CVN77 X47B

[Plane]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_zC8diFd5O8

Carriers are already tough.

What if you doubled the number of aircraft they could carry?

[Xavier_Onassis]

It seems to have taken off six times, but it only landed twice.

CVN77 X47B seems to be a rather difficult name.  Wouldn't it be easier to just call it "Bub" or something less like a California license plate. I mean, there aren't that many of it.  X means experimental, 47 is the number of this model, B suggests that perhaps they screwed up on the first design.  Makes me wonder, you know, like what did Chanel number FOUR smell like?

[Plane]

It seems to have taken off six times, but it only landed twice.

   A practice landing , without braking then taking off again is a maneuver known as "touch and go".  This is a common thing to do , it is done for practice sake mostly.

      Aircraft pick up lots of names , official and not. You are right about that.

        All C-130 are "Hercules " but some AC-130 are "Specter "or "Spooky" or "Ghost Rider" and particular ones are named by their crews and commands sometimes like the "Iron Maiden".
        For those of us who work on them they are all "Dirty Thirty" because they are always filthy, I never come home clean.

        A-10s are "Warthogs"
        F-15s are "Eagles" and F-16s are "Falcons" unless you ask a F-15 pilot, who will call an F-16 a "Lawn Dart"

          The F-105 was often called the "Thud", but not affectionately.

     The CVN77 is most often called "The USS George Bush" but by now the crew probably has a pet name for it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_F-105_Thunderchief

http://breakingdefense.com/2015/01/ghostriders-big-gun-ac-130j-gets-105-asap-laser-later/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVXBHNvpTcg

[Xavier_Onassis]

I was commenting on the film presented, not the actual practice.  I understand why touch and go might be useful to a pilot getting used to the plane or testing the feel of the plane.

It is a rather pretty plane, except for the ugly matte finish. Of course, this has something to do with thwarting enemy radar.