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About This Quiz
World War II was the most destructive conflict the world has ever seen. That was partly because of the speed at which technology was improving at sea, in the air, and on land. Significant advances in aviation turned the skies into a whole new type of battleground. In fact, the United States produced approximately 276,000 aircraft for its wartime effort, and saw more than 43,000 of them destroyed. From 1942 to 1945, America averaged 170 airplanes lost each day - that's over 7 per hour! To be a pilot during the war was often considered both heroic and somewhat suicidal.
With nearly 400 different kinds of aircraft flying throughout the war, pilots and their crews took great pride in coining new names for their warbirds - some flattering and others more tongue-in-cheek. You know many of these nicknames well enough: They've been emblazoned at air shows and made popular in documentaries and blockbuster movies. But, do you know which aircraft is a Flying Fortress compared to a Super Fort? Can you identify a Thunderbolt or a Cyclone?
These are the aviation nicknames that made history and it's time for you to immortalize those names in this quiz. Throw on your aviators, because this quiz is going to take you to new heights!
What is another name for the Douglas SBD divebomber?
Dauntless
These planes were prominent during the war, sinking three Japanese carriers, in the Battle of Midway
Valkryie
Domino
What is another name for the B-17 bomber?
Flying Fortress
The Fort, as it was also known, was a major player for the United States Army Air Corps in the European theater, and was famous for bringing crews home even with heavy damage.
Fickle Flyer of Fate
Rock
What is another name for the Yakolava-4?
Yak-4
Often regarded as one of the best fighter planes in the war, these Russian fighter planes were always on the Eastern front.
Gnu-4
Antelope-4
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What do they call the B-29 bomber?
Super Fort
Super Fortress
Both
This was the most modern bomber flown in WWII, built for high-level bombardment of Japan. It was also the first combat aircraft to boast a pressurized cabin, eliminating the need for oxygen masks.
What is another name for the Supermarine Spitfire?
Spitz
The first name that comes to mind when it comes to British fighters, the Spitz was Great Britain's most iconic fighter of World War II.
Blitz
Snot Rocket
What is another name for the B-25 bomber?
Mitchell
A group of modified B-25s were key to the success of the Doolittle Raid, which had them launching from an aircraft carrier.
Daredevil
Valkryie
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What is another name for the B-24 bomber?
Liberator
Heavily used in the bombardment of Germany, the Liberator had a larger bomb capacity than the B-17. It was also the plane piloted by Jimmy Stewart during his service in the war. And before George McGovern became a senator, he piloted the B-24 and flew 35 combat missions.
Big Banana
Mosquito
What is another name for the P-47 fighter?
The Jug
The P-47 was also known as the Thunderbolt and shaped a bit like a jug of milk - “kind of a juggernaut,” in the words of one expert.
Cyclone
Thunderstorm
What do they call the P-40 fighter?
Flying Tiger
Warhawk
Tomahawk
All of the above
The British and Soviet forces called it the Tomahawk, while the Americans called it the Warhawk. Later models were even known by some as the Kittyhawk. No matter what you called it, though, it was a solid and inexpensive fighter plane produced in large quantities.
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What is another name for the P-38 fighter?
Lightning
The P-38s were fast, long range, and left quite a mark wherever they struck.
Thunderbolt
Cyclone
What did the Allied forces call the Mitsubishi A6M?
Zero
Zeke
Both
Very few people know the "Zero" - or the "Zeke" to most British forces - was the A6M. These were the majority of the warplanes that conducted the attack on Pearl Harbor.
What is another name for the Nakajima Ki-43 interceptor?
Oscar
The Ki-43 interceptor was a powerful close-support fighter of the Japanese forces.
Hammerstein
Zeke
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What is another name for BOTH the Vought F4-U and the Goodyear FG-1D fighter?
Corsair
Many of of the Corsairs were made by Goodyear. In the Navy, the all-Corsair unit of Pappy Boington was called the Black Sheep squadron.
Corvair
Centaur
What is another name for the Navy Grumman TBM torpedo bomber?
Avenger
The Avenger was a mainstay torpedo bomber for the Allied fleet, and replaced the Douglas TBD Devastator which had been outclassed. George HW Bush was an Avenger pilot in the Pacific theater.
