CBK's and "Iconic Aircraft"

[JamesPerrin]

Now tell me that this isn't:

a) a CBK and;
b) an iconic aircraft.

Until you can say it with a straight face, I'll not concede

It seems more related to choosing a box art to build whereas this thread is about creating a list of a/c

[carlos]

From my missus:
Concorde
Jumbo-Jet
Jump-Jet
Spitfire
Messerschmitt (when pushed she said 'the fighter' - so that would be the 109)
633 squadron (mossie)
Lancaster
Red Baron - 'Red with 3 wings' (Dr.1)
Red Arrows (no specific plane)
Enola Gay - no idea of model, just knew it dropped the A-bomb on japan
Memphis Belle - again, no idea of model
B-52
Hindenburg
Wright bros.
'Stealth' bomber
and 10 mins later.....
'Airbus', but no idea on model number.

I'm at my monthly Astronomical Society meeting in a few days - Might do an impromptu straw-poll there.

[Brickie]

One thing that is interesting is that while "our" planes often get names - Spitfire, Hurricane, Mosquito, Lancaster - the "enemy" planes are generic. While most people have heard of "Fokkers", "Messerschmitts" and "MiGs" in the context of the First, Second and Cold wars resprectively, the question "MiG What?" will baffle.

[JohnRatzenberger]

I think part of the answer is that "you guys" have, almost completely (SE5, BE2, RE8, etc, are exceptions) used names for your aircraft and not model numbers. US, Germany, Japan, Russia, France -- all have model numbers and maybe names.

Names are easy to remember because they make an impression, model numbers don't -- and if you have both then it's like having two different "names" for the same thing. All further compounded because many will not hear/know the original name, but some translation or, in the case of Japanese WW2 and Soviet modern, some assigned code name.

You are aided, particularly on the ship side, by having somewhat "intelligent" names. The ship class has a name and all ships in that class have names easily tied to the class. "Flower" corvettes, "G"-class DD's so all name start with "G", to include the wonderful "Glowworm" ....