military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) (07/30/90)
From: ihlpm!jfb (Joseph F Baugher +1 708 713 4548)
There seems to be some confusion about the designations of American fighter
planes. Here's a summary I put together which I hope will clear up some of the
confusion. I hope that you have as much fun reading this as I had in
writing it. Enjoy!!!
Up until 1920, there was no unified designation scheme for American combat
aircraft. Before that time, aircraft entered service under their original
manufacturer's designation (e. g. SPAD XIII, DH-4, S.E.5, etc). In 1920, it
was decided that some sort of unified designation scheme was needed for
American combat planes. In that year, the Army Air Service adopted a new
designation scheme for all newly-procured aircraft. Henceforth, all Army
aircraft were to be subdivided into 15 basic categories, seven of which
were pursuit-type categories:
PA Pursuit, Air-Cooled
PG Pursuit, Ground Attack
PN Pursuit, Night
PS Pursuit, Special Alert
PW Pursuit, Water-Cooled
R Racer
TP Pursuit, Two-seat
(Yes, that's right, R for Racer; the Army raced planes back in those days!).
The category letters were followed by a chronological number. This number gave
the sequence in which an aircraft in a given category was ordered into service.
The chronological number was often (but not always) followed by a letter which
designated modifications of the aircraft in the order in which they entered
service. For example the Boeing PW-9C was the ninth basic type of pursuit
aircraft powered by a water-cooled engine to enter service with the Army Air
Service. The letter "C" indicates the third modification of the basic PW-9
aircraft to enter service.
There were a few exceptions to this scheme. For example, the S. E. 5
remained in service until 1927, and kept its original designation.
In 1924, the basic Army scheme was changed. It was decided that it made no
sense to classify pursuit aircraft by the type of engine which powered them,
and the seven pursuit categories were replaced by four:
F Photographic reconnaissance
FM Fighter, Multiplace
P Pursuit
PB Pursuit, Biplace
The basic philosophy of the chronological numbering scheme remained the same.
The chronological numbers for all four categories were started at one.
For example, the Boeing P-12 was the twelfth basic pursuit aircraft to be
ordered by the Army after 1924. Aircraft already in service at the time
of the change were redesignated; for example, the Curtiss PW-8 became
the Curtiss P-1.
The basic Army designation scheme is summarized as follows:
(prefix)(type)-(chron. num.)(variant)-(production block)-(factory)
where "type" is a letter indicating basic category of aircraft (P for
pursuit, B for bomber, C for transport, etc) and "chron. num" is the
chronological number of the aircraft of that particular type. The "prefix"
was not always used; it designated special features or roles (such as X
for experimental). The "variant" was a letter in the sequence A, B, C, ...
which indicated the version of that particular aircraft in order
of its entry into service. The "production-block" number was introduced
in 1942 to keep track of relatively minor modifications of aircraft not
deemed to be sufficiently significant to merit a separate variant letter.
Finally, "factory" stood for a two-letter code indicating the factory
where the aircraft was built. For example, the first of the "bubble-
canopy" Thunderbolts was designated by
P-47D-25-RE
which meant that it was the forty-seventh basic pursuit aircraft to be
ordered by the Army, it was the fourth basic variant, and was manufactured
in the 25-th production block coming off the line at the Republic Aircraft
Corporation in Farmingdale, New York.
This designation scheme remained in force all throughout the Second World
War. In 1948, the Army Air Forces were split off from the Army and became
the Air Force. This evidently called for a new designation scheme.
The four fighter categories were replaced by one, designated by F. However,
it was decided NOT to start the chronological numbering system over again from
one. Fighter aircraft already in service at the time of the change had the P
replaced by F, but kept their original chronological number. For example,
the North American P-51 became the F-51, the Lockheed P-80 became the F-80,
etc. As newer aircraft were ordered into service by the Air Force, they
were assigned succeeding chronological numbers in the order in which they
entered service.
Here is a complete list of all pursuit aircraft in the P/F series:
Curtiss P-1 Hawk Single seat biplane powered by 435 hp Curtiss
V-1150. 98 built. First of famed Curtiss
Hawk series of fighters. Was formerly PW-8.
Curtiss P-2 Hawk Version of P-1 with V-1150 engine replaced by
500 hp Curtiss V-1400. Unsatisfactory
performance. Only 3 built.
Curtiss P-3 Hawk Adaptation of Curtiss P-1 to radial Pratt &
Whitney R-1340 engine. Not considered superior
to water-cooled powered versions. Only 5 built.
Boeing XP-4 Modification of PW-9 to test Packard 1A-1500
turbosupercharged engine. Performance was worse
than that of original PW-9 and the program was
abandoned.
Curtiss P-5 Superhawk Version of Curtiss P-1 with turbosupercharged
V-1150 435 hp engine. Only 5 built.
Curtiss P-6 Hawk Modification of P-1 powered by Curtiss V-1570
Conqueror engine of 600 hp. 50 built.
In my opinion, the P-6E variant with its wheel
spats was one of the best-looking biplane pursuits
ever produced.
Boeing XP-7 PW-9D modified to test Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror
engine. Performance not significantly improved
over standard PW-9D to warrant a production order.
Only one built.
Boeing XP-8 Single-seat biplane fighter powered by Packard
2A-1530 liquid-cooled engine. Disappointing
performance did not warrant a production order.
Only one built.
Boeing XP-9 Single-seat monoplane fighter with high-mounted
wing and external bracing. Severe instability
problems and very poor cockpit visibility. Project
abandoned after only a few test flights.
Curtiss XP-10 Single-seat high-altitude biplane fighter with
gull-type upper wing. Only one built. Scrapped
after only a few flights.
