# Question for Aviation Historians (what is the aircraft in this picture?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 27, 2024, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853 "2024-04-27T22:51:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chelonaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@Chelonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chelonaut)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/41 "2024-05-02T11:43:36Z")
From the same site: a photo of the rare two-engined version of the B-17. Some of the blurry planes in the background look like they could become airborne only (and very briefly) with the help of a catapult. > **[Ww-Ii Airplane Images – Browse 11,055 Stock Photos, Vectors, and Video](https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=ww-ii%2Bairplane&asset_id=723997620)** > > Search from thousands of royalty-free Ww-Ii Airplane stock images and video for your next project. Download royalty-free stock photos, vectors, HD footage and more on Adobe Stock. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/42 "2024-05-02T11:50:56Z")
> [@Chelonaut](#): > > I’ve seen “jets” used to refer to propeller planes in other contexts, lazy writing or is “jets” slowly becoming a synonym for “airplanes”? Similar to people calling all quadcopters “drones”. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/43 "2024-05-02T12:43:26Z")
> [@Chelonaut](#): > > I’ve seen “jets” used to refer to propeller planes in other contexts, lazy writing or is “jets” slowly becoming a synonym for “airplanes”? It’s utterly mistaken, utterly incompetent writing. Whether the incompetents are taking over the asylum yet on this particular word I can’t say. But in reading a vast amount about aviation, I’ve never seen anyone use the word “jet” to refer to a propeller-driven airplane. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/44 "2024-05-02T13:43:56Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’ve never seen anyone use the word “jet” to refer to a propeller-driven airplane. I think I have, within the last couple of months. I don’t remember if it was a news article, or a post on Facebook; but there were comments along the lines of ‘That’s not a jet.’ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/45 "2024-05-02T13:51:14Z")
Great, just great. AI bot writing will soon be setting the vocabulary of the entire society. I swear we’ve raised a society that can’t think, it can only imitate. Or “ape” in the pejorative sense. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/46 "2024-05-02T13:51:47Z")
> [@Chelonaut](#): > > I did an image search and found it on sale as a stock-image. I’m very disappointed AI-generated abominations are being marketed as stock images. Especially incompetently-prompted stuff. A fine combination of intellectual laziness and pointless moneygrubbing. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/47 "2024-05-02T14:53:56Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > But in reading a vast amount about aviation, I’ve never seen anyone use the word “jet” to refer to a propeller-driven airplane. You’re probably (and justifiably) reading quality stuff written by people who know what they’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/48 "2024-05-02T15:26:57Z")
> [@Chelonaut](#): > > I did an image search and found it on sale as a stock-image. That’s horrible. Is this the future of our world? Badly made fake images masquerading as real? Eventually, no one will be able to tell. FWIW the stars are supposed to point forward on the wings. And is that Hebrew or Japanese letters on the aft fuselage? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/49 "2024-05-02T15:30:39Z")
> [@Chelonaut](#): > > From the same site: a photo of the rare two-engined version of the B-17. The B29/36 dropping an atomic bomb is impressive. Not only does it have non-symmetrical prop arrangements, but the engines are so close the props intermesh. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2024, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/50 "2024-05-04T04:22:37Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I don’t think I have much to add. I disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2024, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/51 "2024-05-04T05:15:49Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > > [@Bullitt](#): > > > > I don’t think I have much to add. > > I disagree. Thank you, sir. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853.md?page=2)