Why did Grumman name their fighters after types of cats??

[IndyJen]

But there was first an F9F Cougar and an F11F Tiger before the Grumman American Line was bought.

Fair enough, Jerry--you've got me there.

[JDK]

Maybe because Chihuahua, Pekinese, Schnauzer, and Bassett Hound didn't exactly strike terror in the enemy.

The Sopwith Pup didn't do so badly though.

Then there's the Bristol Bulldog and Bristol Bloodhound (missile). Ahhh...


and that's about it!


I suppose there's the pilot's occasional reference to a dog when hearing 'Whoop Whoop' in the cockpit: "Pull up you b*tch!"

[CraigQ]

This from Barrett Tillman's book "Wildcat, The F4F in WWII"

"In October 1941 the Navy adopted a naming system for naval aircraft and the Grumman fighter officially became the Wildcat."

Still doesn't explain the why of the cat family but I'm thinking myself that since it was used for their fighters, it had something to do with cats being hunters.

[Steve Nelson]

Steve Nelson wrote:
RR liked birds of prey; Kestrel, Merlin (yes, it's named after a bird, not the wizard) and Griffon (which is a sort of birdish thing.)

"a sort of birdish thing"???? It's a Vulture:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffon_Vulture

Sorry..I was thinking of the mythical creature with an eagle's head and wings on a lion's body. I didn't realize there was an actual bird with the same name.

SN

[ZRX61]

Sorry..I was thinking of the mythical creature with an eagle's head and wings on a lion's body. I didn't realize there was an actual bird with the same name.

SN

Easy mistake, that's a Griffin or Gryphon

[JDK]

Sorry..I was thinking of the mythical creature with an eagle's head and wings on a lion's body. I didn't realize there was an actual bird with the same name.

Easy mistake, that's a Griffin or Gryphon

I didn't know that!

There are a number of aircraft named after either the vulture or the mythic bird.

The Blackburn Roc was another aircraft named after a mythical bird. It might've been better as a myth!

Regards,

[ZRX61]

How about mythological beings etc?

Vulcan, Apollo, Saturn(V etc), Centaur(us)

ok, that was a slight thread derail....