Curtiss P-11 Hawk P-6 converted to use of the 600 hp H-1640 Chieftain
12-cylinder air-cooled engine. Project abandoned
before conversion could be completed and aircraft
reverted back to P-6 standards. One converted to
YP-20.
Boeing P-12 Single-seat biplane fighter powered by Pratt and
Whitney R-1340 radial engine. Most successful of
the "between-wars" fighters. 341 built.
Thomas-Morse XP-13 Viper Single-seat biplane powered by Curtiss H-1640
Chieftain engine. All-metal structure and
corrugated aluminum skin. Overheating problems
with Chieftain engine proved insoluble, and project
was cancelled.
Curtiss XP-14 Proposed Curtiss-built version of Thomas-Morse XP-13.
Never built.
Boeing XP-15 Conversion of F4B (Navy version of P-12) to monoplane
configuration. Parasol wing mounted above the
fuselage. Poor handling and too high a landing
speed led to lack of any production orders. Only
one built.
Berliner-Joyce P-16 Two seat biplane fighter. Upper wing roots were
faired into the fuselage. Curtiss V-1570 liquid-
cooled engine. 25 built. Later redesignated PB-1.
Curtiss XP-17 Hawk Version of Curtiss P-1 re-engined with Wright V-1460
Tornado inline aircooled engine. Only one built.
Curtiss XP-18 Proposed biplane fighter built around Wright V-1560
12-cylinder inline air-cooled engine. This engine
was cancelled, and the aircraft never got off the
drawing board.
Curtiss XP-19 Proposed low-wing monoplane fighter built around
Wright V-1560 12-cylinder inline air-cooled engine.
Development abandoned when engine was cancelled.
Never got off the drawing board.
Curtiss YP-20 Hawk Conversion of P-11 to use of 650 hp Wright R-1870
Cyclone air-cooled radial. Later converted to XP-22.
Curtiss P-21 Conversion of P-1 Hawk to P & W R-985 radial
engine. Only one built.
Curtiss XP-22 Hawk Conversion of P-6A to use Curtiss V-1570 inline
engine. Acted as prototype for P-6E.
Curtiss XP-23 Hawk Last of the Hawk series of pursuit biplanes.
Turbosupercharged Conqueror engine, 3-blade prop,
all-metal fuselage, metal wings with fabric covering.
Only one built. Abandoned due to advent of Boeing
P-26 monoplane.
Lockheed YP-24 Two-seat, low-wing, cantilever monoplane with
retractable undercarriage. Based on Lockheed Altair
civil transport. Project abandoned when parent
company (Detroit Aircraft) went belly-up. Project
became basis of Consolidated Y1P-25.
Consolidated Y1P-25 Revision of Lockheed YP-24 two-seat fighter with
metal wings. Powered by Curtiss V-1570 liquid-
cooled engine. Two built. Served as prototype
for P-30.
Boeing P-26 The famous "Peashooter". Single-seat monoplane
fighter powered by P & W R-1340 radial engine.
136 built. Some service at beginning of World War 2.
Consolidated YP-27 Proposed version of Y1P-25 with radial P & W
R-1340-21 engine. Never built.
Consolidated YP-28 Proposed version of Y1P-25 with radial P & W
R-1340-19 engine. Never built.
Boeing YP-29 All-metal low wing monoplane with enclosed cockpit.
Cantilever wing and semi-retractable undercarriage.
P & W R-1340 radial engine. Not enough of an advance
over P-26 to warrant a production order. Only 2
built.
Consolidated P-30 Two-seat low-wing monoplane fighter powered by
Curtiss V-1710 engine with turbosupercharger.
Much too heavy for engine power available. 54
delivered. Later redesignated PB-2A.
Curtiss XP-31 Swift First monoplane Curtiss pursuit design. Curtiss
V-1570 inline engine. Lost out to Boeing P-26.
Only one built.
Boeing XP-32 Developed version of P-29 with P & W R-1535 engine.
Never got past the design stage.
Consolidated XP-33 Proposed adaptation of P-30 to take P & W R-1830
radial engine. Never built.
Wedell-Williams XP-34 Single-seat, low-winged, enclosed cockpit pursuit
aircraft powered by P & W R-1535. Based upon
extensive experience of manufacturer with racing
planes. Project cancelled before any prototypes
could be completed.
Seversky P-35 Cantilever, low-wing monoplane with semi-retractable
landing gear. Beat out Curtiss P-36 in initial
competition. Slow deliveries caused Army to order
P-36. 77 P-35s built. 120 ordered by Sweden, of
which only 60 were delivered. Rest were siezed by
Army, which operated them as P-35A. Some action in
Philippines. Totally unsuited for combat, due to
lack of armor and self-sealing tanks.
Curtiss P-36 Hawk Closed-cabin, all-metal monoplane fighter. Air-cooled
radial engine (Wright R-1820). First American-
designed fighter to enter large-scale production.
210 built for Army, many more for export. Flew with
French during 1940 campaign. Gave good account of
itself. Saw combat in Army service at Pearl Harbor.
Some given to Vichy French, and was the only aircraft
to fight on both sides in World War 2.
Curtiss XP-37 Adaptation of P-36 airframe to Allison V-1710 in-
line water-cooled engine. Cockpit pushed far aft.
Problems with turbosupercharger caused cancellation
in favor of P-40. Onlyh one built.
Lockheed P-38 Lightning The famous "Fork-Tailed Devil". Two Allison liquid-
cooled engines. Twin booms, twin tail. 10,037
built.
