United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911

312 Pages·1990·198.97 MB·English

by  Gordon Swanborough

Jnited States
"DetailseveryaircraftusedbytheUSNavyand
alsotheCoastGuardandtheMarines,,,Thevolume
haspermanentvalueandisanotableadditionto
Putnam'saeronauticalbooks,~ Navy Aircraft
LWYD'sLIST
ISBN since 1911
Gordon Swanborough
Peter M Bowers
9
United States
Navy Aircraft
since 1911
Gordon Swanborough
Peter M Bowers
Boeing F4B·3s of the US Marine Corps squadron VB-4M ('"Bombing Four") in 1934. when it
was using these single-seaters in alight bombing r6lc. rorwhich spccially.dcvcloped bomb racks
were attachcd to the undercarriage. Aircraft are in overall grey finish ofthc period. with top of
upper wing surface in chrome yellow. Unit insignia iscarried on the fin. and coloured cowlinBs
distinguish aircraft section with the squadron. The marking on the fuselage side beneath Ihe
cockpitisthe MarineCorpsinsignia. Notk-edistinctivc MarineCorpsuseofsquadronclassletler
(B for bomber in Ihis case) enclosed in circle. ralher than Navy style dashes between squadron
number(4here).classletterand aircraft number.(US Nar)'photo).
BYTHE SAME AUTHORS
Unitetl Swte$ Military Aircr({!r since 1908
By Peter M. Bowers
Boeillg AirulIji sillce 1916
CUrIiss Aircraft 1907-1947
CONTENTS
PREFACE VII
I TRODUCTORY OTE IX
HISTORYOFUS AVALAVIATIO I
US NAVAL AIRCRAFT DESIGNATIONS 4
US NAVAL AIRCRAFT COLOURING . 19
MARKINGS OF US NAVAL AIRCRAFT 26
AIRCRAFT DESCRIPTIONS. 40
APPENDIX A-MINOR TYPES 464
APPENDIX B-FORETGN TYPES. 537
©1968 FG Swanborough & PM Bowers APPENDIX C-GLIDERS 560
New material © 1976& 1990FG Swanborough & PM Bowers
APPENDIX D-BALLOONS AND AIRSHIPS 565
First published 1968
ENGINE NAMES. 590
Secondedition published 1976
DESIGNATION INDEX 591
Thisedition published in Great Britain 1990 by
Putnam Aeronautical Books, an imprint of GENERAL INDEX 606
Conway Maritime Press Ltd
24 Bride Lane, Fled Street
London EC4Y 8DR
Brili.~h Librar)'Calaloguing ill Pllhlicarioll Daw
Swanborough. Gordon, 1927-
United States Navy Aircraft since 1911
l. United States. Navy. Military Aircraft. history
I.Tille IL. Bowers. Peter M.
623.74'6'0973
ISBN085177 8380
All rights reserved. Unauthorised duplication
contravenesapplicable laws.
Typeset by Lasertext. Stretford. Manchcstcr
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
William Clowes Limitcd. Beccles
v
PREFACE
FROM the time that the United States Navy took the first formal steps
to create an air arm in 1911, to the presentday, it has operated in parallel
with, but separatefrom, the UnitcdStatcs Air Force(and its predecessors).
Thespecial requirementsofNavalaviationhavecalledforthedevelopment
and production of a wide variety of aeroplanes-and airships, which for
many years figured in the Navy's operational forces.
This volume provides achronicle ofthe aircraft which have served with
the Navy, the Marines and the Coast Guard in 80 years-a period which
opened with the Curtiss Pusher and comes up to date with thc Grumman
F-14A Tomcat variable-geometry fighter. Between these twoextremes can
be traced, through the contents ofthis book, the evolution ofthe carrier
based fighter, the torpedo-bomber, the anti-submarine patrol aircraft and
other types with which the Navy and Marine Corps havc fought in three
wars, and, when the United States has not been actively engaged in
hostilities, have helped to keep the pcacc in many parts ofthe world.
