JSF/F-35 name & details on where it will be built in Europe
This is a discussion on JSF/F-35 name & details on where it will be built in Europe within the Air Force & Aviation forum, part of the Global Defense & Military category; 2 informations I got from the Italian financial press :
It appears that the 131 JSFs for Italy (AF+Navy) and ...
JSF/F-35 name & details on where it will be built in Europe
2 informations I got from the Italian financial press :
It appears that the 131 JSFs for Italy (AF+Navy) and the 85 for the Netherlands will be assembled in Cameri (halfway between Turin and Milan in north-western Italy) as of 2010 approx. The firm in charge is of course Alenia Finmeccanica Group with the support of Avio (70% owned by the US Carlyle private equity fund).
Which other locations are planned to host assembly lines for European JSFs ?
The other bit of information gives the potential names of the JSF :
> Lightning II
> Cyclone
> Reaper
> Piasa (a mythical bird in native Americans' culture)
Lightning II? Man...no knock on the older planes, but I just can't stand it when they recycle names...please, come up with something new!!!
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America has named many of its fighters recently after birds, so I suspect the Piasa is favored. On the other hand Europeans would probably prefer Cyclone, it sort of matches with Typhoon. Reaper sounds too goulish for me, although it rhymes with Raptor.
I haven't a clue where Lighting II came from. Since the F-35s are being built in the same Fort Worth factory as the F-16 Falcon, Falcon II would fit better. Many of the good bird names have already been used: Eagle, Falcon, Raven, and Hawk. Raptor is a dinosaur bird. Why not a mystic bird?
America has named many of its fighters recently after birds, so I suspect the Piasa is favored. On the other hand Europeans would probably prefer Cyclone, it sort of matches with Typhoon. Reaper sounds too goulish for me, although it rhymes with Raptor.
I haven't a clue where Lighting II came from. Since the F-35s are being built in the same Fort Worth factory as the F-16 Falcon, Falcon II would fit better. Many of the good bird names have already been used: Eagle, Falcon, Raven, and Hawk. Raptor is a dinosaur bird. Why not a mystic bird?
Raptor is the collective name for the family of birds which comprises Eagles, Hawks, Vultures, Owls etc. If you're a bird of prey, you're a Raptor.
Osprey would have been a good one, as would Goshawk and even Harrier, but all are taken.
How about 'Peregrine', or perhaps 'Sparrowhawk', 'Kestrel' or even just 'Kite'? You could have the F-35A 'Kite' or 'Peregrine', and the F-35B/C 'Sea Kite' or 'Sea Peregrine'? So simple it might just work!?!?!
Maybe it's time to start a new series of names, as the Raptor family is almost exhausted. How about 'Wolverine', 'Mink', Weasel'....yeah, ok, I know!
Besides, because this is a Navy (traditionally feline names), Marines and multinational aircraft as well, they'll probably deviate from the 'Raptor' family of names, and look for something more 'global'. Don't get me started there...it'll probably be so politically correct as to be laughable!
Magoo
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Last edited by Magoo; June 28th, 2006 at 10:01 PM.
America has named many of its fighters recently after birds, so I suspect the Piasa is favored. On the other hand Europeans would probably prefer Cyclone, it sort of matches with Typhoon. Reaper sounds too goulish for me, although it rhymes with Raptor.
I haven't a clue where Lighting II came from. Since the F-35s are being built in the same Fort Worth factory as the F-16 Falcon, Falcon II would fit better. Many of the good bird names have already been used: Eagle, Falcon, Raven, and Hawk. Raptor is a dinosaur bird. Why not a mystic bird?
How does Raptor ryhme with Reaper? The F-16 was named VIPER by her pilots and this should be the real name. No one cares what the Air Force names it, the pilots are the ones who have to live with the name. Navy should get to name our version and Marines should name theirs based on pilot vote.
Kite, SparrowHawk and Kestrel have already been used
I think Peregrine was a series of Rolls Royce engines...
Kestrel was only a development aircraft, which never entered service. Turned into the Harrier. A pity, really, as Kestrel is the perfect name for a plane which can hover, which is, of course, why it was picked. There are no Kestrels now (except maybe in a museum), so I'd say it's free.
But what about Albatross? Oh no - it's an Italian naval SAM.
In '96, I asked a USMC Harrier pilot what he thought the JSF would be named, ( the official designation of the fighter was not even known at that time, due to the fact that the final down-selection process between Lockheed and Boeing had not yet taken place. )
-and he said, "How about Pipe Dream?" His wingman just laughed.
Apparently they were quite skeptical of the future of the program.
Given the dynamic nature of bringing such an enormous defense program to fruition, and having seen the recent demise of the USN's A-12- it's quite natural they would be skeptical.
Personally, I think Panther, or Couger would be best.
Why not take the names of all the swedish fighter aircraft and translate to english?
Swedish = English
Tunnan = The Barrel
Lansen = The Lance
Draken = The Kite or The Dragon
Viggen = The Thunderbolt
Gripen = The Gryphon
Oh no - it's an Italian naval SAM.
