Badly phrased question. USMC, I do know a bit about it. I understood why using "Growler" would make a bit of sense--as UAL outlined.

While I can understand how they might come up with the name, I'm puzzled that no one would explain the commonly known meaning of that word. Fighter pilots heck, most high school students know the meaning of the term.

I can't imagine any other commonly used synonym for feces making it to the official name of an aircraft...but maybe I'm just idealistic.

Anyway, it was a pointless aside, thanks for the great info.

 

Sputnik:

Hilarious!

I posted with irony some months ago that when EA-18s are getting shot off the catapault from the carrier, they truly will be a "steaming Growler."

IIICorps:

You continue to surprise me. I fancy myself a pretty good aircraft historian...never heard of the Wyvern before. But I noted in the pic (and then verified via Wiki) that there is only one exhaust port on it...under the cockpit, and is for a turboprop.

The Griffon was also used in the Shackleton bomber (until the mid 1970s, in the South African Air Force). That was the source of the Griffon used in the "Red Barnon 51," (RB-51); a highly modified P-51 that set a speed record for piston-powered airplanes (499 mph, if memory serves).

Then, of course, it crashed at Reno, and everyone thought Steve Hinton was dead. There was nothing left of the airplane...but after he was cut from the wreckage, I think he walked away.

I figure you know this; it's for the others who may peruse the thread.

Actually, I read within the last month of an airplane registered as the RB-51's old serial or N-number. Someone salvaged a piece of the original and built an airplane around it...and the FAA gave it the original registration again.

 

See new thread under Wyverns in the Hangar section.

FWIW, for a while I collected Jane's but stopped when they went over $500 a copy a few years ago. Friend of mine has ALL issues and has them up for sale on Ebay. I only have about 50 copies but there is some very interesting stuff that faded into history.

 

I saw a late-model P-47 (too late for WWII) in the "Planes of Fame" museum. The placard claimed it just barely exceeded 500 mph.
Of course, that speed was probably not officially certified.