Good day USA.
F-35 - JSF, Raptor - Lightning II.
Who actually decided to call your new front line air superiority fighter, Raptor ?
Why was Lightning II dropped ?
Which do you prefer ?
Happy Modelling
Mick C.
I think you are confusing 2 different airplanes, the f-22 and the f-35.
The f-35 never had the raptor name attached to it, that is the f-22. I don’t think lightning II has been dropped from the f-35. It gets a bit confusing because the prototype for the f-22 was named the lightning II I believe.
To sum it up
F-22 Raptor (although Raptor was dropped and it became F/A 22 …then the /A was dropped and it’s now f-22 and I think the raptor part is back [:D]), F-35 Lightning II
Why and who names them? Dunno. I can’t say that I like either name.
Thanks very much for the clarification.
I find that names stick and numbers slide memory wise, we prefer names this side of the pond, more evocative. Who but the Brits would call a ship HMS Alacrity !! Never did find out who came up with Spitfire though, Genius [bow]
Best Wishes,
Mick C.
Hmmm… TOMCAT BABY!
I know its time to let go, but its so hard…[:(]
I find the Americans use both numbers and names: Mustang, Lightning, Hellcat, Wildcat, Panther, Black Widow, Hornet, Tomcat, Raptor, Eagle, Phantom, Flying Fortress, Superfortress, plus many more. While all of them have their letter/number designation, each also had an official (and sometimes unofficial) name, such as: B-52 Stratofortress (BUFF), P-47 Thunderbolt (Jug), or the B-1 Lancer (Bone).
It would seem that most of the nicknames are given from crew members or people that work on/around the planes. The Tomcat is called a Turkey because of its look when its landing, all the moving surfaces. The A-10 ThunderBolt II is called warthog because its tough as nails and ugly as hell! The B-1 is called the Bone because of B-ONE. Its very uncommon to hear an F-16 called a Fighting Falcon, everyone I talk to calls them Vipers. Most of the time these unofficial nicknames are more recognized than the number designation. Now how do they come up with taht anyway?
I believe I recall reading that the number is an indicator of the specific design for that manufacturer of that type. So F-16 is the 16th fighter design submitted to the government from General Dyanamics. Of course… I may be recovering the wrong memories… [;)]
Actually, it’s a closely guarded secret only recently revealed. So keep this quiet, of course.
But…
It’s an old guy at a Waffle House on the Jersey Turnpike named Herman “Gus” Lebowitz. Been naming planes since 1936. Says it’s what keeps him young. His only regret was not naming something “Scary Spider”.
[(-D] [(-D] [(-D] [(-D]
That sounds logical, I’m going with it, right or wrong, dang the torpedos… sorry, thanks for the info Jon!
Jon
You’re remembering the old Navy system. The current (USAF) system has no connection to manufacturer. The numbers are usually chosen from some supposedly sequential sets, but with exceptions. There seem to be gaps sometimes, and sometimes a plane starts out experimental and is redesignated to the mainline list but keeps the same number, e.g., X-35 to F-35. Also, the numbers are sometimes reset and start over. The F-4 started out as the F-110.
It seems to me the Navy system made more sense. IIRC, the whole silly thing can be blamed on McNamara (remember him?) But then, he also came up with the F-111B.
HTH
Dick
The A was not dropped, it’s at the end now F-22A. It’s been that way since 2005.
The name was never dropped ether, it’s still F-22A Raptor.
Lightning II was the name for the prototype airframe, since the new jet is build on a boeing (I think) airframe it’s a new jet, thus a new name, Raptor.
There is an official Air Force commitee that picks names for new aircraft. It is the same committee that was told to assemble a horse, back when the United States Air Force was the United States Army Air Corps. After considerable effort, they came up with a camel…
Dagnabit! Dave Voss still hasn’t fixed the smilies and links buttons!
Here’s an interesting website which explains the designation system and the quirks and oddities which have occurred.
But…didn’t our American allies use alot of the British names for aircraft. ie (USA)Apache-(Brit) Mustang…the wildcat and hellcat were named off the drawing board at Grumman. The Brits thought the P47 was called “the jug” because it was short for Juggernaut not the fact that it looked like a milk Jug on it’s side…we could go on to the SB2C Helldiver, coined off the carriers as Son of a B*tch 2nd class…anyone else want to add some more colourful names given to aircraft?
Cheers Jim
I had never heard that explanation for the Helldiver, but I LOVE it!!! [(-D] [#toast] Thanks for making my day with that one, mate!
Brian [C):-)]
ROFLMAO. That has got to be the most hilarious explanation I have ever heard. Even more so because it is very close to the truth.
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara thoroughly screwed up nearly everything he touched or even got close to, but he did it right with the universal renumbering system for all of the services.
Darwin, O.F. [alien]
Thanks all.
What was just an idle thought and a muse on the why of things has thrown up some fascinating facts and much humour.
Glad you all enjoyed popping your thoughts in here.
The forum spirit is alive and well.
Best Wishes to you all [tup]
Mick C.
Viper Has The Lead;
The names for the American Aircraft is done by the Department of Defense and/or the major service that will buy the most for that aircraft like back in the day when the manufactures named their aircraft when they first came out but during WWII the War Deparment told the manufactures to give the plane an aggressive or a war fighting name, a good example is the F-22 it had 2 different names in it’s history, when it first came out the YF-22 it was named the Lightning II, but then when it came into production the name was changed to the Raptor, and the Lightning II name was handed over to the F-35’s, but before the DoD/Joint Cheifs named the planes the manufactures did a great job on naming their creations, the F-4 Phantom II, F4U Corsair, P-40 Warhawk (Kittyhawk for those in the British Empire), B-24 Libarator, Supermirine Spitfire and so on.
Sadly, Jon, we don’t have any Waffle Houses here in New Jersey - on the Turnpike or anywhere else. I’d have to go all the way down to North or South Carolina to find one. Not that it isn’t worth the trip, though…
If we did have Waffle Houses in the past… well, it figures - that’s New Jersey for you. Out with the good, in with the bad. We’re always doing things bass-ackwards.
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As for the origin or the name ‘Spitfire’ - 3 RN ships carried that name prior to the 1930’s - the last one a destroyer that was present at the battle of Jutland. My initial thought is always that it was named after the character in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1 - until I remember that his name was Hotspur. I always do that, though. The RAF ‘aircraft-naming committee’ of the 1930’s seemed to love alliteration, though - Gloster Gladiator & Gamecock, Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire - and with her initial armament of 8 .303’s, she certainly seemed to do just that - spit fire.
http://integrator.hanscom.af.mil/2005/December/12152005/12152005-13.htm
The /A was dropped. The A at the end is for the variant, not attack role.
…unless something has changed again [:D]
You are definitely right about not dropping the Raptor part.