I note that the art of nicknaming airplanes seems to  be fading.  We carried a number of aircraft, many of which were  called by unofficial  nicknames.  Some of the crew probably didn't know  the "real" names.  You mentioned one - the A-3 Skywarrior.  We carried them in a  heavy attack squadron  eleven (VAH-11).  As you mention, the A-3 Sky Warrior was known  throughout the fleet as the  Whale.  The aircraft that we carried were attack  configured and were  designated A-3D (the D stood for Douglas - the  manufacturer).  The black  joke was A-3D stood for "all three dead, since the  aircraft has no ejection  seats.

Others that I recall are:  WF-2 Tracker "Willy Fudd"  (predecessor to E2-C)  S2-F Tracer (?) "Stoof" (predecessor to S-3)  AD-6 Sky Raider "Spad" (I think the designation was  changed later - talk  about a bomb truck!)  A4-D Sky Hawk "Scooter"

The F-8 Crusader, F-4 Phantom II, A-7 Corsair, F-18  Hornet, F-14 Tomcat all  seem to have escaped nicknames - maybe we are  getting better at naming  aircraft!

The only two aircraft currently in operation (that I  know of) that carry  nicknames now (other than the Whale) are the S-3  Viking "Hoover" (due to the  unique engine noise associated with a high bypass  fan engine) and the E-2C  Hawkeye "Hummer" (also due to the unique  engine/propeller noise created by  the Allison T56 engines). 

Concerning the RA-5, she was originally designed to  be a supersonic high  altitude nuclear delivery aircraft - sort of a  shipboard B-70.  The bomb bay  opened aft and slanted down - the sailors referred  to her as the aircraft  that s__t it's load.  Trouble was that the bomb  could get caught up in the  slip stream around the aircraft and actually hit the  aircraft, or at least  cause very large bombing errors.  Also, it was a  maintenance intensive  aircraft and was very quickly relegated to recce  work.  We did the carrier quals for the A-3J (as it was originally designated)  prototypes aboard the  old Rosy Boat.

Finally, I take umbrage with your contention that  the A-7 is the ugliest  aircraft in the inventory.  Have you looked at the  A-6 lately?  I contend  that the "flying drumstick" is butt ugly and the A-7  is a beauty queen by  comparison.

Thanks for a good walk down memory lane.

Bob Siefker
CDR, USNR-Ret