1922 United States Navy aircraft designation system
Until 1962, the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps used a system to designate their aircraft that included information about a craft's role and its manufacturer.
The system
The system conveyed its information in the form:
- (Mission)(Design Number)(Manufacturer)-(Subtype)(Minor Modification)
For example, F4U-1A referred to the first minor modification (A) to the first major subtype (1) of Chance-Vought's (U) fourth (4) fighter (F) design.
Mission
The mission of the aircraft was designated by a one or two letter code. This code would also indicate whether the craft was a helicopter or lighter-than-air.
- A
- Attack
- A
- Ambulance
- BF
- Fighter-bomber
- F
- Fighter
- G
- Aerial Refueling Tanker
- H
- Ambulance
- HC
- Transport helicopter
- HJ
- Utility helicopter (?)
- HN
- Utility helicopter (?)
- HO
- Observation helicopter
- HR
- Transport helicopter
- HS
- ASW helicopter
- HT
- Training helicopter
- HU
- Utility helicopter
- J
- Utility transport
- JR
- Utility transport
- LB
- Bomb Glider (unmanned)
- LN
- Training glider
- M
- Observation / Multi-role
- N
- Trainer
- O
- Observation
- OS
- Observation / Scout
- P
- Patrol
- PB
- Patrol Bomber
- PTB
- Patrol Torpedo Bomber
- R
- Racer
- R
- Transport
- S
- Scout
- SB
- Scout bomber (dive bomber)
- SF
- Scout Torpedo bomber
- SN
- Scout trainer
- SO
- Scout / Observation
- T
- Transport
- T
- Trainer
- TB
- Torpedo bomber
- TD
- Target drone
- TS
- Torpedo bomber / Scout
- U
- Utility
- W
- AEW
- Z
- Airship
Design number
In cases where an aircraft was its manufacturer's first design for a particular mission, the 1 would not be written. Thus Consolidated’s patrol plane was the PBY, not PB1Y.
Manufacturer
The codes used to denote manufacturers were not unique to a single company. Additionally, aircraft built under license received a separate design number than the aircraft produced by the designing company. For example Goodyear produced Vought's F4U as the FG.
- A
- Brewster
- General Aviation
- Noorduyn
- Allied
- Aeromarine
- B
- Beechcraft
- Boeing
- Budd
- Aerial
- C
- Curtiss
- Cessna
- Culver
- D
- Douglas
- McDonnell
- Radioplane
- Frankfort
- E
- Piper
- Cessna
- Hiller
- Bellanca
- Edo
- Elias
- Gould
- Pratt Read
- F
- Grumman
- Fairchild
- Fokker
- G
- Goodyear
- Great Lakes
- Eberhart
- Gallaudet
- Bell
- A.G.A.
- H
- McDonnell
- Howard
- Hall
- Huff
- Stearman
- Snead
- J
- North American
- Berliner-Joyce
- General Aviation
- K
- Fairchild
- Kaman
- Keystone
- Martin
- Kreidner Reisner
- Kinner
- Nash-Kelvinator
- Kaiser
- L
- Bell
- Columbia
- Loening
- Langley
- Lowe-Willard-Fowler
- M
- General Motors (Eastern)
- Bell
- Martin
- N
- Naval Aircraft Factory
- Seversky
- Stinson
- O
- Lockheed
- Piper
- Viking
- P
- Spartan
- Piper
- Pitcairn
- Piasecki
- P.V.
- Q
- Fairchild
- Ward Hall
- Stinson
- Bristol
- R
- Ryan
- Interstate
- Ford
- Maxson-Brewster
- Aeronca
- American
- Brunswick-Balke-Collender
- Radioplane
- S
- Stearman
- Sikorsky
- Aeromarine
- Schweizer
- Stout
- Supermarine
- T
- Northrop
- Timm
- Taylorcraft
- Temco
- Thomas Morse
- New Standard
- U
- Chance-Vought
- V
- Lockheed
- Vultee
- W
- Wright
- Waco
- Canadian Car & Foundry
- X
- Cox-Klemin
- Y
- Consolidated
- Convair
- Stinson
- Z
- Wilford
- Pennsylvania
Special modifications
Letters were occasionally appended after the design number, in the same place held for minor modifications to the subtype. Adding 'N' to the Grumman F6F-5 designated the radar equipped nightfighter version of that model: F6F-5N
End of the system
In 1962, the Department of Defense unified its aircraft designation systems along the lines of the Air Force's system. Many Navy aircraft then in service were redesignated. For many planes, the mission letters and design numbers were retained, as the AD Skyraider became the A-1 and the F4H Phantom II became the F-4. Some aircraft design numbers were not retained, like the North American Vigilante, which was redesignated from A3J to A-5
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