266:
187:
112:
217:, with A allocated to Curtiss. Different letters were also allocated to the same manufacturer, but for different types of aircraft, for example, Curtiss amphibians were allocated E. In early 1914, the system was changed to a two-letter type/sub-type system, with each having a sequence starting from 1. A was allocated for heavier-than-air types, for example, AB was a flying boat and AX was an amphibian. All surviving aircraft from the original system were resealed.
282:
274:
28:
198:
335:
135:
306:
When the original fiscal year of a serial became ten years earlier than the current fiscal year, the tail number was often prefixed with a zero, for example, 0-16717 instead of 16717 for UH-1H fiscal serial 66-16717. This was for disambiguation purposes, to avoid confusion with tail numbers for later
289:
The early Army aircraft had large black serials marked on the fin or rudder, and in 1917 it was usual to prefix the serial with SC for signal corps, or later AS for aerial service. Later, the prefixes were not always marked and were eventually dropped. From 1942, the serial number was applied to the
318:. Aircraft that use the tactical style of marking (for example AF80 020 to the left and below the wing tail code) are also referred to as 'balls'. This is a combination of the two consecutive zeros, one from the last digit in the build year and the other from the first digit in the aircraft number.
252:
purchased its own aircraft, and they were assigned one or two-digit serial numbers. In 1934, the system was changed to a three-digit number with the first digit indicating an aircraft type. In 1936, this was changed again, and all aircraft (including those withdrawn from use) were allocated serials
346:
Each Navy and Marine Corps aircraft normally has its Bureau Number plus the type designation marked in small letters on the rear fuselage. Sometimes the last four digits of the serial are painted on the fuselage or vertical stabilizer fin. Sometimes the last three digits are used as the side codes
325:
Whatever the serial presentation on the fin, the full fiscal serial is always presented in a technical data block, which is normally on the port (left) side near the cockpit. Often a portion of the aircraft serial number is also painted on the aircraft nose (as is done with helicopters) or on the
253:
starting with V101. In 1945, the V prefix was removed and replaced with digit 1 to make four-digit serial numbers, which continues to the present. Since 1969, executive aircraft operated for the
Secretary of the Treasury were assigned their own sequence beginning with
236:
In 1935, when the sequence reached 9999, the sequence was restarted at 0001. At the start of the 1940s, so many aircraft were purchased that surviving aircraft from the first sequence could be confused with second-series aircraft, and the sequence was stopped at 7303.
53:
bomber, lacking a tail, the number appears on the nose gear door. Individual agencies have each evolved their own system of serial number identification. Aircraft serials are part of the
Aircraft Visual Identification System, which also includes the aircraft's
95:(USAAS), but the sequence of numbers started in 1908 continued without change. In 1920, the USAAS became independent from the Signal Corps, and by 1921 the sequence had reached 68000. On 1 July 1921, a new serial system was introduced that was based on the
220:
In 1917, the individual number sequences were stopped, and a combined sequential numerical system was started at number 51. Prefix letters were retained for a short time, but in 1917 they were replaced with the single letter A for an
326:
nose landing gear door (as is done on fighters and bombers) to help ground and aircrew personnel speedily identify a certain aircraft as it approaches while taxiing into or out of parking spots or elsewhere around an airfield.
314:). The system is still in use. An aircraft in the first 10 units purchased in the fiscal year is often referred to as "Balls-(number)" – for example, NASA's B-52B, the oldest B-52 in service until its retirement, was known as
294:
usually had its serial showing on the fuselage instead — with the first digit of the fiscal year being omitted. The serial would not be allowed to be less than four digits (for example B-45 serial number 47-007 was marked
321:
In 1969, camouflaged tactical aircraft were marked with a modified presentation with the fiscal year followed by the last three digits of the serial number. Also, the letters AF were often added as a prefix or nearby.
154:(USAAF), the sequence continued unchanged, and the displayed number, normally shown on the fixed vertical stabilizer's sides, usually omitted the first digit of the year of the contract issuance.
178:
continued to use the fiscal year serials, but the numeric element was started at 15000 for each year. In 1971, the sequence was started at 20000 and was not restarted with each fiscal year.
310:
In 1956, the fin serials were changed from a minimum of four digits to five digits and in 1957 all serials were limited to five digits (for example KC-135R 58-0001 is marked as
374:
166:(USAF), the sequence continued unchanged. Although USAF was independent of the Army, Army aircraft continued to be allocated in the same numeric sequence until 1967.
476:
240:
In 1940, the third sequence was started at 00001 (with five digits). When the third sequence reached 99999, it continued with six digits which continues to date.
213:(USN) purchased its first aircraft, a Curtiss Triad pusher floatplane. The Navy allocated a prefix for each manufacturer, and the first aircraft was serialized
49:
to identify individual aircraft. These numbers are located on the aircraft tail, so they are sometimes referred to unofficially as "tail numbers". On the
486:
99:, which continues to the present day. For example, the first aircraft to be procured with the fiscal year 1960 funds was a Boeing B-52H serialized
265:
430:
415:
80:
307:
fiscal years. The practice was generally abandoned in the 1980s. The notion that it was O for
Obsolete is a widespread myth.
92:
456:
151:
355:
fleet), but on most operational aircraft this is normally a squadron assigned code instead of a shortened serial number.
123:
186:
50:
34:
471:
291:
249:
142:
F Flying
Fortress, with the first digit of the serial number omitted as shown on the fixed vertical stabilizer
481:
163:
230:
191:
75:
In 1908, the United States government purchased its first heavier than air aircraft. The aircraft, a
352:
111:
210:
175:
426:
411:
147:
451:
446:
339:
281:
273:
27:
197:
116:
76:
465:
46:
42:
83:
and was issued with serial number 1. Subsequent aircraft were numbered in sequence.