Turkey
Buzzard
What is another name for the Grumman F-4F fighter?
Bobcat
Wildcat
The Grumman Wildcats were truly wild, although not the fastest or most advanced fighters of the war. But their solid constitution and heavy armament were fierce enough to help halt the spread of the Imperial Japanese forces after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Meerkat
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What's another name for the P-51 fighter?
Mustang
Stang
Both
The Mustang, aka the Stang, was among the most recognizable, beautiful, and famous WWII planes - a true force to be reckoned with.
What is another name for the Grumman F-6F fighter?
Hellcat
Also known as "the Wildcat's big brother," the durable, carrier-based Hellcat was actually designed to replace it - and most importantly to outperform the Japanese Zero.
Bobcat
Growler
What could you call the Bell P-39 fighter?
Airacobra
Peashooter
Both
The Airacobra's range and difficulty with climbing above 20,000 feet earned it a reputation for poor performance compared to other WWII aircraft, but its aviators nonetheless achieved the highest scores of any flying an American plane - when you include the stats from P-39s flown by Russian pilots.
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What is another name for the Northrup P-61 fighter?
Pennywhistle
Black Widow
The Black Widow was the first combat aircraft designed to fly by night using radar.
Tasmanian Devil
What is another name for the Bell P-63 fighter?
Kingcobra
The Kingcobra was designed to be a big step up from the Airacobra P-39, didn't find much success in that regard. By the time it was ready for production, it was already outclassed by other aircraft. More than 300 P-63s were eventually used for target practice.
Rattlesnake
Merlin
What is another name for the Hawker Mark 1 R4118?
Hurricane
Arguably a competitor to the Spitfire for Britain's most iconic fighter, the Hurricane was a single-seat fighter that played a major role in early conflicts.
Funnel cloud
Tornado
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What is another name for the Polikarpov I-16?
The Rat ("El Ratta")
With an open cockpit, "El Ratta" was a Soviet fighter and the first in the world to have a single, low wing.
The Mole
The Guinea Pig
What is another name for the Fieseler Fi 156?
Stork ("Storch")
The Stork was a small but mighty German liaison aircraft.
Ostrich
Bumblebee
What did they call the A-26 small bomber?
Invader
The Douglas Invader was a small, two-engine "attack" (hence the "A") bomber. The A-26 was the only American bomber to fly missions in 3 wars.
Humdinger
Hummingbird
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What was another name for the B-26 small bomber?
Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was another small two-engine bomber.
Macruber
MacGyver
What is another name for the Messerschmitt BF 109?
The Knife
The German 109E was mass-produced and said to be able to outfight or outrun all opposition.
Vertig
Fahrvergnügen
What would you call the de Havilland DH.98?
Wooden Wonder
Mosquito
Mossie
All of the above
With an almost entirely wooden frame, the Mosquito was a versatile British twin-engine combat aircraft.
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What is another name for the Ilyushin Shturmovic 2?
Tank Buster
Winged Tank
It also sometimes known as the "concrete bird" or the "black death"!
Gut Buster
Bile Blaster
What would you call the German Messerschmitt (ME) 262?
Swallow
Storm Bird
Either/both
Fighter versions were known as Schwalbe (“the Swallow”), or Sturmvogel ("Storm Bird") in German.
What's another name for the Focke-Wulf 190?
Butcher Bird
In Germany, it was known as the FockWulf 190 "Würger" - aka, a Shrike or the Butcher Bird.
Werewolf
The Big Bad Wolf
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What's another name for the Focke-Wulf 190 D-12 (or D-13)?
Dora
The Fw 190s were known to be liked by their pilots, and said only to have trouble keeping up with the turn radius of the Spitfire Mk.
Doormouse
Gravedigger
What could you call the DC-3?
Gooney Bird
Dumbo
Spooky
Puff the Magic Dragon
All of the above
A cargo plane that the armed forces have used for many purposes, including serving as gunships during the Vietnam War, the DC-3 apparently needed more than just one or two nicknames.
What's another name for the Brewster F2A?
Buffalo
One of the first U.S. monoplanes, the Buffalo was a fighter used early on in the war.
Beast
Bozo
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You Got:
/34
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