The Grub Street Dictionary of International Aircraft Nicknames, Variants and Colloquial Terms

Which World War I types were known as the "Rumpety","Gnome Sandwich", "Blockbuster", "Bognor Bloater" and "Harry Tate"? Where will you find a "Pig", "Possum" and "Plastic Parrot"? John Horton has compiled a comprehensive A-Z of aircraft names. The book explores evocative names such as the "Aardvark", which refers to the General Dynamics F-111 and its "modus operandi" rather than its appearance as a great long nose grubbing the dirt. The subculture of informal and colloquial names has remained vigorous and inventive throughout the century and models from World War I to Vietnam are covered. Such names not only tend to be humourous and anecdotal, but also reveal the more interesting characteristics of the aircraft concerned.