Bell P-39 Airacobra Single seat, low-winged monoplane powered by Allison
V-1710 liquid-cooled engine mounted behind pilot and
driving propellor via a shaft. 9558 built.
Many sent to the Russian front. Not considered one
of the better fighters of World War 2. Lousy
performance at high altitude, but good performance
down on the deck. Ineffective in American service
against the nimble Zero, but gave a good account
of itself in Soviet service where it excelled as a
low-altitude fighter-bomber and tank-buster.
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, The famous Flying Tiger shark-teethed airplane.
Tomahawk, Started life as a straightforward conversion of
Kittyhawk P-36 to use of Allison V-1710 inline engine.
Fought on all fronts in World War 2. Served with
many allied air forces. 13,738 built. Many
different modifications.
Seversky XP-41 Adaptation of P-35 with fully-retractable landing
gear and more powerful R-1830-19 engine with super-
charger. Only one built.
Curtiss XP-42 Conversion of P-36 airframe to take new aerodynamic
cowling around radial engine to improve performance.
Lost out to P-40 in competition. Only one built.
Republic P-43 Lancer Adaptation of XP-41 with turbosupercharged R-1830-35
engine. Disappointing performance. 272 built.
108 given to Chinese. Little success against the
Japanese.
Republic P-44 Rocket Adaptation of P-43 with R-2180 or R-2800 engine.
Cancelled in favor of P-47 which showed much more
promise. Never proceeded past the design state.
Bell XP-45 Designation for first production version of Bell
Airacobra. Designation later changed to P-39C.
Curtiss XP-46 Proposed follow-on to P-40, based on European
advances in combat aircraft design. Ten guns,
automatic leading edge slots, fully-retractable
undercarriage. Disappointing performance. Abandoned
in favor of P-40D. Only 2 built.
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The famous "Jug" fighter-bomber and escort fighter
of World War 2. 15,660 built.
Douglas XP-48 Proposal for single-engine ultra light-weight
fighter. Performance estimates deemed overly
optimistic and none were ordered. Never got off
the drawing board.
Lockheed XP-49 Improved version of P-38 with two Continental
XIV-1430 engines. New nacelles, new tail booms,
pressurized cockpit. Performance not as good as
standard P-38J. Project cancelled after only one
example was built.
Grumman XP-50 "De-navalized" version of XF5F-1 Skyrocket twin-
engined, carrier-based monoplane fighter. Two
Wright R-1820 radials. Tricycle landing gear.
Prototype crashed on test flight, and project was
abandoned. Only one built.
North American P-51 The incomparable Mustang!!! What more need be said?
Mustang Probably the best all-round fighter of World War 2.
Total of 14,819 built.
Bell XP-52 Mid-wing monoplane with engines, cockpit and
armament in fuselage. Tailplane mounted on twin
booms attached to wings. Continetal XIV-1430
proposed as powerplant. Order canceled in favor
of XP-59.
Curtiss XP-53 Proposal for follow-on to P-40 with laminar flow
wings and Continental V-1430 liquid-cooled engine.
Two airframes built. Project was cancelled when
the engine failed to materialize.
Vultee XP-54 Swoose Unconventional high-altitude interceptor powered by
Goose Lycoming XH-2470 engine of 2300 hp. Fuselage
had engine in rear, driving a pusher prop. The
tailplane was mounted on twin booms projecting from
the rear of an inverted gull wing. Disappointing
performance of the engine caused performance to
fall well below expectations. Project was
cancelled after only two were built.
Curtiss XP-55 Ascender Unorthodox canard aircraft with Allison V-1710
in extreme rear of fuselage driving pusher prop.
Swept-back wings. Performance problems caused
project to be abandoned. Only 3 built.
Northrop XP-56 Black Flying wing single-seat fighter with Pratt & Whitney
Bullet R-2800 engine driving pusher contrarotating props.
Underpowered, handling problems. Canceled because
of greater promise of jet-powered aircraft. Only
one built.
Tucker XP-57 Proposal for lightweight fighter based on 720 hp
Miller engine. Tucker company bellied-up before
any detailed drawings could be completed.
Lockheed XP-58 Chain Two-seat, long range escort fighter. Two Allison
Lightning V-3420 inline engines. Constant changes in
requirements caused the aircraft to be delayed
until the war was almost over. Project cancelled.
Only one built.
Bell P-59 Airacomet Original P-59 proposal was for a more powerful
variant of XP-52 pusher fighter. This was covertly
abandoned and used as a "cover" for the development
of the first American jet powered aircraft, which
was designated as P-59A. Conventional mid-wing
monoplane with two jet engines, one on either side
of the fuselage, mounted under the wing roots.
50 built. Poor performance made it unsuitable for
combat. Used only as a fighter-trainer to gain
experience with jet operations.
Curtiss P-60 Abortive attempt to produce improved P-40.
Several versions produced, powered by Packard Merlin
and Allison V-1710 inlines , and by Pratt & Whitney
R-2800 radial. All had disappointing performances.
Project finally cancelled.
Northrop P-61 Black Twin engine, twin boom night fighter powered by two
Widow Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines. Four 20 mm cannon
in fuselage, four 0.50 cal machine guns in dorsal
turret. Crew of three. Total of 706 built.
Curtiss XP-62 Design for high-altitude interceptor based on
Wright R-3350 18-cylinder radial with supercharger
driving contra-rotating propellors. Disappointing
performance and changing requirements caused project
to be cancelled after only one P-62 was built.
Bell P-63 Kingcobra Extensively-modified version of P-39 Airacobra with
laminar flow wings, a new engine, a taller tail,
and a four-blade propellor. Intended as close-
support aircraft. Total of 3303 built, most of which
were sent to the Russian front.
