U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT DESIGNATIONS

ARMY COMBAT TYPE DESIGNATIONS

A - Attack and light bombardment, 1926-48
B - Bombardment, 1926 to present
DB - Day Bombardment, 1920-23
F - Photographic Reconnaissance, 1938-46, Fighter 1948 to present
FM - Fighter Multiplace, 1937-40
GA - Ground Attack, 1920-22
HB - Heavy Bombardment, 1926-27
LB - Light Bombardment, 1925-30
NBL - Night Bombardment Long distance, 1923
NBS - Night Bombardment Short distance, 1921-24
P - Pursuit, 1925-48
PA - Pursuit Air-cooled, 1922
PB - Pursuit Biplace, 1935
PG - Pursuit Ground attack, 1922
PN - Pursuit Night, 1921
PW - Pursuit Water-cooled, 1921-28

LETTERS ASSIGNED TO MANUFACTURERS OF NAVY COMBAT TYPES

Navy Combat Types 1923-62, Dates indicate last deliveries of now defunct firms, Letters are designations from 1962

A - Atlantic-Fokker (1930), Brewster (1944)
B - Beech (BH), Boeing (BO, BN, BW)
C - Curtiss (1947)
D - Douglas (DO, DL, DT)
E - Bellanca
G - Grumman (GR), Great Lakes (1936)
H - Hall (1940), McDonnell (MC)
J - Berliner-Joyce (1934), North American (NA, NH)
K - Kaiser (1946), Keystone (1930)
L - Bell (BC), Loening (1929)
M - Martin (MA), Eastern/General Motors
N - Naval Aircraft Factory (1945)
O - Lockheed (LO, LM), Republic (RE)
R - Ryan (RY)
S - Sikorsky (SI)
T - Northrop (NO)
U - Vought (VO)
V - Lockheed - ex-vega (LO)
W - Canadian Car & Foundry (1945)
Y - Consolidated-Convair (CO), General Dynamics-Convair (CF)

To denote special modifications sometimes suffixes are added to the above, such as F4U-5N; others include:

A - Amphibous Version
B - Special Armament Version
C - Carrier Version
D - Special Drop Tank Version
E - Special Electronic Gear Version
G - Search-Rescue Version
K - Target Drone Version
L - Searchlight Version
M - Missile Launcher
N - Night Version
P - Photographic Version
Q - Radar Countermeasures Version
S - Antisubmarine Version
W - Early Warning Version

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