List of military aircraft of the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This list of military aircraft of the United States includes prototype, pre-production and operational types. For aircraft currently in service, see the List of active United States military aircraft. Prototypes are normally prefixed with "X" and often unnamed (note that these are not the same as the experimental X-planes, which are not generally expected to go into production), while pre-production models are usually prefixed "Y".

The United States Air Force currently employs a designation and naming system to identify all aircraft type with distinct names. Until 1962, both the Army and Air Force maintained one system, while the United States Navy maintained a separate system. In 1962, these were unified into a single system heavily reflecting the Army/Air Force method. For more complete information on the workings of this system, refer to United States Department of Defense Aerospace Vehicle Designations.

This list does not include aircraft designated under the pre-1962 United States Navy designation system. For these aircraft, see List of military aircraft of the United States (naval).

A collection of NASA experimental aircraft, including the X-31, F-15S/MTD, SR-71, F-106, F-16XL, X-38, Radio Controlled Mothership, and X-36.
A collection of NASA experimental aircraft, including the X-31, F-15S/MTD, SR-71, F-106, F-16XL, X-38, Radio Controlled Mothership, and X-36.

Contents

Prior to 1919, all planes flown by the Army Air Service were referred to by the designation given to them by their manufacturer. In 1919, the Army Air Service decided that it needed some organized designation sequence, and adopted fifteen classifications, designated by roman numerals. Several other unnumbered designations were added later. Each designation was assigned an abbreviation, and each design an number within that abbreviation. Variants were designated by alphabetically appending letters to the design number.

  • PW-1 - Engineering Division
  • PW-2 - Loening
  • PW-3 - Orenco
  • PW-4 - Gallaudet
  • PW-5 - Fokker
  • PW-6 - Fokker
  • PW-7 - Fokker
  • PW-8 - Curtiss
  • PW-9 - Boeing

  • TP-1 - Engineering Division

  • IL-1 - Orenco

  • AO-1 - Atlantic

  • CO-1 - Engineering Division
  • CO-2 - Engineering Division
  • CO-3 - Engineering Division
  • CO-4 - Atlantic
  • XCO-5 - Atlantic
  • XCO-6 - Engineering Division
  • XCO-7 - Boeing
  • XCO-8 - Atlantic

  • DB-1 - Gallaudet

  • NBS-1 - Martin (formerly designated MB-2)
  • XNBS-2 - Lowe-Willard-Fowler
  • XNBS-3 - Elias
  • XNBS-4 - Curtiss

  • TA-1 - Elias
  • TA-2 - Huff-Daland
  • TA-3 - Wright
  • TA-4 - Engineering Division
  • TA-5 - Wright
  • TA-6 - Huff-Daland

  • TW-1 - Engineering Division
  • TW-2 - Cox-Klemin
  • TW-3 - Wright
  • TW-4 - Fokker
  • TW-5 - Huff-Daland

  • XA-1 - Cox-Klemin
  • A-2 - Fokker

  • M-1 - Engineering Division/Sperry

  • R-1 - Verville
  • R-2 - Thomas Morse
  • R-3 - Verville-Sperry
  • R-4 - Loening
  • R-5 - Thomas Morse
  • R-6 - Curtiss
  • R-7 - Engineering Division
  • R-8 - Curtiss

  • T-1 - Martin
  • T-2 - Fokker
  • XT-3 - Lowe-Willard-Fowler

Until 1926, the Army Air Service had three sequences for bombers. Light bombers were indicated by the LB- prefix, medium bombers by the B- prefix, and heavy bombers by the HB- prefix. In 1926, the three-category system was scrapped and all bombers subsequently built were placed in the B- sequence.