Following the pattern set by the companion volume US Military
Aircraft since 1908, this volumc includes primarily those types ofaircraft
which have reached operational service with the three subject Services. It
excludes those prototypes, experimental types and research aircraft which
have not served operationally. Between these two groups there is no clear
division and of necessity some decisions as to which types to include or
exclude have had to be made arbitrarily. As far as practicable, marginal
aircraft types have been included, with the actual use to which the aircraft
was put rating of greater importance than the quantity of a particular
type built.
The main body of this volume is taken up with the descriptions of the
most significant types ofaircraft. Each of these is illustrated with one or
more photographs and a three-view line drawing, often supplemented by
additional drawings to show variants. The accompanying text sets out
the development history of the aircraft type, refers to its operational
service and makes specific reference to all known designated variants.
Those types of aircraft which have been of relatively less importance are
illustrated and described marc briefly in the first appendix. Separate
VII
appendices cover, in a similar style. foreign aircraft types purchased for
use by the three Serviccs, gliders and airships.
Maximum value can be derived from the information in this volume
only if the reader has a clear understanding of the methods used by the
Navy to designate its aircraft throughout the period under review. These
methods are carefully described in a scparate chapter, and a further
appendix provides an index to every designated aeroplane, whether or
not it is describcd in this book. Furthcr interest in the many hundreds of
photographs reproduced in this volume is created by the chapters on
markings and colours ofNaval aircraft.
Like its companion volume, this work is the result of a collaborative
effort by the two authors and the late L. E. Bradford, who produced the INTRODUCTORY NOTE
line drawings for the first and second editions, making up the great
majority ofthose reprnduced here. Its preparation has only been possible, BEST use of this book can be made if the reader clearly understands its
however, by collaboration in a wider sense, involving many individuals scope and the arrangement ofthe material in it. Its scope is the aireraft
over many years, and the authors acknowledge their special indebtcdness fixed and rotarywing, powered and unpowered, heavier- and lighter-than
to officials ofthe US Navy, the National Archives, the National Air and air - which have served with the US Navy, the US Marine Corps or the
Spacc Museum (Smithsonian Institution), USAF Photographic Library US Coast Guard, or were being prepared for scrvicc when the book went
and the Wmgfoot Lighter-than-Air Socicty; to the public relations staff to press. Aircraft ofthe US Army Signal Corps, the US Army Air Corps,
of most of the US aircraft manufacturers; and to William T. Larkins, thc US Army Air Force and US Army Aviation are not includcd; nor are
LawrenceS. Smalley, Harold Andrewsand thelateJamesC. Fahey.Other aircraft which have remained purely experimental throughout their life.
individuals who have contributed photographs are credited by name Arrangement ojMaterial. Within the main section ofthe book and the
throughoutthis volume;theirgenerosityin makingthesepicturesavailable three appendices covering heavier-than-air aircraft, the descriptions are
is gratefully acknowlcdged. arranged alphabetically by manufacturer, and chronologically withineach
manufacturer group. In those cases where a type was designed by one
Hayes, Kem, England GORDON SWANBOROUGH company but built by one or more others, it is located according to the
Seattle, Washington, USA PETER M. BOWERS name of the designing authority.
February 1990 Inthe title ofeach aircraft description, the basic Navy designation and
official popular name are included. In cases where a designation was
changed during the production Iifc ofan aeroplane, the designation in use
at thc end of production has normally bcen given precedence in all
references. This applies primarilyto those types redesignated in 1962when
all Navy aeroplanes were brought into a unified tri-Servicc system. For
simplicity and standardization, designations in the headings to aircraft
descriptions exclude status prefixes and variant suffixes.
TechnicalData. Withsomenecessaryexceptions,thcdatagiventhrough
out this volume are derived from official Navy performance charts. The
exceptions are contemporary aircraft for which official figures are not
available, or are given only in round terms.
