Heinkel 111 and Dornier 17 bombers were nicknamed Pedro and Pablo (Peter and Paul), it seems that it was a code name for bypassing the non intervention agreement.
The He 111 remained as Pedro and planes were numbered as Pedro 1... etc. (even german pilots used the name) but the Dornier become Bacalao (cod -fish-)
Heinkel 59 floatplane bomber was Zapatones (very big shoes)
Henschel 123 dive bomber, Angelito (little angel)
Nationalist source of material was clear, Germany and Italy that ignored the non intervention.
But the republican goverment had to buy planes using false intermediaries untill Stalin provided material.
Polikarpov I 15 fighter was Chato (flat nosed) for the republicans and Curtiss (confused initially with Curtiss biplane fighters) for nationalists.
Polikarpov I 16 fighter also has two nicknames:
The republicans nick was Mosca (fly), but: boxes containing disasembled planes from Russia, had the name Moscow painted, in cyrilic MOCBA, hence Mosca.
The nationalists nick was named Rata because of his high speed attacking bombers from under.
The Tupolev SB2 republican nick was Katiuska but the nationalist called Martin bomber, confused with the american plane.
The polish P.W.S. 10 was Pavipollo (poult), Heinkel 45, Pavo (turkey), Henschel 126, Superpava (super-turkey hen)
But the winner is:
Canadian Car & Foundry built Grumman Dolphins bought by the Government trough a fake Turkish order. The nickname was Pedro Rico, the name of the fat and very popular Mayor of Madrid:
Some of the planes mentioned are not well known, please google their names, I decided not upload images because for not writing a macro post.
