Aircraft Naming Conventions
Naming conventions for aircraft traditionally honor what also appears in the sky: weather, creatures (winged or not), and the cosmos. Since WWII, the manufacturer usually determines an aircraft’s name. Similar to vehicles honoring the land across which they drive, a certain kind of reverence is paid when a name is given to an aircraft. The name is an act of mythologizing.
Manufacturer Patterns
- McDonnell (supernatural creatures, fighters): Banshee, Phantom, Goblin, Demon
- Curtiss (hawks, birds): Warhawk, Tomahawk, Kittyhawk, Skyhawk, Shrike, Condor, Thrush, Seagull
- Douglas (sky, then dominance): Skyknight, Skyray, Skyraider; Cargomaster, Loadmaster, Globemaster
- Lockheed (stars, galaxies): Constellation, Starfighter, Vega, Sirius, Altair, Orion, Tristar
- British Air Service (weather): P-47 Thunderbolt, P-38 Lightning
ICAO Phonetic Alphabet
Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliett, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu. Intentionally misspelled — “Alfa” not “Alpha” — to avoid mispronunciation across languages and accents.
Connected Entries