United States military aircraft serials

Denotes the serial numbers of the aircraft in the United States Navy, also known as Bureau Number ( BuNo ), will be awarded for each aircraft by the Bureau of Aeronautics and ask for the service life of each machine in the U.S. Navy represents a unique identification

History

The first serial number system of the Navy, which was introduced in 1911 with the procurement of the first aircraft, was based on the respective manufacturers. This was a code letter and the planes were numbered sequentially. So stood for Curtiss A, B Wright, etc. The first Navy aircraft was the Curtiss Triad, a seaplane with a pusher propeller, which procured two copies were given the serial numbers A-1 and A-2. A short time later, a distinction of the various models of a manufacturer was made, the Curtiss flying boats received the letter C and the amphibious aircraft the identifier E.

In March 1914, the manufacturer-specific system was abandoned and replaced by a general valid. The new system used two letters, the first stated, if the aircraft is heavier than air (A ), a balloon ( B) or a steerable airship (C ), etc.. The second letter was to the subtype, eg H for seaplane, B for flying boat. See also designation system for aircraft of the U.S. Navy by 1922 until 1962.

In the newly introduced May 1917 system, the prefix identifiers was abandoned and replaced by the letter A (for Aeroplane ). From 1921, these serial numbers were assigned by the Bureau of Aeronautics was founded in the same year. The A- prefix has been omitted from 1930, the last use was A- 9204, an OJ -2. After reaching the serial number 9999, a new sequence number 0001 has been started is referred to as the second series the Bureau Number.

1940 so many aircraft was procured, that you are forced to saw the new series to end in 7303 to avoid confusion with the action is going in operating aircraft in the first series. There was a third series this time started from the beginning with five digits ( 00001). When finished in 1945 the number reached 99999, it was continued six digits. This series is still valid today and has now exceeded the number 168000. Machines that have been adopted by other branches of the armed forces, BuNos received outside the normal sequence starting with 198003rd However, this sequence does not follow any recognizable system.

Since the assignment of the serial number of the effective date of the order and not in the actual commissioning, has the numerical sequence large gaps due to order cancellations on.