United States military aircraft designation systems

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The United States Military Aircraft Designation System was first designed in 1919 when the US Army's Aeronautical Division became the United States Army Air Service.

[edit] History

From 1920 to 1947 the United States Army Air Service / United States Army Air Corps / United States Army Air Forces used a designation system based on mission category, with each model in a category numbered sequentially.
From 1922 to 1962 the United States Navy (including United States Marine Corps) used a completely separate designation system, based on both mission and manufacturer.
From 1947 to 1962 the United States Air Force used a mission-based system derived from the 1920-1947 system. For instance, the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star (Pursuit) was redesignated as F-80 (Fighter), but the Convair B-36 bomber kept its previous designation.
Since 1962 a joint system of mission-based designations has been used, with most of these restarting from 1. Various previously-designated models from the pre-1962 Army-Air Force system (such as the F-111) were not redesignated. All in-use aircraft from the pre-1962 Navy-Marine Corps system were redesignated, except for the McDonnell F4H Phantom II/F-110 Spectre which was re-designated the "F-4 Phantom II" in all services.