North American P-64 NA-50 was private-venture single-seat pursuit based
on NA-16 trainer (ancestor of the Texan). Six
NA-50s ordered by Thailand. Siezed by U. S.
government before they could be delivered. Re-
designated as P-64 and used as fighter-trainers.
Grumman XP-65 Proposed Army Air Forces version of Navy F7F Tigercat
twin-engined carrier-based fighter. Project was
cancelled before work could start.
Vultee P-66 Vanguard Private venture single-seat low-winged fighter
powered by P & W R-1830. Ordered by Sweden, but
embargoed before they could be shipped. 129 sent
to China. Remaining 15 transferred to USAAF where
they were used as advanced fighter trainers.
McDonnell XP-67 Bat Twin-engine, long-range fighter. Two Continental
XI-1430 engines. Low power of engines caused
performance to be disappointing. Sole prototype
destroyed by fire. Project cancelled.
Vultee XP-68 Tornado Designation given to proposal to re-engine the
XP-54 with Wright R-2160 Tornado powerplant.
Project abandoned when Tornado engine was cancelled.
Republic XP-69 Proposal for long-range escort fighter based on
Wright 42-cylinder (!!!) R-2160 engine. Engine was
mounted in fuselage behind pilot (a la P-39
Airacobra) driving a pair of contrarotating props
via a long extension shaft. Envisaged as replacement
for P-47. Cancelled in favor of P-72 before
construction could begin.
Douglas P-70 Night-fighter conversion of A-20 attack bomber as
stopgap measure until P-61 Black Widow was available.
British radar mounted in nose. Various different
armament schemes used. 200 produced. Most used
as trainers.
Curtiss XP-71 Large, heavy two-seat long-range escort fighter.
Two enormous 3450 hp Pratt and Whitney R-4360
radials driving contrarotating props in a pusher
configuration. Two 37-mm and one 75 mm (!!!) cannon.
Never got off the drawing board.
Republic XP-72 Modification of P-47 to take the Pratt & Whitney
R-4360 3450 hp radial engine. Achieved 490 mph
in tests. Further development abandoned in favor
of jet-powered aircraft. Two built.
P-73 For some obscure reason, the designation P-73 was
never assigned to any aircraft.
P-74 For some obscure reason, the designation P-74 was
never assigned to any aircraft.
[ Note: The historian James Fahey claims that the
designations P-74 and P-75 were deliberately skipped
in order to give the Fisher Eagle a "good symbolic
number" ]
Fisher P-75 Eagle Long-range escort fighter powered by 2600 hp Allison
V-3420 engine mounted in mid-fuselage (a la P-39)
driving contrarotating props. Generally
disappointing performance. Project was abandoned
when it was found that P-51 and P-47 with underwing
tanks were perfectly capable of fulfilling the bomber
escort role. Only 13 built.
Bell XP-76 Originally XP-39E, which was a conversion of P-39 to
laminar flow wings with square-cut tips. Ordered
into production as P-76, but later cancelled.
Bell XP-77 Ultra-light fighter constructed of non-strategic
materials. Disappointing performance. Shortage
of aluminum did not materialize, and project was
cancelled. Only two built.
North American XP-78 Conversion of basic P-51 airframe to use Packard
Merlin V-1650 engine. Later redesignated XP-51B.
This change was to turn the Mustang from a relatively
mediocre fighter into an outstanding success.
Northrop XP-79B Flying Jet-powered, flying wing fighter aircraft. Two
Ram Westinghouse 19B jets. Pilot lay prone in a
cockpit between the two engines. Reinforced leading
edge to make it possible to destroy enemy aircraft
by slicing off their wings or fuselages by ramming
them!!! Also carried 4 0.50 cal machine guns.
Lots of stability and control problems. The sole
prototype crashed and the project was canceled.
Lockheed P-80/F-80 First fully-operational USAAF jet fighter. Too late
Shooting Star for service in World War 2. Saw action in Korea.
Served as basis for T-33 jet trainer.
Convair XP-81 Long-range escort fighter powered by combination
jet/turboprop engines. Turboprop engine did not
perform as expected. Project was cancelled after
only two were built.
North American P-82/F-82 Two P-51H fuselages joined by a central rectangular
Twin Mustang wing section and a tailplane. Six 0.50-cal machine
guns in wing center section. Two cockpits with
dual controls. 270 built. Service in Korea as
escort fighter and ground attack aircraft. Scored
first "kill" of Korean War. Night fighter variant
with enormous radr pod under center wing also
produced.
Bell XP-83 Long-range jet fighter powered by two General
Electric J-33 engines. Disappointing performance
caused cancellation of project. Only 2 built.
Republic P-84/F-84 Single-seat, jet-powered fighter-bomber. Versions
Thunderjet/ B, C, D, E, and G Thunderjets were straight-winged
Thunderstreak/ aircraft powered by Allison J-35 engine.
Thunderflash Thunderjet had extensive combat experience in Korea.
F-84F Thunderstreak version had swept wing and more
powerful Wright J-65 engine. 2474 built.
Equipped many NATO air forces.
RF-84F Thunderstreak was recon version with wing
root intakes replacing nose intakes.
McDonnell XF-85 Goblin Single seat, swept-wing jet fighter designed to be
carried as parasite inside belly of B-36 bomber.
Difficulties during tests in re-hooking to mother
craft caused project to be cancelled. Only two
built.
North American P-86/F-86 The famous "MiG-killer" of the Korean War. First
Sabre swept-wing US jet fighter. Fighter-bomber and
interceptor versions also produced. Served with
just about every non-Communist air force.
Curtiss XP-87 Blackhawk Four-engined, jet-powered, all-weather interceptor.