  • LB-1 - Huff-Daland (later Keystone)
  • LB-2 - Fokker
  • XLB-3 - Keystone
  • XLB-4 - Martin
  • LB-5 - Keystone
  • LB-6 - Keystone
  • LB-7 - Keystone
  • LB-8 - Keystone
  • LB-9 - Keystone
  • LB-10 - Keystone
  • LB-11 - Keystone
  • XLB-12 - Keystone
  • LB-13 - Keystone
  • LB-14 - Keystone

  • XHB-1 - Huff-Daland
  • XHB-2 - Fokker
  • XHB-3 - Huff-Daland

A short-lived designation used from 1935-1936 to refer to three long-range bomber projects commissioned by the Army Air Corps.

Beginning with #68, the M- (missile) and B- (bomber) series diverged. The following missiles, some of which are incorrectly labeled as "formerly designated B-xx" in some sources, never used a B-series designation.

After 2005, several planes were added to this sequence.

  • PQ-8 Cadet - Culver
  • PQ-9 - Culver
  • PQ-10 - Culver
  • PQ-11 - Fletcher
  • PQ-12 - Fleetwings
  • PQ-13 - ERCO
  • PQ-14 - Culver
  • PQ-15 - Culver

  • OQ-2 - Radioplane
  • OQ-3 - Radioplane/Frankfort
  • OQ-4 - Brunswick-Balke-Collender
  • OQ-5
  • OQ-6 - Radioplane
  • OQ-7 - Radioplane
  • OQ-11 - Simmonds Aerocessories
  • OQ-12 - Radioplane
  • OQ-13 - Radioplane
  • OQ-14 - Radioplane/Frankfort
  • OQ-16
  • OQ-17 - Radioplane
  • OQ-18
  • OQ-19 - Radioplane

  • Q-1 - Radioplane
  • Q-2 Firebee - Ryan
  • Q-3 - Radioplane
  • Q-4 - Radioplane/Bendix
  • Q-5 Kingfisher - Lockheed
  • Q-6
    • Q-7 - skipped: request for redesignated QB-17 not approved
    • Q-8 - skipped: request for redesignated QF-80 not approved
  • Q-9
  • Q-10 - Radioplane
    • Q-11 - skipped
  • Q-12 Challenger - Beech
  • Q-14 Cadet - Culver

  • AG-1 - Christopher
  • AG-2 - Timm

  • BG-1 - Fletcher
  • BG-2 - Fletcher
  • BG-3 - Cornelius

  • CG-1 - Frankfort
  • CG-2 - Frankfort
  • CG-3 - Waco
  • CG-4 Hadrian - Waco
  • CG-5 - St. Louis
  • CG-6 - St. Louis
  • CG-7 - Bowlus/Douglas
  • CG-8 - Bowlus/Douglas
  • CG-9 - AGA Aviation
  • CG-10 Trojan Horse - Laister-Kauffman
  • CG-11 - Snead
  • CG-12 - Read-York
  • CG-13 - Waco
  • CG-14 - Chase
  • CG-15 Hadrian - Waco
  • CG-16 - General Airborne Transport
  • CG-17 - Douglas
  • CG-18 - Chase
  • CG-19 - Douglas
  • CG-20 - Chase

  • FG-1 - Cornelius

  • PG-1 - Northwestern
  • PG-2 - Ridgefield
  • PG-3 - Waco

  • TG-1 - Frankfort
  • TG-2 - Schweizer
  • TG-3 - Schweizer
  • TG-4 - Laister-Kauffman
  • TG-5 Grasshopper - Aeronca
  • TG-6 Grasshopper - Taylorcraft
  • TG-7 Orlik - SZD
  • TG-8 Grasshopper - Piper
  • TG-9 - Briegleb
  • TG-10 - Wichita Engineering
  • TG-11 - Schempger
  • TG-12 - Bowlus
  • TG-13 - Briegleb
  • TG-14 - Stiglemeier
  • TG-15 - Franklin
  • TG-16 - A.B.C.
  • TG-17 - Franklin
  • TG-18 - Midwest
  • TG-19 - Schweyer
  • TG-20 - Laister-Kauffman
  • TG-21 - Notre Dame
  • TG-22 - Melrose
  • TG-23 - Harper-Corcoran
  • TG-24 - Bowlus-Dupont
  • TG-25 - Plover
  • TG-26 - Universal
  • TG-27 - Grunau
  • TG-28 - Haller
  • TG-29 - Volmer Jensen
  • TG-30 Bluebird - Smith
  • TG-31 - Aero Industries
  • TG-32 - Pratt-Read
  • TG-33 - Aeronca