Throughout the technical data, engines are referred to by their official
designations. Popular names, such as Wasp and Cyclone, were applied
by the engine manufacturers and a cross reference between these names
and designations appcars immediately before the Designation Index.
Serial NlImbers. The serial numbers listed for each aircraft typc arc
derived from unclassificd US Navy documents. In some cases,subsequent
changes to contracts result in inconsistencies between the serial numbers
VIII IX
allocated and the numbers of aircraft known to have been built. Where
such inconsistencies exist and cannot be resolved, lhc serial numbers are
shown as 'allocations',
US NAVAL AVIATION
Ullit III[ormatioll. Whereverpossible, the numberofthefirst squadron(s)
to receive a particular aircraft type is recorded, but no attempt has been
A BRIEF HISTORY
made to list all the user units ofeach type.
Photo Credits. Beneath each photograph appears an indication of its
source, or the name of the private individual who took the photograph. NAVAL interest in aviation as a potential aid to the fleet's fighting abilities
The exchangc of negativcs betwccn aircraft photographcrs, which is can be dated back to 1898, the same year in which the US Army's interest
commonplaceespecially in thc US,sometimes makes it difficult to identify was first aroused. Subject of this early interest was the work of Samuel
the origin ofa particular illustration as virtually identical negatives shot P. Langley, whose model 'Aerodrome'flying machines were flying success
by one individual can be held by six or more collectors. fully in 1896. Under US Government contract in 1898, Langley under
Every effort has nevertheless been made to give proper credit to the lOok to build a full-size 'Aerodrome',and at thesame timean inter-service
original photographer. Reference numbers are quoted only for photo board,including avalofficers,wasappointedto investigatethepossibilit
graphs which can easily be obtained from official sources-particularly ies for this aircraft. This was an inauspicious beginning, for Langley failed
the National Archives, which now has possession ofall US Navy photos todemonstrate that the'Aerodrome'could fly in two tests on the Potomac
prior to 1945 and has applied its own new reference numbers to these
River at the end of 1903.
negatives.
Five years elapsed after the 'Aerodrome' flopped miserably into the
Potomac before the Navy again took official note ofthe aeroplane. Two
officers were present as official observers in September 1908 when the
Wright Model A was first demonstrated to thc Army at Fort Myer, and,
unofficially, others witnessed flying meetings in America and abroad. All
reported enthusiastically on the possibilities ofaircraft for naval purposes
and although views within the Navy Department were diverse, the
important step was taken on September26, 1910,ofdesignatingan offiecr
to whom all eorrespondcnce about aviation should be addressed. This
officer was Capt W. 1. Chambers, who served as officer in charge of
aviation for the first three formative years.
In addition to selling up the necessary framework within which Naval
aviation could evolve, Chambers selected Glenn Curtiss to build the first
two Navy aeroplanes. Thc first of these, thc A-I Triad, was flown for the
first time on July I, 1911, by which time two Navy lieutenants (T. G.
Ellyson and John Rodgers) had undergone pilot training. Also before the
Navy accepted its first aeroplane, Chambers had arranged for Eugene
Ely, a Curtiss demonstration pilot, to take off from and land on special
platforms aboard Navy ships-respectively on November 14, 1910, from
the USS Birmillgham in Hampton Roads and onJanuary 18, 1911,aboard
the USS Pellllsylvallia in San Francisco Bay.