Lost out to Northrop F-89 Scorpion. Only one built.
This was the last airplane to be built by Curtiss.
McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo Twin-engine, long-range escort fighter. Two
Westinghouse J-34 jets. 6 20-mm cannon.
Disappointing performance caused project to be
cancelled after only two were built.
Northrop F-89 Scorpion Twin engine, two-seat all-weather fighter. High-
mounted tail gave the aircraft its name. A, B, and
C versions had 6 20-mm cannon, D and H versions
had exclusively missile armament. 1050 built.
Lockheed XF-90 Twin-engine long-range penetration fighter.
Disappointing performance. Lost out in competition
with McDonnell F-88 Voodoo. Only two built.
Republic XF-91 Single-seat, swept-wing interceptor powered by
Thunderceptor General Electric J-47 jet engine and four rocket
engines. Wings pivoted at the root and had
"inverse taper" (wider at the tips than at the
roots). First American combat plane to go
supersonic in level flight. Not placed in series
production due to high cost and high sophistication.
Only two built.
Convair XF-92A Single-seat delta-wing experimental fighter. Acted
as proof-of-concept for F-102. Only one built.
North American YF-93A Long-range swept-wing jet penetration fighter/
interceptor. Cancelled in favor of F-86D.
Only two built.
Lockheed F-94 Starfire Adaptation of Lockheed T-33 to fulfill requirement
for all-weather fighter. Saw action in Korea. Total
of 853 built.
North American YF-95A All-weather version of Sabre with afterburning
engine. Later redesignated F-86D.
Republic XF-96 Version of F-84 Thunderjet with swept-back wings.
Later redesignated F-84F.
Lockheed YF-97A Proposal for revised Starfire with J-48 engine and
all-rocket armament. Later redesignated F-94C.
Hughes F-98 Falcon Initial designation of Hughes Falcon air-to-air
missile. Later redesignated GAR-98.
Boeing F-99 Bomarc Initial designation of Bomarc surface-to-air
missile. Later redesignated IM-99.
North American F-100 Swept-wing, single-seat fighter-bomber. World's
Super Sabre first fighter capable of supersonic speed in level
flight. Fighter-bomber versions (C and D) also
built. F model was two-seater. Saw action in
Vietnam. Total of 2292 built. Many transferred
to air forces of NATO members.
McDonnell F-101 Voodoo Updated F-88 with P & W J-57 engines with after-
burner. A and C versions were single-seat fighter-
bombers. B version was two-seat all-weather
interceptor. RF-101A/C was unarmed photorecon
version.
Convair F-102 Delta Single-seat, delta-winged all-weather interceptor.
Dagger All-missile armament. 875 of single-seat version
built. 111 two-seat versions (TF-102A) built.
One P & W J-57 jet engine with afterburner.
825 mph @ 36000 ft.
Republic XF-103 Ultra-futuristic plan for a interceptor/fighter
capable of reaching Mach 4 speeds. Powered by
combined turbojet/ramjet engine. Very small
delta wing mounted at mid fuselage. Chin
intake under the fuselage. Pilot's cockpit was
recessed entirely into the fuselage. Aircraft
was constructed entirely of titanium and stainless
steel. High cost of project, coupled with success
of F-102, caused cancellation before any prototypes
could be completed.
Lockheed F-104 Single-seat Mach 2 fighter. One General Electric
Starfighter J-79 with afterburner. First produced as high-
performance day-fighter. Only served in limited
numbers for brief time with USAF. Outstanding
success in export market when converted into
all-weather multirole attack fighter. Difficult
plane to fly; lots of accidents. 1328 mph at
35000 ft
Republic F-105 Mach-2 tactical fighter bomber -- The famous "Thud"
Thunderchief of Vietnam. 824 built.
Convair F-106 Delta Dart Enhanced version of F-102 with P & W J-75 engine and
revised vertical tail. All-missile armament. 277
single-seat (A) versions built. 63 two-seat (B)
versions built. 1525 mph @ 40000 ft.
North American YF-107A All-weather interceptor development of F-100
Super Sabre. Area-ruled fuselage. Top-mounted
intake to make room for radar in nose. Lost out
to Republic F-105 in tactical fighter competition.
North American F-108 Long-range Mach 3 interceptor to act as escort for
Rapier B-70 Valkyrie bomber. Large, delta-winged aircraft
powered by two General Electric J-93 engines.
Canceled due to high cost and advent of long-range
missiles. Never got past the mock-up stage.
Bell XF-109 Mach 2 Vertical take off fighter. Two engines
in rear, two engines in a swiveling pod on each
wingtip, and two engines oriented vertically behind
the cockpit. Only a mockup was built.
McDonnell F-110 Spectre Air Force version of Navy F4H Phantom. Later
redesignated F-4.
General Dynamics F-111 Two-seat swing-wing fighter bomber
Two Pratt & Whitney TF-30 turbofans. FB-111 was
strategic bomber version. Total of 563 built.
[Note: The series seems to end here. But see commentary at end
of article ]
Now for the Navy's designation scheme for its fighters. From the start,
the US Navy had an entirely different designation scheme for its combat
aircraft. In 1923, the Navy decided to designate its aircraft in the
following manner:
(prefix)(function)(succession num)(mfg code) - (variant number)(suffix)
The function was designated by a letter or letters (F for fighter, TB for
torpedo bomber, etc). The prefix designated special features or role (such
as X for experimental) and was not always used. The succession number
indicated the chronological order in which the particular aircraft of the
given type had been ordered from the manufacturer designated by the
manufacturer code (C for Curtiss, B for Boeing, V for Lockheed, etc).
