WHo knows what BUFF really stands for, I'm interested to see how many people think it's Big Ugly Fat Fellow. (it sure ain't fellow!)

When I was in the USAF, I was told it stood for Big Ugly Flying F--ker.
(F--ker rhymes with tucker)

Attempts to make that last word more "socially" acceptable have resulted
in several modifications to the term BUFF.

I was stationed at Castle AFB in the early 80's. At that time it was the primary training base for B-52's and KC-135's. Never in my time there did I hear anyone use the "fellow" moniker. It was always the less politically correct variant that I won't bother spelling out for you.  ::)

ah! It's nice to see people actually know for real. My grandfather was a B-52 mechanic for like quite a few years, so I knew what it really was as soon as I heard about it. I also remember the C-5 Galaxy being called the FRED. Wasn't that something like {F**king Redicoulos Environmental Disaster or something)

Thanks for showing an interest :)!

Collin

When I was in the army, I heard some Vietnam Veterans referring to it as the "Big Ugly Fat F--ker". As for what jbntx says about it rhyming with tucker, reminds me that we called the army cooks "tucker f--kers".  ;D

Mark

The first time I heard BUF, I was in Thailand, 1969, pre-flighting a B52D. I was calling the plane "Bongo52" when a crewmate asked if I had heard of BUF. At that time, and for the rest of my two combat tours, BUF stood for Big Ugly F***er. Never heard the term BUFF until the 1990's. Don't know where/when the second F was added.

Cheers

I was a C-130E navigator 1970 into into 1973 in Southeast Asia and then reassigned to KC-135s 1973 to 1975.  I heard all the vernacular of that era and BUF was only 3 letters, "Big Ugly F_____.

oliveone wrote on Dec 17^th, 2010 at 7:11pm:

The first time I heard BUF, I was in Thailand, 1969, pre-flighting a B52D. I was calling the plane "Bongo52" when a crewmate asked if I had heard of BUF. At that time, and for the rest of my two combat tours, BUF stood for Big Ugly F***er. Never heard the term BUFF until the 1990's. Don't know where/when the second F was added. Cheers

Same, the aircraft itself is actually looks more like a pencil with wings, so why call it fat?  Makes no sense to me.

AKSledhead,

You're right, "fat" in those days was reserved for "Fat Albert," the C-5A, not for the B-52. The C-5 was fat compared to  other aircraft in the inventory.  While I was on active duty in  the AF an order went out that active duty personnel should not use the rubric "Fat Albert" because (higher command believed) that was a "pejorative connotation of the aircraft."  Of course, we continued to call it Fat Albert, and the B-52 was BUF.  I think the second F was added for spelling reasons but not by those of us who used the term.

Trailboss wrote on Dec 18^th, 2010 at 1:09am:

AKSledhead, I think the second F was added for spelling reasons but not by those of us who used the term.

Great information, and yes the spelling of BUFF was my consensus on the subject as well!

Now the C-5, that's a BUFF.

Well its big but I would'nt say its fat,at least not like a super guppy,now that is ugly :D
Ron

Hi Gents,

With 2000+ in the 52C,D, 113 missions in VN as aircraft commander, she was BUFF!

You are right Big Ugly Fat F....!

She did the job tho.

Jack
:)