Genuine ship-board operations were still a few years off, however, and
the embryo Naval aviation unit was successively based at Annapolis;
North Island, San Diego; Annapolis again and Pensacola, Fla, with an
intermediate period at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for exercises with the
fleet in January-February 1913. Naval aircraft were called upon a year
later, during the Mexican crisis, to serve with the Atlantic fleet. In two
detachments, aboard the USS Birmillgham and Mississippi, seven pilots
x 1
and five aircraft participated; April 25, 1914, marked the first ofa series 11.678 enlisted men. Eight aircraft carriers were in commission, plus five
ofoperational flights to observe Mexican positions. land- or water-based patrol wings and l\\/0 Marine aircraft wings. The
Within the Navy Department. aviation became formally recognized on aUack on Pearl Harbor brought Naval aircraft into aClion immc~ialely,
July I, 1915, when an Office of Naval Aeronautics was set up. A Naval ,,·hen VS-6, flying from the USS Ell/erpr;se, somewhat fortUItously
Flying Corps with a strength of 150 officers and 350 enlisted men was intercepted the attackers during the raid. Three days later, aircraft from
authorized in August 1916 and provision was also made for a Naval the £lIlerprise sank a Japanese submarine the first of the war.
Reserve Flying Corps. Both the US Marincs and the US Coast Guard Fulfilling its primary mission of supporting the Fleet, naval aviation
had already become involved with aviation, with personnel from both became heavily involved in the war against Japan in the Pacificarea, and
services being trained as pilots under Navy auspices. less so in the Atlantic battle with Germany and Italy. The record shows
The 19 months during which America was an active combatant in that Navy and Marine aircraft sank, in actions independent ofground or
World War I saw a dramatic expansion of the Naval Flying Corps. On sea forces, 161 Japanese warships and 447 Japanese merchant ships, as
April 6, 1917, the Corps had 54 aircraft, 48 qualified and student pilots well as 63 German submarines; and over 15,000 enemy aircraft were
and one base. By the time the war ended, the Navy had 12 air bases in destroyed in the air or on the ground. The pcak naval aircraft inventory
the US and 27 in Europe; its flying-boats had attacked 25 enemy was reached in 1945 with 40,912 aircraft on hand at July I.
submarines and sunk or damaged at least half of them. The strength of Operationalforces were grouped intwo majorcomponents, respectively
Naval aviation in November 1918 totalled 6,716 officers and 30,693 in the Pacific and the Atlantic. In 1942-3 the Air Forcc, Pacific Fleet,
enlisted men, plus 282 officers and 2,180 men in the Marine Corps; on and Air Force, Atlantic Fleet, were created as the administrative com
hand were 2,107 aeroplanes and 15 dirigiblcs-a total which was not to mands, these titles bcing given the additional prefix 'Naval' in 1957. In
be equalled in any single year until 1941. 1959 the Bureau ofAeronautics was merged with the Bureau ofOrdnance
While the size of the Naval Flying Corps inevitably diminished with to form the Bureau of Naval Weapons.
the end of the war, the development of new applications of naval air In the post-war rundown of forces, the strength of naval aviation was
power was pursued with great vigour in the 1920s. This period saw the halved in 12months. but the numberofaircraft in the inventory remained
evolution ofthe aircraft carrier as a major weapon and the acceptance of well into five figures throughout the I950s. Both avy and Marine units
carrier-based fighter and observation squadrons as an integral part ofthe were quickly in action in Korea, and in that conflictthese services flew
battle fleets. Less easily settled was the plaee to be occupied by Naval 30 per cent of the operational sorties mounted by all US forces.
