Summary
- The F4U Corsair fighter jet earned the nickname “Whistling Death” for its superior performance and distinctive whistling sound.
- Qantas named its Boeing 747-400 fleet after Australian cities and major centers, with each aircraft also given the secondary name “Longreach.”
- The Concorde supersonic jet was dubbed the “Time Machine” due to its ability to arrive at a destination earlier than its scheduled departure time.
Throughout history, our skies have been filled with various aircraft types for commercial, military, government, and private purposes. While most planes have tail and flight numbers for identification, it’s worth noting that only some aircraft bear a fun nickname that is often displayed near the cockpit or along the fuselage.
With naming conventions not standardized across the globe, usually dependent on specific nuances and local cultures, some aircraft have rather unique nicknames for particularly memorable or sometimes grave reasons. With many dozens of nicknames given to the different types over several decades, here are our top five favorites and some backstories.
1 Whistling Death
There’s nothing like a chilling yet rebellious nickname for one of World War II’s most iconic fighter jets. Known officially as the F4U Corsair, the Whistling Death nickname was given for its versatility in out-climbing, out-running, and out-fighting any other propeller aircraft it faced from the opposing side. The nickname also paid tribute to the aircraft’s distinctive sound due to its then-innovative bent-wing design.
The design saw the intake for the turbo-supercharger, intercooler, and oil cooler in slots in the inboard leading edges of the wings. As air ran through these slots at high speeds, the sounds emitted sounded like a whistle. And given the type’s kill ratio and overall victorious statistics in air combat, Whistling Death turned out to be a suitable moniker for the F4U Corsair.
2 Longreach
Flag carrier Qantas is one airline that has consistently been naming every plane since its founding in the 1920s, beginning with the small propeller aircraft that used to do the mail runs across Queensland. But perhaps the most iconically named aircraft in the airline’s fleet were the flag carrier’s Boeing 747-400s, each named after Australia’s capital cities and major centers.
Photo: Ryan Fletcher | Shutterstock
These included nicknames such as the City of Canberra – the jumbo jet that flew the record-breaking 20-hour non-stop delivery flight from London to Sydney. Other names include the City of Darwin and Kangaroo Island. Each of the Boeing 747-400s was also given a secondary name, Longreach, after an employee suggested recognizing both the small Queensland town where Qantas first started and the Boeing aircraft’s incredible range.
3 Blue Angel’s Muse
Formed in 1946, the US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, known as the Blue Angels, is the second-oldest formal aerobatic team worldwide. Although the demonstration team flew many aircraft types throughout the decades, a particularly iconic aircraft fleet was the F-11 Tigers, utilized from the 1950s to the end of the 1960s. While F9 Cougars were also flown during this period, the F-11 Tigers earned the nickname the Blue Angel’s Muse.
Photo: NYC Russ | Shutterstock
The moniker came as the type was chosen as the team’s primary aircraft, given its sleek and elegant design, allowing the Blue Angels to perform mesmerizing aerial maneuvers while embodying equivalent grace and precision. During this period, the demonstration squad also introduced the first six-plane delta formation, which is still committed to this day.
4 Time Machine
Famed chiefly for revolutionizing supersonic travel, Concorde was sometimes known as the Supersonic Bird of Prey due to its distinct, bird-like aerodynamic design and overall representation of the epitome of luxury air travel and unmatched speed in commercial aviation. But perhaps the most well-known nickname for this aircraft was the Time Machine.
Thanks to its ability to fly through the skies at twice the speed of sound and breaking the traditional boundaries of air travel, Concorde earned that moniker after being vastly marketed as the only aircraft that could take off from the point of origin and land at its intended destination before the departure time.
5 Flying Fortress
Having played a pivotal role in the outcome of World War II, the Boeing B-17 was a four-engined heavy bomber aircraft used by the US Air Force. I boasted an effective weapons system that allowed it to drop more bombs during the war compared to other American aircraft. With its statistics and overall appearance, it is no surprise that this aircraft is often called the Flying Fortress.
Photo: BlueBarronPhoto | Shutterstock
The nickname is said to have come from a reporter for The Seattle Times in 1935 when Boeing publicly debuted the B-17. The individual exclaimed how the aircraft was a ‘flying fortress’ with its heavy firepower and multiple machine gun placements. The US manufacturer recognized the value of such a name and subsequently had it trademarked.
Do you have any other favorite aircraft nicknames? Please share with us in the comments below.