Why is the F35 aircraft nicknamed the "Fat Amy"?
I get the “fat” part, because it is a fat looking plane.
But why “Amy”?
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9 Answers
I see one article implying it’s a reference to the character from the movie Pitch Perfect.
Obviously, the fat part, which you understand, is because it’s a heavy airplane with a wide profile due to it’s intake ducts and internal weapons bay (rather than sticking the weapons externally where they will reflect radar like crazy).
“All Megaton Yield”
It carries nukes of all sizes.
Probably the same reason the P-47 Thunderbolt was nicknamed “The Jug” It looked like a milk jug from the side because the radial engine was so big.
The nickname for the A-10 Thunderbolt II (Same manufacturer of the P-47) is Warthog.
And what @elbanditoroso said.
It’s real name is Patricia.
Combat aircraft have often been given female names, take the “Enola Gay” for example. It makes it easier for aircrew to deal with the reality of their job. In a similar vein pilots refer to the thermonuclear warheads they carry as “buckets of sunshine”.
@ragingloli I had thought it was more common. Maybe it was more common for individual planes.
@flutherother
Well, pilots do call the female computer voice that tells them to “pull up” and other things, the “bitching betty”
Worth noting, as I understand it, “Fat Amy” is only referring to the F-35 variant that has VTOL capability. The other versions of the F-35 are not referred to as “Fat Amy.” I could be wrong though.
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