aviation in total defencestrategy; this was the period ofgreat inter-service Anothcr major effort was made by Navy and Marine air forces in the
rivalry between the Army and Navy, and within the Navy itself between war in Vietnam, where operations from task-force carriers steaming off
proponents and critics of air power. The controversy was ended by the thecoast had bccome a daily routine by 1965.To meet theever-increasing
Pratt-MacArthur agreement ofJanuary 9, 1931, which defincd the naval scale of operations in Vietnam, the Navy boosted its procurement of
air force as an element ofthe Fleet, to move with it and to help carry out combat aircraft of all types and speeded up development schedules for
its primary mission. new types to permit their rapid deployment in combat. With the ending
The Bureau ofAeronautics was created on August 10, 1921, to assume of the Vietnam conflict there again came a reduction in Naval air
rcsponsibility for all matters relating to naval aircraft, personnel and commitments and resources, but events in other parts of the world
opcration; BuAer thus became the aviation department in the office of notably the Middle East-ensured that the Carrier Air Wings remained
the Secretary of the Navy and retained this role through World War 11 at an advanced state of readiness throughout the 'eighties. Although
and on until the end of 1959. Marine Aviation remaincd under separate financial restraints were slowing some re-equipment and modernization
command, the responsibility of a Director of Aviation at Headquarters, plans as this book went to press, the US naval air fleet was still, in 1989,
Marine Corps. From its war-time peak, the strength ofnaval aviation fell the fourth largest, numerically, ofany air force in the world.
to less than 1,000 aircraft in the 1920s but climbed slowly to reach 2,000 Procurement ofaircraft by the US Marine Corps and their operations
in 1938. That year, the Naval Expansion Act authorizcd the number of has been closely integrated with Naval aviation since 1912, as indicated.
aircraft to be increased to at least 3,000. Two years later, in June 1940, The US Coast Guard maintains close links with the Navy, particularly
the target was raised first to 4,500, then to 10,000 and a month later the inrespectofaircraftprocurement,andalmost withoutexception itacquires
ceiling was put at 15,000 'useful airplanes'. aircraft types already developed for or purchased by the Navy. During
By December 1941, when Japan attacked thc United States, the air World War 11 the US Coast Guard was dircctly controlled by the Navy
arms of the Navy and Marine Corps could muster 5,233 aeroplanes but both prior to that period, until 1941, and subsequently, from 1946, it
(including trainers and other non-combat types) and had 5,900 pilots and has been administered by the Treasury Department.
2 3
sub-type and bysequence ofprocurement within each sub-type regardless
US NAVAL AIRCRAFT
of manufacturer in a manner similar to ship designations. The following
DESIGNATIONS designations were used:
AIRCRAFT TYPES OR CLASSES
EXCEPT for the short period from 1917 to 1922, the US Navy identified A-Heavier than Air
Its anuaft up to 1962 by specific designation systems that conveyed a B-Free Balloons
consIderable amount ofinformation concerning the origin and nature of C-Dirigibles
the aircraft in simple and standardized form.
D-Kite Balloons
Since the aircraft described in this volume are presented by their official
naval desIgnatIOns, the reader will benefit from an understanding of the AEROPLANE SUB·TYPES
varIOUS systems. These are detailed in this chapter. The extensive rc AH-Hydro Aeroplane
designation ofexisting naval aircraft in 1962 within the unified tri-service
AB-Flying Boat
system then introduced presents a problem in the arrangement of the
AX-Amphibian
~lrcraft des.criptions; as a general rule, the aircraft which were no longer
111 productIOn are presented under their original designations with the Published accounts of this system indicate that it applied to only the
newonefollowingin parentheses, whereas thoseproduced afterthechange Navis first 75 aeroplanes and was abandoned when a sequential serial
are glven theIr new designation first with the old ones in parentheses. A number system, starting at 51, was adopted early in 1917. However,
complete cross-reference between the pre-1962 aircraft designations and identification oflateraircraftinofficial recordsindicates that itwascarried
thoseofthe newsystem for every model in the US Navy inventory at the on unofficially for a short while. In the case ofAH-67 (properly A-67) the
tIme IS IIlcluded III the Designation Index at the end ofthe book. AH was used as atype designation and the 67 was the new serial number
indicating the 67th naval aeroplane procured to that time rather than the
67th AH type.
