Quoting Basil Fawlty - Naming the Typhoon

CJGibson

CJGibson

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How much truth is there in the tales, possibly apocryphal, that the German government objected to the name 'Typhoon' for the Eurofighter 2000? Somebody convince me that it isn't a load of bolleaux.

Baseeeeeeel!
 
yes that true but why the German resisted the naming of Eurofighter as Typhoon
also were opposition to naming it Spitfire II or Zyklone

from https://forum.keypublishing.com/for...ation/65064-why-eurofighter-was-named-typhoon
here a explanation from fightingirish

Situation 1998 in Germany!

At the ILA 1998 in Berlin I asked someone at the stand of Daimler-Benz Aerospace about naming the Eurofighter "Typhoon". I had only read about the naming in Air International June 1998. In that issue stood the "the aircraft will be formally re-named Eurofighter Typhoon for marketing outside Europe".
The people at the stand could not tell me official, but the german part of EFA did not like the name "Taifun/Typhoon" , because in bad remembrance of the Hawker Typhoon during WW2. I answered back, the famous german sports and touring aircraft Bf 108 "Taifun" is known for the development of metal construction. Why not remember that aircraft?
But one of them answered, the Eurofighter programm is to be historically clean.
In the end they gave me a nice poster showing all DA's.
smile.png
smile.png


You must remember now, that this discusion happend before the german parlament elections on Sep 27th 1998, as a Red-Green coalition (Chancellor Schröder) won. Before the elections, both parties, SPD and Die Grünen-Bündnis 90, were against the Eurofighter!!! Some rumors said at that time that Germany might step out of EF after the elections, so DASA tried everything not to get bad news about the Eurofighter programm!!!
Politics again!!!
mad.png


Nowadays, most of the pilots at the GAF call the EF 2000 Eurofighter, short "Eufi", as like "Toni" for the Tornado.
Maybe soon, it might be also called "Taifun".
As we all know, some aircraft are more known under their "unofficial" name as under their official name e.g. F-16 Fighting Falcon, better known as "Viper".
wink.png
Click to expand...
 
The German's mostly use 'EUROFIGHTER' to describe it, sometimes EUROFIGHTER / Typhoon (never 'Taifun').

In Germany, the idea of a Eurofighter is politically positive and useful especially for the left wing parties. Britain specifically pushed for a name for export purposes. I don't suppose EUROFIGHTER had useful political capital in the UK or RAF.

I believe Tornado was likewise a British name eventually adopted by Germany.
 
Aye, but did anyone in Germany write down 'We're not calling it that because....' or is it a story in the same vein as the Colt Starion or any number of Captain Pugwash characters?

Chris
 
Maybe not directly related but on musing about this, I can't think of any postwar German military aircraft that the Luftwaffe assigned a name to other than whatever the original manufacturer's name and designation was. Perhaps they just weren't bothered at all?
 
As i remember it Taifun was a no go because of the BF-108 Taifun and the problem with Typhoon was not the Hawker fighter but that is sound exactly like Taifun.
At the end they settle with Eurofighter/Typhoon.
 
Hood said:
Maybe not directly related but on musing about this, I can't think of any postwar German military aircraft that the Luftwaffe assigned a name to other than whatever the original manufacturer's name and designation was. Perhaps they just weren't bothered at all?
Click to expand...

Specifically banned by official government policy back in the day as 'too militaristic ', IIRC.
 
Was Taifun even an official Luftwaffe designation for the Bf-108 ? Wasn't it a Messerschmitt name for the civilian version?
Can't remember of any German mil plane having an official name other than the designation (maker letters and the number).
"Wurger", Swalbe" or "Sturmvogel" were official ?
 
Michel Van said:
yes that true but why the German resisted the naming of Eurofighter as Typhoon
also were opposition to naming it Spitfire II or Zyklone

from https://forum.keypublishing.com/for...ation/65064-why-eurofighter-was-named-typhoon
here a explanation from fightingirish

Situation 1998 in Germany!

At the ILA 1998 in Berlin I asked someone at the stand of Daimler-Benz Aerospace about naming the Eurofighter "Typhoon". I had only read about the naming in Air International June 1998. In that issue stood the "the aircraft will be formally re-named Eurofighter Typhoon for marketing outside Europe".
The people at the stand could not tell me official, but the german part of EFA did not like the name "Taifun/Typhoon" , because in bad remembrance of the Hawker Typhoon during WW2. I answered back, the famous german sports and touring aircraft Bf 108 "Taifun" is known for the development of metal construction. Why not remember that aircraft?
But one of them answered, the Eurofighter programm is to be historically clean.
In the end they gave me a nice poster showing all DA's.
smile.png
smile.png


You must remember now, that this discusion happend before the german parlament elections on Sep 27th 1998, as a Red-Green coalition (Chancellor Schröder) won. Before the elections, both parties, SPD and Die Grünen-Bündnis 90, were against the Eurofighter!!! Some rumors said at that time that Germany might step out of EF after the elections, so DASA tried everything not to get bad news about the Eurofighter programm!!!
Politics again!!!
mad.png


Nowadays, most of the pilots at the GAF call the EF 2000 Eurofighter, short "Eufi", as like "Toni" for the Tornado.
Maybe soon, it might be also called "Taifun".
As we all know, some aircraft are more known under their "unofficial" name as under their official name e.g. F-16 Fighting Falcon, better known as "Viper".
wink.png
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
My god! 21 years ago. I don't remember the full conversation anymore, but I still have that poster... probably stored in my parent's attic.
 
CJGibson said:
How much truth is there in the tales, possibly apocryphal, that the German government objected to the name 'Typhoon' for the Eurofighter 2000? Somebody convince me that it isn't a load of bolleaux.

Baseeeeeeel!
Click to expand...

A variant on the story was certainly doing the rounds of the BAE Systems Rochester Eurofighter FCS team at the time, but that could just have been picked-up industry gossip, I can't recall at this point whether the discussions involved anyone likely to have heard official positions. However the version discussed internally was that Germany had objected to Tempest, and Typhoon was the acceptable fall back.
 

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