Naval Aircraft Designations
of Japan and the United States
While the way in which the United States Air Force (previously the Army Air Corps) designates aircraft is now the most familiar, with a continuous numbering of type (e.g. the F-104 fighter or the B-52 bomber), before 1962 the United States Navy used to have a rather different system, which was much like that also employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy (Nihon Teikoku Kaigun).
Both navies used designations to indicate the manufacturer of the aircraft, as well as the type. Thus, each aircraft was given a letter, indicating the type, a number, indicating the number of planes of that type, and a second letter, indicating the manufacturer.
A curious difference between the two navies was that the Japanese Navy counted the absolute number of planes of the type, while the U.S. Navy counted the number of planes of the type of each manufacturer. Thus the Japanese A6M was the 6th carrier based fighter (A) used by the Japanese Navy, and it was manufactured by Mitsubishi (M). On the other hand, the American F4F was the 4th fighter (F) manufactured for the Navy by Grumman (F); and the American F4H was the 4th fighter (F) manufactured for the navy by
United States | 
Japan |
|---|
| A, attack | Aichi, A |
|---|
| Brewster, A | A, carrier based fighter |
|---|
F2A Buffalo
F3A = F4U Corsair | A5M "Claude"
A6M Reisen, "Zero," "Zeke"
A6M-N, "Rufe"
A6M-K, "Hamp"
A7M, Reppu, "Sam" |
| B, bomber | |
|---|
| Boeing, B | B, carrier based attack |
|---|
FB, biplane
F3B, biplane
F4B, biplane
SNB = TC-45 | B5N, "Kate"
B6N Tenzen, "Jill"
B7A Ryusei, "Grace" |
| Curtiss, C | C, land based long recon |
|---|
F9C, biplane
SB2C Helldiver
SOC, floatplane
SC Seahawk, floatplane
SO3C Seamew, floatplane | C5M "Babs"
C6N Saiun, "Myrt" |
| Douglas, D |
|---|
| Douglas, D | D, carrier based bomber |
|---|
TBD Devastator
SBD Dauntless
BTD Destroyer
AD (BT2D) Skyraider = A-1
XA2D Skyshark, turboprop
A3D Skywarrior, jet = A-3
A4D Skyhawk, jet = A-4
F3D Skyknight, jet = F-10
F4D Skyray, jet = F-6
XF5D Skylancer
R4D = C-47 = DC-3 | D3A "Val"
D4Y Suisei, "Judy" |
| E, recon seaplane |
|---|
| E6Y
E7K, "Alf"
E8N, "Dave"
E9W, "Slim"
E13A, Jake"
E14Y, "Glen"
E15K Shuin, "Norm"
E16A, "Paul" |
| F, fighter | |
|---|
| Grumman, F | F, observation seaplane |
|---|
FF, biplane
F3F, biplane
F4F Wildcat
F6F Hellcat
F7F Tigercat, 2 prop
F8F Bearcat
F9F-1-5 Panther, jet
F9F-6-8 Cougar, jet = F-9
F11F (F9F-9) Tiger = F-11
J2F Duck, float biplane
TBF Avenger
AF (TB3F) Guardian
A2F Intruder, jet = A-6
S2F Tracker, jet = S-2
WF Tracer = E-1
W2F Hawkeye = E-2 | F1M, "Pete" |
| G, transport | |
|---|
| Goodyear, G | G, land based attack |
|---|
| FG = F4U Corsair | G3M, "Nell"
G4M, "Betty"
G5N Shinan "Liz" = DC-4
G8N Renzan, "Rita" |
| H, helicopter | |
|---|
| McDonnell, H | H, recon/patrol flying boat |
|---|
FH Phantom, jet
F2H Banshee, jet = F-2
F3H Demon = F-3
F4H Phantom II, jet = F-4 | H6K, "Mavis"
H8K, "Emily" |
| J, various | |
|---|
| North American, J | J, land based fighter |
|---|
FJ Fury, jet = F-86 = F-1
AJ Savage, 2 jet = A-2
XA2J, turboprop
A3J Vigilante, jet = A-5 | J1N Gekko, "Irving"
J2M Raiden, "Jack"
J7W Shinden
J8M Shusei = Me 163 |
| Kawanishi, K |
|---|
| Kamen, K | K, trainer |
|---|
HUK, helicopter = UH-43
HU2K Seasprite, helicopter = UH-2 | K3M, "Pine"
K5Y, "Willow"
K11W Shiragiku |
| L, glider | |
|---|
| Bell, L | L, transport |
|---|
HTL, helicopter = TH-13
HUL, helicopter = UH-13 | L2D "Tabby" = DC-3 |
| Mitsubishi, M |
|---|
| Martin/Eastern (GM), M | M, special |
|---|
T4M float biplane
PBM Mariner, flying boat
P4M Mercator
P5M Marlin, flying boat
YP6M Seamaster, jet flying boat
TBM Avenger = TBF
AM Mauler | M6A Seiran/Nanzan |
| N, trainer | Nakajima, N |
|---|
| N, floatplane fighter |
|---|
| N1K Kyofu, "Rex"
N1K-J Shiden (Kai), "George" |
| O, observation | |
|---|
| P, patrol | |
|---|
| Piasecki, P | P, land based bomber |
|---|
| HUP, helicopter = UH-25 | P1Y Ginga, "Frances" |
| Q, electronics | |
|---|
| Fairchild, Q | Q, land based patrol |
|---|
| R4Q Flying Boxcar | Q1W Tokai, "Lorna" = Ju 88 |
| R, transport, heavy | |
|---|
| Ryan, R | R, land based short recon |
|---|
| FR Fireball, prop & jet | |
| S, scout/anti-sub | |