1911-1914 SYSTEM
Naval aircraft were originally identified by a letter to designate the 1917-1922 SYSTEM
manufacturer, followed by a number to show sequence of procurement,
No standard system was used during these years until March 29, 1922.
such as A-I for the first Curtiss, A-2 for the second, etc. The second
Aeroplanes wereprocuredand operated undertheirmanufacturers'names
source, the Wright Brothers, was designated B.
and model designations, as Curtiss N-9, Sopwith Baby seaplane and
Adeficiency in this system became apparent as soon as different types
F-5L. The latter, an improved version of the Curtiss H-16 flying-boat
of aeroplanes were obtained from the same manufacturer. Curtiss was
developed in England as the F.5 and produced in the United States
then given another letter, C, to distinguish its flying-boats from its
with the Liberty engine (hence the letter L), was produced by several
convertIble landplanes-pontoon seaplanes.
manufacturers with no distinction made between them.
This first system involved only five letters to identify manufacturers, as
follows:
1922-1962 SYSTEM
A-Curtiss (Land and Hydro)
B-Wright (Land and Hydro) On March 29, 1922, following the reorganization of naval aviation
C-Curtiss (Flying Boat) under the Bureau ofAeronautics, asystematic aircraft designation system
D-Burgess & Curtis (Hydroplane, no relation) was adopted. This recognized two classes ofaircraft: aeroplanes, identified
E-Curtiss (Amphibian) by the letter Y, and airships, identified by the letter Z. These letters were
used for administrative purposes and did not appear in the actual
aeroplane designation although the Z was used in the rigid airship
designations. The aeroplanes themselves were further identified as to
1914-1916 SYSTEM
manufacturer, type and model sequence by letters and numbers. Airship
On March 27, 1914, a new system was adopted and all aircraft then designations are explained in the Appendix devoted to these craft.
on hand were redesignated. The aircraft were identified as to type and This system was also used by the US Marines, which are part of the
4 5
Navy, and was used by the US Coast Guard starting in 1935. Up to 1935 and the Vought UO-I of 1923-8 duplieated by the Piper UO-I of 1960.
the Coast Guard, which is undcr thc jurisdiction of the Treasury In spite of being in use since 1922, the designation was not painted on
Department in peacetime but which uses naval organization and equip naval aeroplanes until 1928, when it was applied in 3-in figures to the
ment, had not used any specifiedsystem ofdcsignation. Individual aircraft rudder. Early in 1925 the Navy had started thc practice of painting the
wereidcntified byserial number,sometimespreceded byinitials identifying manufacturer'snameacrossthe topoftherudder.Thisshort-lived practice
a specific dcsign, as FLB-52 for Flying Life Boat. Thc 52 was the Coast overlapped the adoption of the letter-number system and for a short
Guard serial number. period the name and designation were both carried on some aeroplanes.
The system was not applied to all aeroplanes opcrated by the Navy. Seldom was a naval aeroplane redesignated. This was done when a
Civilianaircraft taken into serviceduring World War II, mostly transport designation symbol in use was discontinued, as T-for-Transport, being
types, were opcrated under their civil model numbcrs, such as B-314 for changed to R, and when the Curtiss FIIC-2 was redesignated BFC-2
thc Boeing Model 314. Captured enemy aircraft under test were flown upon adoption ofthe BFdesignation for Bomber-Fightcr. In a few cases,
under their original designations but with avy serial numbers, as were the basic mission of the aeroplane was simply ehanged, as the Curtiss
a fcw isolated US Army models such as tbe Bcll YP-59A. Army models F8C-1 being reassigned to observation duties as OC-I. Oddly, an entirely
adopted in numbers, evcn when transferred from the Army, were given new design, the Curtiss Helldiver dive·bomber, was given the designation
new naval designations. Tbus 48 B-17Gs transferred in 1945 became XF8C-2. There was an F8C-4 production version, but the F8C-5 was
PB~ls; a single B-17F procured in 1943 operated under that designation more properly redesignated 02C-I after delivery.
