Why 'cab' and when?

[ACW599]

In the crew-room the other day, one of our number asked why military helicopters were sometimes referred to as 'cabs'. Someone else opined that only Naval helicopters were referred to thus, and a third party said that he'd also heard the Sea Harrier (RIP) so described.

Can anyone say a) when this usage came in b) where the reference came from and c) to which military aircraft is it usually applied?

[TheWizard]

Cab as in 'taxi cab' perchance? Stick out your arm and one will be along.
Always referred to as cabs by the green lot in NI.

[teeteringhead]

Not just helicopters ....

I heard the term also (perhaps first?) used of the SOAF Strikemasters in the early to mid 1970s - so perhaps the "cab" monniker is to do with being on call (as they and we helis were then), rather than type or role specific??

[green granite]

I believe that after D day in France the rocket carrying Typhoons etc just loitered around until a target was found for them when so that they would be able to strike within a few minutes, the airborne holding area was called the cab rank.

[Clockwork Mouse]

In Army Aviation (AAC and unit air platoons) in the 1970s we used to refer to going flying as going for a cabby. We also referred to our aircraft as cabs. It applied to fixed as well as rotary wing.

[lonsdale2]

I thought it applied to any aircraft apart from a single seater.
When the cab is driven by a taxi-driver!:ok:

[A30yoyo]

I raised these separate oldies on this page....any ideas? I remember reading that Thunderbolts were used in Burma in 1944/1945 on a 'cab-rank' basis
http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/419023-rotary-nostalgia-thread-67.html

[Milo Minderbinder]

One of the few things from the war that my father will talk about is watching the rocket-firing Typhoons (or Tempests??) queuing in the air to take turns at attacking the German armour during the Ardennes offensive.
He had a grandstand view - as a storeman in a REME workshop attached to the 5th Armoured Div, he and his mates were hurriedly given extra weapons and told to hold a "hilltop". (I'm not sure how high a "hill" would be in the Ardennes...)
The way he describes it, the day the weather cleared the Germans were hit with wave after wave of the aircraft, each firing rockets in turn, landing, reloading and attacking again with each waiting in the air in queue for their "turn". For him to talk about it means it must have left a heck of an impression - he's normally reticent about talking about anything from the war. His view was that against that number of aircraft, with rockets, the German armour stood no chance - as long as the weather held

[BBadanov]

"Cab" could have come from the WWII "cab rank" FAC terminology. I first heard it in Navy vernacular in the 70s, referring to the Bucc in particular, but may have referred also to the F4 and perhaps the Shar.

"Jet" was also used interchangeably.

[EESDL]

all v interesting and highly plausible......
but how about this explanation........I always looked at SH flying as flying an aerial 'truck' (4-tonner or such like) so the front end of said 'truck' is the 'cab'..........so why is the front end of a truck called the 'cab' I hear myself ask?:hmm:

[Milo Minderbinder]

Cab in vehicles is short for Cabriolet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabriolet_%28carriage%29

which became

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansom_cab

[Warmtoast]

The OED (available online if you have a county library ticket) has three entries relevant to "cab-rank" in an aviation context:


1945 Times 1 Mar. 5/7 A ‘cab-rank’ has been maintained over the bridgehead.

1945 Times 6 Mar. 5/6 ‘Cab-rank’ fighter bombers have been overhead continuously.

1946 L. E. O. Charlton "Britain at War IV". 275 R.A.F. Typhoons‥came in time to develop‥the ‘cab rank’ technique. Based on their own special air strips,‥they there awaited a wireless summons.