Who gives the german planes their "names"?

[The_Math_Teacher]

Hi, just wondering who gives to them their name according to their letter model... 109E - "Emil"... 109G - "Gustav" and so on... It came from the factory, the pilots or the mechanics?

[MiloMorai]

[The_Math_Teacher]

Thanks 

[Emgy]

Yes, they sound like nicknames, but it was the military phonetic alphabet, like foxtrot charlie etc.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Calvamos

[Pierre64]

Bf 109 F: "Fritz" or "Friedrich"?

[Rama]

"Fritz" is the diminutive of "Friedrich". So even if "Friedrich" is generally used in the books, I guess you could use both.

[Bladderburst]

I like the FW190's nickname. Most people think it has to do with bloodbath and carnage when in fact it's just about that little guy:

[Kurfurst]

Well, he definitely has the same stubby looks, hehe!

[=LD=4brkfast]

Each country had some names(given by the pilots), tho sometimes the names were the same over different countries.

 

The P39, for example was designated Aerocobra. But perhaps the VVS called it something else?

 

The Fw190 was called the 'strangler' by the Luftwaffe pilots. And the RAF called it the 'Butcher Bird', appropriately.

 

I suppose it's sometimes a difference of propaganda, official designations and pilot nicknames.

 

The P47 was designated the Republican Thunderbolt. The Pilots called it the Jug, why? It looked like a milk jug. :D

 

The F4U was designated the Corsair(not a bad name). The Pilots called it the 'hog'. Because of it's flat, pig-like nose.

 

Just some fun examples.

[Bladderburst]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butcherbird

[Narushima]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butcherbird

 

It's actually http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrike

 

It's nickname was "Würger", which is the German name for shrike. Shrikes are also known as butcher birds due to their feeding habits, which involve impaling victims on thorns and barbed wires and literally butchering them.

 

 

The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes are also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Narushima

[Bladderburst]

Yup you're correct.

I doubt that the Germans would name a plane a strangler, it's like I'd proudly name my plane "The Rapist".

[Narushima]

Aye. Although I think they named it after the shrike not because of it's eating habits (butchering pray) but because of it's flying abilities.

 

Shrikes are really amazing flyers. Able to float like a hummingbird and dive like a hawk, they are just what Kurt Tank would have wanted from a bird

 

[Bladderburst]

They named it because of the shrike's exhaust soot around the eyes .