Possible in-service name for production F-23?

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famvburg

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I was just thinking this morning, had the YF-23 gone into production and service, has anyone heard of a bird of prey name it would've been given? Or would it have been the recipient of Raptor?
 
I'm sure many people would have preferred the F-22 remain Lightning II, but the USAF likes birds of prey.
 
Whatever. Raptor or Lightning both sound cool. What I truly dislike is:
  • The re-use of names from other manufacturers (like "Avenger" for an McDD/GD attack instead of a Grumman type)
  • The use of the "II" prefix. This once existed when two aircraft of the same name followed each other by a few years. Like Helldiver/Helldiver II, Tiger/Tiger II, Phantom/Phantom II. But it's totally ridiculous to have Thunderbolt II, Avenger II, Lightning II, Texan II and so forth when the public at large doesn't even know or care what the first versions were and there is no risk of confusion in operation anyway... Yet if they still insist on doing that, why have they called the Q-15 "Neptune", the Q-18 "Hummingbird", the H-65 "Dolphin", the T-45 "Goshawk" or the C-38 "Courier" when aircraft of the same name existed before? Or why call both the T-1A and the HH-60J "Jayhawk"? There is a certain lack of logic here.
 
Stargazer2006 said:
Whatever. Raptor or Lightning both sound cool. What I truly dislike is:
  • The re-use of names from other manufacturers (like "Avenger" for an McDD/GD attack instead of a Grumman type)
  • The use of the "II" prefix. This once existed when two aircraft of the same name followed each other by a few years. Like Helldiver/Helldiver II, Tiger/Tiger II, Phantom/Phantom II. But it's totally ridiculous to have Thunderbolt II, Avenger II, Lightning II, Texan II and so forth when the public at large doesn't even know or care what the first versions were and there is no risk of confusion in operation anyway... Yet if they still insist on doing that, why have they called the Q-15 "Neptune", the Q-18 "Hummingbird", the H-65 "Dolphin", the T-45 "Goshawk" or the C-38 "Courier" when aircraft of the same name existed before? Or why call both the T-1A and the HH-60J "Jayhawk"? There is a certain lack of logic here.
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You mean "suffix". "Pre" means "before".
 
It would have been called the Raptor. Which isn't bad. I preferred Black Widow II as well.

Don't get me started on the ,"Fighting Falcon." Viper was the better name for it and still is, but that isn't a ,"Bird of Prey." ::)
 
Sundog said:
It would have been called the Raptor. Which isn't bad. I preferred Black Widow II as well.

Don't get me started on the ,"Fighting Falcon." Viper was the better name for it and still is, but that isn't a ,"Bird of Prey." ::)
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I wish they'd go back to the manufacturers naming them.
 
Sundog said:
It would have been called the Raptor. Which isn't bad. I preferred Black Widow II as well.

Don't get me started on the ,"Fighting Falcon." Viper was the better name for it and still is, but that isn't a ,"Bird of Prey." ::)
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Although everyone is more used to calling the F-18 a Hornet ( Bug is a nice nickname though) I think a Cobra to match the Viper would be better.
 
sferrin said:
I would have preferred "Black Widow II".
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The Black Widow II name was suggested for the YF-23 by Northrop, but McDD wanted to name the YF-23 "Gray Ghost" in accordance with the practice of naming fighter planes after evil spirits.
 
Vahe Demirjian said:
sferrin said:
I would have preferred "Black Widow II".
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The Black Widow II name was suggested for the YF-23 by Northrop, but McDD wanted to name the YF-23 "Gray Ghost" in accordance with the practice of naming fighter planes after evil spirits.
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Purely subjective of course, but 'Gray Ghost' is an even worse name than 'Fighting Falcon'. Two-word names don't really work, and alliterative ones still less so.
 
I thought Grey Ghost specifically referred to one of the two prototypes, the light grey one. Didn't the other one actually have a black widow marking painted on?

Only McDonnell fighters got the evil spirit names. The F-15 should have gotten one of those names, Ghost? Spectre? Sky Spirit? (ok that last one is truly terrible, but Douglas did like its "Sky" names)

The YF-17 was the Cobra. Northrop seemed to like names of poisonous creatures.
 
Desertfox said:
I thought Grey Ghost specifically referred to one of the two prototypes, the light grey one. Didn't the other one actually have a black widow marking painted on?

Only McDonnell fighters got the evil spirit names. The F-15 should have gotten one of those names, Ghost? Spectre? Sky Spirit? (ok that last one is truly terrible, but Douglas did like its "Sky" names)

The YF-17 was the Cobra. Northrop seemed to like names of poisonous creatures.
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Mr. Mac had a "name the plane" contest for the F4H and the winner was.... Satan! Imagine if that was the name actually selected instead of Phantom II.

Enjoy the Day! Mark
 
I bet good money that it’d been called the Raptor too. I can’t think of any bird of prey names that are available that sound good. “F-23 Harpy Eagle” sounds terrible for instance. I was always partial to apparition type names. Seems to gel with the aircraft’s low observable characteristics. I personally like Spectre. Would have ties with the early USAF name for the F-4 (F-110 Spectre) from McD and still sounds menacing.
 
Wasn't the F-22 originally called the 'Lightning II', wouldn't that have been the F-23's name had it been chosen.

Incidentally, a Harpy Eagle is the largest raptor type bird that can hover (from what I've read). It would have been better to name the F-35 that name I think ---
 
Lightning II was such a bad name. Lockheed fighters historically had a "Star" prefix, perhaps F-22 Starhawk? Starship? Starlord? For the F-35 perhaps Startup would have been appropriate....
 
I think it should be called after a ray, stingray, manta ray, something like that ---
 
Desertfox said:
Lightning II was such a bad name. Lockheed fighters historically had a "Star" prefix, perhaps F-22 Starhawk? Starship? Starlord? For the F-35 perhaps Startup would have been appropriate....
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I would have to disagree, it should have kept the Lightning II name. 'Startup' for the F-35 on the other hand.... :cool:
 
Similar to 'lightning' I always thought Thundershark would be an excellent choice for the F-35B/C (Navy and Marine) variants and Thunderhawk for the F-35A (USAF). For the F-22, I also liked Lightning II, however I also like Phoenix ('from the ashes of the Eagle') and Condor for its size and carnivorousness! Like Desertfox, Starhawk for F-22 is a brilliant idea,
 

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