041 - Name that Plane!

Kates, Nates, Bettys, Oscars, and Zekes…where did all these names for Japanese planes come from, and why?
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For planes as common as the Nakajima Ki-43 (top right) and Mitsubishi A6M (bottom right), Allied pilots originally called them out by their official Japanese designation, Type “0” Carrier Fighter, for the A6M, which was a designation based on the year the fighter first entered service (1940), However, with the large variety of planes in the Japanese air fleet, it was difficult enough to remember the different years for each plane type. Add to the fact that similar planes (like the Mitsubishi Ki-43 and Mitsubishi A6M) had very different call signs: Ki-43 vs. A6M.
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Sometimes, designations were based on their project name ("Ki” was used for several projects, with numbers simply running through a series). Using Ki-19, Ki-21, Ki-43 quickly became a confusing method of communication during the chaos of war. To make matters worse, a simple designation (such as A6M) would be modified as new variations, like the A6M2-K seaplane shown at below.
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Soon, Captain Frank T. McCoy devised a system, using “hillbilly names” for the planes. The Ki-43 was nicknamed the “Oscar”, the A6M-2-K was called the “Rufe”, and the A6M was called the “Zeke”. Eventually, this was extended to the Japanese bombers, using female names for those planes. The name “Zeke”, however, became less common as fighter pilots adopted “Zero” as a derogatory name for both the Rising Sun Insignia and the plane itself.

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