For example, the F4U-5N Corsair was the fourth basic fighter type to be ordered
by the Navy from the Chance Vought Aircraft Corporation. The "5" designates
the fifth modification of the basic Corsair aircraft to enter service.
The N suffix designates a special modification for night-fighting applications.
The Navy designation scheme remained essentially unchanged until 1962. In
that year, Secretary of Defense McNamara reportedly got hopelessly confused
when his subordinates attempted to explain the Air Force and Navy combat
aircraft designation schemes to him. He was shocked to find that the Air
Force and Navy had different designations for basically the same aircraft (e. g.
the FJ Fury and the F-86 Sabre). McNamara ordered that the Air Force and
Navy adopt the same designation scheme for their aircraft. Henceforth,
the Navy was to abandon its separate designation scheme and both services
were to adhere to a new unified designation system which was virtually
identical in form to the Air Force scheme already in effect. However, some new
category letters had to be provided to include aircraft types which the
Air Force did not have (e. g. P for Patrol). By 1962, Air Force
chronological numbers for bombers had reached 70, and chronological numbers
for both fighters and transport aircraft had exceeded a hundred, and it was
decided to start the chronological numbering scheme over again from one for all
aircraft categories. The designations of Air Force aircraft in service in 1962
were unchanged, but all Navy aircraft were redesignated. For example,
the Lockheed P2V Neptune became the P-2, the Vought F8U Crusader became
the F-8, etc. Once all the Navy aircraft had been assigned new numbers, the
succeeding chronological numbers were assigned to new Air Force and Navy
aircraft as they were ordered into service.
Here is the new unified fighter designation scheme:
North American F-1 Fury Formerly FJ Fury, the navalized version of F-86
Sabre.
McDonnell F-2 Banshee Formerly F2H Banshee, Korean War-vintage two-engine
carrier-based strike fighter.
McDonnell F-3 Demon Formerly F3H Demon, a late 1950's single-engine
carrier-based strike fighter.
McDonnell F-4 Phantom II The famous Phantom. Formerly F4H Phantom.
Most successful fighter since the F-86 Sabre.
Two General-Electric J-79 jets with afterburner.
1430 mph at 36,000 ft. Over 5000 built in both
carrier-based and land-based versions.
Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter adaptation of twin-engine T-38 Talon
Fighter supersonic jet trainer. Primarily used for
export.
Douglas F-6 Skyray Formerly F4D Skyray, single-engine carrier-based
interceptor fighter.
Convair F-7 Sea-Dart Formerly XF2Y Sea Dart, an experimental twin-engine
delta-winged fighter that landed on water skis.
[ Note: This one is sort of a mystery. The Sea
Dart was cancelled in 1957. Why bother to give
it a new designation in 1962? ]
Vought F-8 Crusader Formerly F8U Crusader, single engine, carrier-based
day fighter/interceptor. "When you're out of
Crusaders, you're out of fighters!"
Grumman F-9 Cougar Formerly F9F Cougar, single-engine carrier-based
fighter.
Douglas F-10 Skyknight Formerly F3D Skyknight, twin-engine, carrier-based
night-fighter of Korean War vintage.
Grumman F-11 Tiger Formerly F11F Tiger, single-engine, carrier-based
day fighter.
Lockheed YF-12A Conversion of "A-12" spyplane to interceptor
Blackbird configuration as possible replacement for F-106.
2 P & W J-58 turbojets of 32,500 lb. st. each. Only
four built. Max. speed. 2250 mph at altitude.
Deemed too expensive for mass production. Served
as inspiration for SR-71.
F-13 Not assigned (I suspect for superstitious reasons).
Hey, would YOU want to fly on an airplane named F-13?
Grumman F-14 Tomcat Twin-engine, two-seat variable geometry carrier-
based interceptor.
McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Twin-engine all-weather interceptor/fighter.
Eagle Two P & W F100 turbofans. Mach 2.5 plus.
McDonnell-Douglas F-18 Twin-engine carrier-based strike fighter.
Hornet
F-19 ?????????????????????????????
Northrop F-20 Tigershark Single-engine lightweight multirole designed for
export. Project terminated in 1986 due to lack
of customers.
Israel Aircraft Several Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir C-2 (Israel-
Industries F-21 built modification of French Mirage with J-79 engine)
used briefly as aggressor aircraft by Navy "Top Gun"
training units.
Lockheed/Boeing/General Advanced tactical fighter prototype.
Dynamics YF-22A
Northrop YF-23A Advanced tactical fighter prototype.
Now back to the F-19/F-117 controversy. The F-117 designation for the
Stealth seems inconsistent. The "old" Air Force designation scheme was
started over from one back in 1962, at which time the fighter numbers had
reached F-111. If F-117 is REALLY consistent with this scheme, this would
imply that the Stealth fighter had been ordered into service prior to 1962,
which seems quite improbable. If one accepts even this as plausible,
one now has to ask the question: What about the "missing" numbers between
F-111 and F-117 in the sequence? What then were F-112, F-113, F-114, F-115,
and F-116? There has been some suggestion that these are designations for
Soviet-built aircraft that were "acquired" by the Americans and taken out
West to be test flown and evaluated in the Nevada ranges. They might, for
example, be American designations for MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-25, Su-7, etc.
We can only speculate until someone in the know is willing to talk.
Finally, does F-19 stand for some supersecret project that is so "black"
that we won't hear anything about it for at least a decade? Could it be
the "Aurora" that is rumored to be under test out in the desert as a
possible replacement for the SR-71? Or else, perhaps the F-19 really is
a "hole" in the designation scheme, and all of this confusion and
inconsistency in aircraft designation schemes is deliberately designed
to confuse Soviet intelligence about what we are up to. It has certainly
succeeded in confusing ME!!!