untIl redesIgnated at the time the later models werc acquired. In post Aeroplanes were not redesignated wben assigned new duties becauseof
World War Il years the standard system was by-passed in somc cases obsolescence. Observation types relegated to utility tasks (J) and training
where Air force models were procured in quantity and operated under (N) retained their original O-designations.
thelf ongmal Aif Force designations, such as T-28 and T-34. Minor At first, the identification emphasis was on the manufacturer, then the
changes made for naval use were reflected only in the series suffix letters, type of aircraft. As originally adopted in 1922, the letter identifying the
T-28B or C and T-34B.
manufaclurer was placed first, thcn the aircraft lype letter and finally the
There wcre very fcw cases ofduplicatedesignations. Occasionally,strict model number. The designation MO-I identified the aeroplane as a
adhcrence to thesystem was relaxed and duplication appeared. There was Martin (M) and the first observation type (0) procured from Martin
thc Boeing PB-1 flying boat of1925,for cxample,duplicated by the Army under the new system. The -I indicated the initial eonfiguration of that
Boemg B-17Gs transferred to the Navy in 1945 and redesignated PB-I, particular model. A recognizable change in the basic model would have
beeome MO-2. A scout model procured from Martin was MS-l. An
entirely new observation model from Martin, however, became M20-1,
the figure 2 identifying the seeond O-model from the same manufacturer.
This system grew as more detailed identification became desirable, and
eventually contained six separate parts as detailed below, berore being
replaced by a common system for all US armed services aircraft in 1962.
Amajor changewas madeon March 10, 1923,when it becamedesirable
to identify the aeroplane initially by type, so the type designation was
placed first. Aircraft in service with the old arrangement retained it,
however, as did aircraft of the same model procured under follow-up
orders after the system was changed. Anotablc exeeption was the Martin
SC-I, which was the CurtissCS-I built under licence by Martin but using
the original Curtissdesignation turned around to renect the new practice,
While the letter sequencc was revcrsed, the scquence of models was
retained. Thc original Curtiss Navy racer design was the CR-l. Under
Ty~and model designations, adopted by the US Navy in 1922.did not appearon the aircraft the revised systcm, the second model was R2C·I. When a new Curtiss
u~ul 1928. In 1925 use ofthe manufacturer's name was authorized and sometimes included the transport appeared in 1928, it was designated RC-I with no eonflict sinee
aircraft name,bestowed by the manufacturer. as on the Vought 02U·l Corsair(left). Both the the R-for-Racer had been dropped by that timc.
manufa~lurer~namea.ndNavydesignationappearedtogetherfrom 1928,:ISonthesecondXF8C
4 Helldtvcr(rtgl!t) un~ll the name was dropped in theearly 'thirties. Note the use ofblack and The naval aeroplane designation system as used from March 10, 1923,
whitepaml tocontrast with the rudderstripes.(M(lIuifaetllrers' photos) to September 18, 1962, is discussed in detail below. The various portions
6 7
are numbered in their sequence ofadoption rather than by their sequence change of 1962. Letters in use to 1962 are indicated by an arrow in the
in the designation, thus: right-hand 'year' column.
X F 4 B-1
SB 2 C-4 C Letter Class Example Year
H 0 2 S-I A Ambulance AE-I 1943
(5) (I) (4) (2) (3) (6) A Attack (formerly BT) AD-I 1946-+
B Bomber OT-I 1931-1943
1 TYPEORCLASS .. MANUFACTURERTYPESEQUENCE BF Bomber-fighter 0F2C-1 t934-1937
,,1,\NUFACTURER 5 STATUSORCLASS PREFIX BT Bomber-torpedo (to A) BT2D-l 1942-1945
3 AIRCRAFTCONFIGURATIONSEQUENCE 6 SPECIALPURPOSESUFfiX DS Anti-submarine drone DSN·1 1959 -+
F Fighter F6C-1 1922 -+
G Transport, single-engine GO-I 1939-1941
TYPE OR CLASS DESIGNATION. Originally, only single lellers were used to G Flight refuelling tanker GV-l 1958 _
identify the aeroplane types but dual letters were adopted in March 1934 H Helicopter(used in combination) H02S-1 1943 _
to identify specified dual-purpose types, as BF for Homber-Fighter, PB H Hospital (to A, 1943) XHL-I 1929 1931, 1942
for Patrol Bomber, etc. Some rather fine distinctions were made to J Transport (to R) XJA-I 1928-1931
J Utility J2F-I 1931 ...,..
