow But Deadly, long form of the “SBD” designation. Barge

P-39 Airacobra – Britchik, Russian for “Little shaver“

SB2C Helldiver – Son of a B**ch, 2nd Class, long form of the “SB2C” designation, Beast

Grumman Avenger – Tarpon, early British designation

Consolidated C-109 – C-One-oh-BOOM

Vultee BT-13 Valiant – Bee Tee

Fairey Swordfish – Blackfish

Curtiss XP-55 Ascender – Ass-Ender

C-46 Commando – The Whale

SB2C Helldiver – The Beast

UC-78 Bobcat – Bamboo bomber

C-47 Skytrain – Gooney bird

PT-22 Recruit – Maytag Messerschmitt

F3F – Flying barrel, reference to its shape

V-1 – Buzz Bomb

WWI World War 1 Nicknames

Handley Page 0/400 – Bloody Paraliser

Bristol F.2B – Biff, Brisfit

Civilian Aircraft Nicknames

A318 – Nanobus

A319 – Microbus

A320 – MiniBus, NintendoJet, ScareBus, Chainsaw, Toulouse Grasscutter, A320 is known as ‘The John Wayne‘ because they ‘Chop down trees, move mountains…’

A380 – Double Decker Bus, Megabus

BAC 111 – Pocket rocket

BAe146 – Viscount 900, Smurfjet with 5 APU’s, Bumble-et, BabyJumbo, Bring Another Engine, 1-4-Sick, Tonka Toy, 4 oil leaks connected by an electrical fault, TheQuadra-Puff, Lead Sled, Mini Galaxy, Sky Dozer, Fisher Price 747, “1 aeroplane, 4engines, needs 6”

Beech 18 – Flying snag

Beech 99 – 99-Liner