Designation system for aircraft used by the U.S. Forces before 1962
This article covers the aircraft designation systems used by the U.S. Forces prior to 1962 , including the United States Army Air Corps system from 1926 to 1941, the United States Army Air Forces system from 1941 to 1948, and the US Air Force system from 1948 to 1948 1962.
For the systems of the US Navy and the US Marine Corps see Designation system for aircraft of the US Navy from 1922 to 1962 , for the system of the US Army from 1956 to 1962 see Designation system for aircraft of the US Army from 1956 to 1962 .
For the system currently in use, see Designation System for Aircraft in the US Forces
Before 1919
Before 1919, US Army aircraft were operated under the factory names of the respective manufacturers. Special task designations were not yet necessary, as aerial observation was the main purpose. This practice was continued during the First World War. Examples are the Curtiss JN series (Jenny), Curtiss R series , Loening M.8 , Thomas Morse S series .
1919 system
In 1919 the US Air Service introduced a classification into 15 types for aircraft that were already in service and on order. The following year the Engineering Division assigned a code letter to each type. Within each type assignment, the patterns were numbered sequentially, similar to the German system in the First World War . Eight additional codes were no longer given a type number.
| Task abbreviation | description | Type no. | Sample application |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. | Ambulance | Fokker-Atlantic A-2 | |
| AO | Artillery observation | Type IX | Fokker-Atlantic AO-1 |
| CO | Corps observation | Type X | Boeing CO-7 |
| COA | Corps Observation Amphibian | Loening COA-1 | |
| DB | Day bomber | Type XI | Gallaudet DB-1 |
| G | Glider | ? | |
| GA | Ground attack | Type VI | Boeing GA-2 |
| IL | Infantry Liaison | Type VII | Orenco IL-1 |
| M. | Messenger | Engineering Division-Sperry M-1 | |
| MAT | Messenger, aerial torpedo | Engineering Division-Sperry MAT | |
| NBL | Night bomber, long distance | Type XIII | Witteman-Lewis NBL-1 |
| NBS | Night bomber, short distance | Type XII | Curtiss NBS-4 |
| PA | Pursuit (fighter plane), Aircooled | Type III | Loening PA-1 |
| PG | Pursuit, ground attack | Type IV | Aeromarine PG-1 |
| PN | Pursuit, night | Type II | Curtiss PN-1 |
| PS | Pursuit, special alert | Dayton-Wright PS-1 | |
| PW | Pursuit, watercooled | Type I | Boeing PW-9 |
| R. | Racer | Curtiss R-6 | |
| S. | Seaplane (seaplane) | Loening S-1 | |
| T | transport | LWF T-3 | |
| TA | Trainer, Aircooled | Type XIV | Dayton-Wright TA-3 |
| TP | Twoseat pursuit | Type V | Engineering Division TP-1 |
| TW | Trainer, watercooled | Type XV | Huff-Daland TW-5 |
1924 system
The first revision of the previous system took place in May 1924, with the aircraft already in use retaining their old designation. Some additional task shortcuts have been added and others deleted. The system remained in use until after World War II. For the first time in 1928 prefixes for the status of the samples (e.g. X for prototypes, Y for field tests, pre-series and Z for obsolete aircraft) were introduced, others followed during the war.