emphasize the primary mission of the aeroplane, for example SO for
JR Utility transport JRF-5 1935 ...,..
Scout-Observationand OS for Observation-Scout. In one case only, three
L Glider(used in combination) LNS-I 1941-1945
letters were used-for the experimental Hall Patrol Torpedo Bomber,
M Marine expeditionary EM-2 1922-1923
XPTBH-2, of 1938.
N Trainer N2S· 1 1922-1960
In some cases, certain type letters were discontinued because ofconflict o Observation 020-1 1922...,..
with other types, as T-for-Torpedo and T-for-Transport, the latter being as Observation-scout OS2U- I 1935-1945
replaced by the leller R. When the torpedo designation was dropped after P Patrol PO-I 1923 -+
World War II, the letter T was readopted for new training-plane designs. P Pursuit WP-I 1923
Trainers then in service under the old Nand SN designations retained PH Patrol bomber POY-5 1935 -+
them to the end of their service life or until the redesignation of 1962, PTn Patrol torpedo-bomber XPTBH-2 1937
when the surviving Beech SNBs became C-4Ss. R Racer R3C- 2 1922-1928
Inothercasesdesignationchangesaffectedexistingaircraft, theConsoli R Transport RR-5 1931 -+
RQ Rotorcyc1e ROE-I 1954-1959
dated PB4Y-2 Privateers still in service in 1948 becoming P4Y-2 when
S Anti-submarine S2F-I 1951 -+
many dual designations were abandoned. This same type actually under S Scout SU-2 1922-t946
went a further change, to P-4, in 1962. There was no actual conflict 58 Scout-bomber SBD-3 1934-1946
between the P4Y-2 designation for the Privateer and the experimental SN Scout-trainer SNJ·2 1939 _
XP4Y-! flying-boat of 1942, which no longer existed. Using the PB4Y SO Scout-observation SOC-I 1934-1946
2's original designation with only one letter dropped was a matter of T Torpedo DT-2 1922-1935
convenience when strict adherence to the system would have dictated an T Trainer T2V-I 1948 -+
entirely new designation, as PSY-L T Transport TA-t t927-1930
TB Torpedo-bomber TOD-I t935-1946
There were also 'paper' type designations for political reasons Some of
TD Targetdrone TD2C-I 1942-1946
the Navy's racers of the early 1920s, although flown with R-for-Raeer
TS Torpedo-scout XTSF-t 1943
designations, were camouflaged in the appropriations paperwork as
U Utility UF-I 1955 ...,..
fighters, so the CRs, R2Cs and R3Cs had equivalent fighter designations. U Unpiloted drone UC-IK 1946-1955
Later racers new with fighter designations. The first actual fighter that W Electronicsearch W2F-I 1952 -+
Curtiss built for the Navy under the new system became F4C-L
Type designation letters assigned to all US Navy, Marine and Coast MANUFACTURER'S DESIGNATION. A single letter was commonly used to
Guard aeroplanes from 1922 to 1962 are listed below, with dates from identify the manufacturer. In the earliest applications this was logically
initial assignment to end of procurement of that type or its retirement the first letter of the manufacturer's name, as C-for-Curtiss. In only one
from service. Assignment of two-letter designations was discontinued in case was multiple lettering used to identify a US manufacturer, DW-for
1946, but some aircraft carrying them retained them until the designation Dayton-Wright, which built a scout version of the Douglas DT-2 under
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