  • G-2 - Ridgefield
  • G-3 - Waco
  • G-4 Hadrian - Waco
  • G-10 Trojan Horse - Laister-Kauffman
  • G-13 - Waco
  • G-14 - Chase
  • G-15 Hadrian - Waco
  • G-18 - Chase
  • G-20 - Chase

  • S-1 - Schweizer
  • S-2 - Schweizer

  • G-1 - Kellett
  • G-2 - Pitcairn

Designated P- for "pursuit" until 1948, when the United States Air Force was founded. After this, all P- designations were changed to F- ("fighter"), but the original numbers were retained.

Unofficial designations YF-112 and up were later assigned to "black" projects - see Fighter series in Unified System.

Both of the following aircraft are part of the B- (bomber) series.

Designated R- for "rotary wing" until 1948, when the United States Air Force was founded. After this, all R- designations were changed to H- ("helicopter"), but the original numbers were retained. After 1962, the series was continued within the Unified Designation System.

The series was continued as the X (Experimental) series after 1948 - see X-series in Unified System.

Superseded by Advanced Trainer (AT-).

The AT-6 Texan, AT-7 Navigator, and AT-11 Kansan, were retroactively given T- designations. The new sequence began at 28, one number higher than the PT- sequence had reached.

  • AZ-1 Marvelette - Mississippi State University

  • HO-1 Pawnee - Hiller (redesignated VZ-1 in 1956)
  • HO-2 - De Lackner (redesignated HZ-1 in 1956)

  • HZ-1 - De Lackner

  • Z-1 - Goodyear
  • Z-2 Sentinel - Westinghouse Airships
  • Z-3 - American Blimp

USAF A-10 Thunderbolt II
USAF A-10 Thunderbolt II

Use for attack missions is indicated by the modified mission identifier A-.

USAF B-2 Spirit
USAF B-2 Spirit

Army Chinook sling-loads a Howitzer Gun
Army Chinook sling-loads a Howitzer Gun

USAF E-3 Sentry
USAF E-3 Sentry

Main article: X-plane (aircraft)

Note: Captured foreign aircraft used for evaluation and aggressor were given designations in sequence—based on chronology—with "black" project aircraft, continuing the pre-1962 F series.[5]

  • TG-1 - Schweizer
  • TG-2 - Schweizer
  • TG-3 - Schweizer
  • TG-4 - Schweizer
  • TG-5 - Schweizer
  • TG-6 - Schweizer
  • TG-7 - Schweizer
  • RG-8 Condor - Schweizer
  • TG-9 - Schleicher
  • TG-10 - Let
  • TG-11 - Stemme
  • TG-12 - Caproni Vizzola
    • G-13 - skipped
  • TG-14 - Grupo Aeromat
  • TG-15 - Schempp-Hirth

  1. ^ 1950s Bomber Aircraft. National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved on 2006-12-27.
  2. ^ HazeGray.org. rec.aviation.military FAQ, Part 4. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Parsch, Andreas (2006-11-27). Cover Designations for Classified USAF Aircraft. Designation-Systems.Net. Retrieved on 2006-12-29.
  4. ^ Edwards AFB website. Col. Joseph A. Lanni, USAF biography. Retrieved on 2007-01-07.
  5. ^ a b Fulghum, David A., "MiGs in Nevada", Aviation Week & Space Technology, November 27, 2006
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