Sources: The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers
American Combat Planes, Ray Wagner
Warplanes of the Second World War, William Green
Joe Baugher **************************************
AT&T Bell Laboratories * "May as well be frank, monsieur. *
200 Park Plaza * It would take a miracle to get *
Naperville, Illinois 60566-7050 * you out of Casablanca." *
(708) 713 4548 **************************************
ihlpm!jfb
jfb200@cbnewsd.att.com
Who, me? Speak for AT&T? Surely you jest! dps@otter.hpl.hp.com (Duncan Smith) (08/01/90)
From: dps@otter.hpl.hp.com (Duncan Smith) Wow! You're one dedicated netter... Thanks for the info (On the recent stuff, anyway.) As far as the 'unlucky thirteenth' is concerned, there are as far as I am aware no C-13 or T-13 either. Speaking of C- types, could someone (Mentioning no names!) post some info on the new (ie post '62) cargo/transport sequence? The recent designations have come thick and fast and I've lost track. Duncan
lang@hpfccrl.fc.hp.com (John Lang) (08/02/90)
From: John Lang <lang@hpfccrl.fc.hp.com> In-Reply-To: article <1990Jul30.015849.8835@cbnews.att.com> of Mon, 30 Jul 1990 01:58:49 GMT / hpfcso:sci.military / military@cbnews.HP.COM / 7:58 pm Jul 29, 1990 / From: ihlpm!jfb (Joseph F Baugher +1 708 713 4548) > McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Twin-engine all-weather interceptor/fighter. > Eagle Two P & W F100 turbofans. Mach 2.5 plus. > McDonnell-Douglas F-18 Twin-engine carrier-based strike fighter. > Hornet I was surprised to see that the F-16 and YF-17 are missing. Really a small nit for such a large post. John Lang
jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) (08/05/90)
From: jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) In article <1990Aug2.042336.3171@cbnews.att.com>, John Lang <lang@hpfccrl.fc.hp.com> writes: > > > From: John Lang <lang@hpfccrl.fc.hp.com> > In-Reply-To: article <1990Jul30.015849.8835@cbnews.att.com> of Mon, 30 Jul 1990 01:58:49 GMT > > / hpfcso:sci.military / military@cbnews.HP.COM / 7:58 pm Jul 29, 1990 / > > From: ihlpm!jfb (Joseph F Baugher +1 708 713 4548) > > > McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Twin-engine all-weather interceptor/fighter. > > Eagle Two P & W F100 turbofans. Mach 2.5 plus. > > > McDonnell-Douglas F-18 Twin-engine carrier-based strike fighter. > > Hornet > > I was surprised to see that the F-16 and YF-17 are missing. Really a small > nit for such a large post. > > John Lang > Yikes! How could I have forgotten the F-16 and YF-17? Guess it must be old age creeping up. Here is an entry for these two planes: General Dynamics F-16 Single-seat fighter, fighter-bomber. One P & W F-100 Fighting Falcon turbofan. 1330 mph at 40,000 ft. In service with USAF and several other air forces. Northrop YF-17A Single-seat all-weather interceptor fighter. Two Two General Electric YJ-101. Mach 2.0 at 40,000 ft. Lost out to F-16 for production orders. Only 2 built. Served as basis for F/A-18 Hornet. Hope this helps. Joe Baugher ************************************** AT&T Bell Laboratories * "Round up the usual suspects." * 200 Park Plaza ************************************** Naperville, Illinois 60566-7050 (708) 713 4548 ihlpm!jfb Who, me? Speak for AT&T? Surely you jest! jfb200@cbnewsd.att.com
fiddler@concertina.Eng.Sun.COM (Steve Hix) (08/07/90)
From: fiddler@concertina.Eng.Sun.COM (Steve Hix) >From: ihlpm!jfb (Joseph F Baugher +1 708 713 4548) >F-13 Not assigned (I suspect for superstitious reasons). > Hey, would YOU want to fly on an airplane named F-13? Grumman XF13F "Jaguar". Swing-wing fighter testbed. Led to (apparently) F-14. (The long list this came from is great. Especially the ones that never saw operational service.) ------------ The only drawback with morning is that it comes at such an inconvenient time of day. ------------
jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) (08/09/90)
From: jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) In article <1990Aug7.040942.7127@cbnews.att.com>, fiddler@concertina.Eng.Sun.COM (Steve Hix) writes: > > > From: fiddler@concertina.Eng.Sun.COM (Steve Hix) > > >From: ihlpm!jfb (Joseph F Baugher +1 708 713 4548) > >F-13 Not assigned (I suspect for superstitious reasons). > > Hey, would YOU want to fly on an airplane named F-13? > > Grumman XF13F "Jaguar". Swing-wing fighter testbed. Led to > (apparently) F-14. > > (The long list this came from is great. Especially the ones > that never saw operational service.) > > ------------ > The only drawback with morning is that it comes > at such an inconvenient time of day. > ------------ > Small nit: It's XF10F-1 Jaguar. This was a fighter prototype which was intended to lead to an actual production fighter. The Jaguar had a high-mounted variable sweep wing and a high-mounted T-tail. The aircraft was powered by the unreliable Westinghouse J-40 turbojet, which was the Achilles-heel of many a 'fifties era fighter plane. The sole prototype built was deemed too unstable and too heavy to warrant a production order. However, the variable sweep wing worked fairly well and provided lots of good data which was to be of great value in the F-14 Tomcat project. Grumman's last fighter plane in the FxF series was the XF12F-1. It was a proposal for a twin-engine escort fighter designed to the same requirement as was the F4H Phantom. The project never got off the drawing board. Joe Baugher ************************************** AT&T Bell Laboratories * "Round up the usual suspects." * 200 Park Plaza ************************************** Naperville, Illinois 60566-7050 (708) 713 4548 ihlpm!jfb Who, me? Speak for AT&T? Surely you jest! jfb200@cbnewsd.att.com
wmartin@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL (Will Martin) (08/16/90)