233:. In 1930, the service ceased using the A prefix; the last such serial was A-9204.
229:, but became known as Bureau Numbers (BuNos) due to their assignment by the Navy
364:
96:
17:
369:
348:
334:
299:), but there was no upper limit (for example YP-59A 42-108783 was marked as
55:
222:
315:
333:
280:
272:
264:
202:
196:
185:
133:
110:
59:
26:
91:
In 1918, the aviation section of the Army Air
Service became the
139:
347:
also known as nose numbers or MODEXs (most commonly in the USN
134:
408:
US Military
Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909
269:
USAAF A-36 Apaches with fuselage-painted serial numbers
375:
United
Kingdom military aircraft registration number
425:. Liverpool, England: Merseyside Aviation Society.
290:fin (or boom if a helicopter) — alternatively, the
342:with early fuselage presentation used by the Navy
285:C-130H Hercules showing the USAF five-digit style
8:
423:United States Air Force Serials 1946 to 1977
277:B-1B Lancer showing the USAF tactical style
126:(USAAC), the sequence continued unchanged.
79:, was used by the aviation section of the
386:
477:Military aircraft designation systems
7:
330:Presentation (Navy and Marine Corps)
182:United States Navy and Marine Corps
162:In 1947, when the USAAF became the
122:In 1926, when the USAAS became the
45:, all military aircraft display a
25:
447:Joe Baugher – USAF Serial Listing
457:Bureau Numbers of Naval Aircraft
452:Joe Baugher – USN Serial listing
410:. Midland Counties Publications
487:United States military aircraft
81:United States Army Signal Corps
71:United States Army Signal Corps
93:United States Army Air Service
87:United States Army Air Service
1:
261:Presentation (Army/Air Force)
152:United States Army Air Forces
130:United States Army Air Forces
225:. The numbers were official
150:, when the USAAC became the
124:United States Army Air Corps
107:United States Army Air Corps
51:Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit
503:
421:Danby, Peter, ed. (1977).
292:North American A-36 Apache
250:United States Coast Guard
244:United States Coast Guard
97:United States Fiscal Year
31:AF Serial Number 06-6161,
406:Andrade, John M. 1979.
164:United States Air Force
158:United States Air Force
343:
286:
278:
270:
206:
194:
143:
119:
38:
337:
284:
276:
268:
231:Bureau of Aeronautics
200:
189:
137:
114:
30:
192:Grumman A-6 Intruder
393:Andrade 1979, p. 13
227:designating numbers
117:Curtiss O-1B Falcon
344:
287:
279:
271:
211:United States Navy
207:
195:
176:United States Army
170:United States Army
144:
120:
39:
472:Aircraft markings
16:(Redirected from
494:
436:
394:
391:
21:
502:
501:
497:
496:
495:
493:
492:
491:
462:
461:
443:
433:
420:
403:
398:
397:
392:
388:
383:
361:
340:Curtiss Model H
332:
263:
246:
201:166480, a USMC
184:
172:
160:
132:
109:
89:
73:
68:
37:Globemaster III
32:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
500:
498:
490:
489:
484:
482:Serial numbers
479:
474:
464:
463:
460:
459:
454:
449:
442:
441:External links
439:
438:
437:
431:
418:
402:
399:
396:
395:
385:
384:
382:
379:
378:
377:
372:
367:
360:
357:
331:
328:
262:
259:
245:
242:
190:160998, a USN
183:
180:
171:
168:
159:
156:
148:late June 1941
131:
128:
108:
105:
88:
85:
77:Wright Model A
72:
69:
67:
64:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
499:
488:
485:
483:
480:
478:
475:
473:
470:
469:
467:
458:
455:
453:
450:
448:
445:
444:
440:
434:
432:0-902420-18-6
428:
424:
419:
417:
416:0-904597-22-9
413:
409:
405:
404:
400:
390:
387:
380:
376:
373:
371:
368:
366:
363:
362:
358:
356:
354:
353:P-8A Poseidon
350:
341:
336:
329:
327:
323:
319:
317:
313:
308:
304:
302:
298:
293:
283:
275:
267:
260:
258:
256:
251:
248:In 1926, the
243:
241:
238:
234:
232:
228:
224:
218:
216:
212:
209:In 1911, the
204:
199:
193:
188:
181:
179:
177:
174:In 1967, the
169:
167:
165:
157:
155:
153:
149:
141:
136:
129:
127:
125:
118:
113:
106:
104:
102:
98:
94:
86:
84:
82:
78:
70:
65:
63:
61:
57:
52:
48:
47:serial number
44:
43:United States
36:
29:
19:
18:Bureau number
422:
407:
401:Bibliography
389:
345:
324:
320:
311:
309:
305:
300:
296:
288:
254:
247:
239:
235:
226:
219:
214:
208:
173:
161:
145:
138:41-24639, a
121:
100:
90:
74:
40:
365:Buzz number
466:Categories
349:P-3C Orion
115:27-243, a
370:Tail code
223:aeroplane
56:tail code
359:See also
338:4060 a
316:Balls 8
301:2108783
66:History
41:In the
429:
414:
205:Osprey
101:60-001
381:Notes
312:80001
203:MV-22
60:Modex
35:C-17A
427:ISBN
412:ISBN
351:and
297:7007
140:B-17
58:and
303:).
215:A-1
146:In
468::
257:.
103:.
62:.
33:a
435:.
255:1
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
