Originally Posted by
Mogwi
Don't forget we have had the Kestrel, Harrier, Merlin, Hawk etc
The MERLIN started out as the European Helicopter Industries 01 (EHI 01) which became the EH 101 somehow. The competition to name it for the RN came up with MARLIN. Pretty good seeing that it was to be an ASW helicopter. Somehow this morphed into MERLIN.
Lucky it wasn’t cincelled.
Mog
Additionally, don't forget that RNAS Worthy Down was HMS KESTREL, RNAS Kete was HMS HARRIER and, perhaps a little more significantly than "Somehow" in the current context, RNAS Donibristle was HMS MERLIN, and of course RNAS Culdrose is HMS SEAHAWK rather than plain old HAWK.
Jack