From: Will Martin <wmartin@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL> Thank you VERY much for posting such a comprehensive and complete listing! I have saved it, along with your later addenda, for future reference. I'm sending printed copies to some friends who will also appreciate the reference. If it is possible, and if it is in your area of interest, it would be really helpful to see an equivalent list of all the B- series aircraft, along with the same sort of historical background on the evolution of the designations. There are many gaps in the series when we think of the usual ones that come to mind: B-17, -24, -25, -29, -36, -47, -49 (I think that was the Flying Wing), -52, -57, -58, -70, and now the B-1 & B-2. Filling in those missing numbers would be most helpful and interesting. I know your fighter list included quite a few with X<something> designations, but wasn't there a completely separate and distinct "X-<number>" series of eXperimental aircraft, including the rocket planes for sound-barrier research? A list of those would also be intriging. There was one with a looonnngg needle nose and stubby wings like an F-104, for example; I keep thinking "X-3" but then think that referred to a much earlier and less-sleek model. I used to have dozens of plastic models of these things as a child but all are now gone, so I am running on memory, which has increasing numbers of faults each year... :-) Regards, Will wmartin@st-louis-emh2.army.mil OR wmartin@stl-06sima.army.mil
jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) (08/19/90)
From: jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) In article <1990Aug16.030708.16047@cbnews.att.com>, Will Martin <wmartin@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL> writes: > > > From: Will Martin <wmartin@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL> > Thank you VERY much for posting such a comprehensive and complete listing! > I have saved it, along with your later addenda, for future reference. > I'm sending printed copies to some friends who will also appreciate the > reference. Thanks. I've recently edited the fighter list to make some corrections and additions suggested by some readers of the group. I inadvertently omitted F-16 and F-17 from the list. > > If it is possible, and if it is in your area of interest, it would be > really helpful to see an equivalent list of all the B- series aircraft, > along with the same sort of historical background on the evolution of > the designations. There are many gaps in the series when we think of the > usual ones that come to mind: B-17, -24, -25, -29, -36, -47, -49 (I think > that was the Flying Wing), -52, -57, -58, -70, and now the B-1 & B-2. > Filling in those missing numbers would be most helpful and interesting. No sooner said than done. I'll send a list of bomber designations off to sci.military under a separate posting. Hope that you find it interesting. > I know your fighter list included quite a few with X<something> > designations, but wasn't there a completely separate and distinct > "X-<number>" series of eXperimental aircraft, including the rocket > planes for sound-barrier research? A list of those would also be > intriging. The X designation that appeared in the fighter list was a prefix. It usually designated the first prototype of a fighter. For example, the XF-104 was the first prototype of the Starfighter. In almost all cases, it was intended that the X-prefixed fighter would eventually enter military service as an operational aircraft. However, it often happened that the aircraft was never ordered by the military, or else was cancelled after only the prototype was built. The X-planes such as the Bell X-1, the Douglas X-3, or the North American X-15 belong to a completely different series. The X series of planes include aircraft that are intended from the beginning as strictly experimental and not explicitly intended for actual service with the military as an operational aircraft. Perhaps I will eventually post a listing of X-planes. By now, I think that it has reached X-31. > Regards, Will > wmartin@st-louis-emh2.army.mil OR wmartin@stl-06sima.army.mil > Joe Baugher ************************************** AT&T Bell Laboratories * "I'm shocked! Shocked to find * 200 Park Plaza * that gambling is going on here!" * Naperville, Illinois 60566-7050 ************************************** (708) 713 4548 ihlpm!jfb Who, me? Speak for AT&T? Surely you jest! jfb200@cbnewsd.att.com
randy@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu (Longshot) (08/19/90)
From: uokmax!randy@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu (Longshot) wmartin@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL (Will Martin) writes: >From: Will Martin <wmartin@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL> There are many gaps in the series when we think of the >usual ones that come to mind: B-17, -24, -25, -29, -36, -47, -49 (I think >that was the Flying Wing), -52, -57, -58, -70, and now the B-1 & B-2. Don't forget the heavily-modified B-29 listed as B-50. >Filling in those missing numbers would be most helpful and interesting. Agreed. >I know your fighter list included quite a few with X<something> >designations, but wasn't there a completely separate and distinct >"X-<number>" series of eXperimental aircraft, including the rocket >planes for sound-barrier research? For a while, all planes still in prototype were prefixed by X. The difference between them and the X-planes is that they also had a second letter, i.e. "XB-70," the ill-fated Valkyrie. > There was one with a looonnngg needle nose and stubby wings >like an F-104, for example; I keep thinking "X-3" but then think that >referred to a much earlier and less-sleek model. X-3 Stiletto. Lindberg Models has reissued a kit of it in their "Classical Replicas" series. As far as the gaps go, in war time there was a great deal of development that was discarded due to need for rush. Now, in peacetime, contractors can take the time to take the design they have and work out all the design flaws. -- Randy J. Ray University of Oklahoma, Norman Campus (405)/325-5370 !chinet!uokmax!randy randy@uokmax.uucp randy@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu "He's not afraid of the judgement. He knows of horrors worse than your Hell." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~