| Task abbreviation | description | Usage period | Example usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. | Attack also target presentation |
1926-47 1940-41 |
Douglas A-20 Havoc |
| AG | Assault Glider (combat zone glider) | 1942-44 | Timm AG-2 |
| AT | Advanced trainer | 1925-47 | North American AT-6 |
| B. | bomber | 1925 - today | Boeing B-17 |
| BC | Basic Combat | 1936-40 | Vultee BC-3 |
| BG | Bomb Glider | 1942-44 | Fletcher BG-1 |
| BLR | Bomb Glider, Long Range | 1935-36 | Douglas BLR-2 |
| BQ | Bomb guided | 1942-45 | Consolidated BQ-8 |
| BT | Basic trainer | 1930-47 | Seversky BT-8 |
| C. | transport | 1925 - today | Douglas C-47 |
| CG | Transport Glider | 1941-47 | General Airborne Transport XCG-16 |
| F. | Photographic | 1930-47 | Republic XF-12 |
| FG | Fuel-carrying glider | 1944-47 | Cornelius XFG-1 |
| FM | Fighter, multiplace | 1936-41 | Bell FM-1 Airacuda |
| G | Gyroplane (gyroplane) | 1935-39 | Pitcairn G-2 |
| GB | Glidebomb | 1942-47 | ? |
| GT | Glide torpedo | 1942-47 | ? |
| HB | Heavy bomber | 1925-27 | Huff-Daland HB-1 Cyclops |
| JB | Jet propelled bomb | 1943-47 | |
| L. | liaison | 1942-62 | Piper L-18 |
| LB | Light bomber | 1925-35 | Huff-Daland LB-3 |
| O | Observation | 1924-42 | Stinson O-62 |
| OA | Observation, amphibian | 1925-47 | Grumman OA-16 |
| OQ | Target, flying model Target representation by model airplane |
1942-47 | Radio tarpaulin OQ-19 |
| P | Pursuit (fighter plane) | 1925-47 | North American P-51 Mustang |
| PB | Pursuit, biplace | 1935-41 | Consolidated PB-2 |
| PG | Powered glider | 1943-47 | Waco PG-3 |
| PQ | Aerial target (manned) manned target display |
1942-47 | Culver PQ-15 |
| PT | Primary trainer | 1925-47 | Stearman PT-27 |
| R. | Rotary wing (helicopter) | 1941-47 | Sikorsky R-6 |
| S. | Supersonic Research | 1946-47 | Bell S-5 |
| TG | Trainer Glider | 1941-47 | Swiss TG-3 |
1948 system
A number of the wartime type designations were adapted in 1948. The two-letter abbreviations were generally not continued. In contrast to today's naming system , the first sub-variant of a pattern did not have a suffix letter. Only the second variant received the letter A. Since 1962, A has stood for the first sub-variant.
| Main task abbreviation | Main task | Example usage |
|---|---|---|
| A. | Amphibian | Grumman A-16 |
| B. | bomber | Boeing B-52 |
| C. | transport | Fairchild C-123 |
| F. | Fighter | Lockheed F-104 |
| G | Glider | Waco G-4 |
| H | Helicopter (helicopter) | Kaman H-43 |
| L. | Liaison (liaison aircraft) | Cessna L-27 |
| Q | Aerial Target (target representation) | |
| R. | Reconnaissance | |
| T | Trainer (trainer aircraft) | North American T-6 |
| U | Utility | Cessna U-17 |
| V | Convertiplane (convertible plane) | Bell XV-3 |
| X | Research (research) | North American X-15 |
The prefixes used until 1962 were:
| prefix | task | Usage period | Example usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. | Calibration | 1948-62 |
Douglas AC-47 (1953 for radio beacon calibration) |
| B. | bomber | 1948 (not used) | |
| C. | transport | 1943- today | apparently not used before 1962 |
| D. | Drone Director | 1948 - today | Lockheed DC-130 |
| E. | Electronics | 1948 - today | Lockheed EC-121H |
| F. | Photographic | 1945-47 | Boeing FB-29 Superfortress (1945) |
| J | Temporary special tests Temporary testing |
1956 - today | Lockheed JC-130A |
| K | Tanker | 1949- today | Boeing KC-135 |
| L. | Liaison | 1948-62 | Cessna LC-126B |
| M. | Medical evacuation | 1951-62 | Douglas MC-118A |
| N | Permanent special tests Permanent test conversion |
1956 - today | Boeing NB-52A |
| P | Passenger transport | 1948-62 | |
| Q | Radio-controlled drone | 1948 - today | McDonnell QF-4 |
| R. | Reconnaissance | 1948 - today | Boeing RB-52B |
| S. | Search and Rescue | 1948-62 | Douglas SC-117A |
| T | Trainer | 1943- today | |
| U | Utility | 1941- today | |
| V | Staff transport | 1945 - today | Convair VC-131G |
| W. | Weather reconnaissance weather reconnaissance |
1948 - today | Lockheed WC-130B |
| X | Experimental (prototype) | 1924-today | |
| Y | Service test (field testing, pre-series) | 1928-today | |
| Z | Obsolete | 1928-62 |
literature
- John M. Andrade: US Military Aircraft Designations and Serials , Midland Counties Publ., 1979
Web links
- [1] Overview of the designation systems