|---|
| Stearman/Sikorsky, S | S, night fighter |
|---|
NS Kaydet
HUS Seahorse, helicopter = LH-34
HSS Sea King, helicopter = SH-3
HO4S, helicopter = UH-19 | |
| T, torpedo | |
|---|
| Northrop, T | |
|---|
| XB2T, flying wing = B-35 | |
| U, utility | |
|---|
| Vought/LTV, U | |
|---|
O2U Corsair, float biplane
OS2U Kingfisher, floatplane
F4U Corsair
F4U-7 = AU Corsair
F6U Pirate, jet
F7U (A2U) Cutlass
F8U Crusader, jet = F-8 | |
| Lockheed, V | |
|---|
PV-1 Ventura
PV-2 Harpoon
P2V Neptune = P-2
P3V Orion, turboprop = P-3
R7V (WV) Constellation
GV Hercules = C-130 | |
| W, search | Kyushu/Watanabe, W |
|---|
| Canadian Car and Foundry, W |
|---|
| SBW Helldiver = SB2C |
| X, experimental | |
|---|
| Y, prototype | Yokosuka, Y |
|---|
| Consolidated/Convair, Y | |
|---|
PBY Catalina, seaplane
PB2Y Coronado
PB4Y Privateer = B-24
XP5Y, flying boat
R3Y Tradewind, flying boat
XF2Y Sea Dart, jet skis = F-102 | |
McDonnell (H). The Japanese system now seems more natural, and the U.S. Navy's is very confusing for the uninitiated.
The planes just mentioned are all famous. The A6M was the standard Japanese fighter for most of World War II. Japanese planes were also identified by the year in which they became operational. The A6M became operational in 1940, which was 2600 of the Japanese Era, making the plane the "type Zero" [00]. So the plane became known to both friend and foe as the "Zero." The F4F, the Wildcat, was the best U.S. Navy fighter of the first couple of years of the War, replacing the Brewster Buffalo (F2A), and later replaced by the Gumman Hellcat (F6F) and the Vought Corsair (F4U). The Hellcat was actually designed to beat the Zero, after a Zero was captured intact in the Aleutians in 1942 and could be examined closely and flown. The Corsair remained active in the Korean War. The F4H Phantom II was from a very different era of aviation, becoming one of the superior, workhorse jet fighters of the Vietnam War.
The table at left contains operational planes of World War II and later, and some others that have come to my attention. Japanese planes are listed under their type, American planes under their manufacturer, in conformity with their numbering. The use of the letters for the type, for American planes, and for the manufacturers, for the Japanese planes, are also given at the appropriate point in the alphabet. Thus, if looking for American fighters, one must look under each manufacturer; and if looking for Japanese planes built by Mitsubishi, one must look under each type. Bold type is used for particularly historic planes.
Additional letters and numbers may be found added to each basic designation. Thus, the American dive bomber that sank the Japanese aircraft carriers at the battle of Midway, the SBD Dauntless, was the 1st (no number) "scout" (i.e. reconnaissance) "bomber" built by Douglas. Numbers would be added to both American and Japanese designations to indicate the model number, e.g. "A6M2" for the second model of the Zero, "F4F-3" for the third model of the Wildcat. The American model numbers are separated by a hyphen. Models built for different uses were given hyphenated suffixes by the Japanese Navy, e.g. the "A6M2-N" was a floatplane (N) version of the Zero.
The whimsical names given to the Japanese aircraft (e.g. "Alf" or "Kate") were all American code desigations. They were never used by the Japanese. The Zero also had a code designation, "Zeke," but "Zero" tended to be used in common parlance.
With some minor changes ("A" for "attack" was introduced in 1949 to replace the separate bomber and torpedo categories), the U.S. Navy continued to use its system into the 1960's. However, by then the Defense Department did not like separate aircraft procurement for both the Navy and the Air Force. To save money, the idea was to order aircraft that could be used by both services. To go along with this, a new numbering system was started, on the Air Force pattern, but starting again from "1" for each type. Existing Navy planes were given numbers in the new system, effective 1 September 1962. Thus, the FJ Fury became the F-1, F4H Phantom II became the F-4, the A4D Skyhawk became the A-4, etc. As in these cases, some attempt was made to match the original numbers. Different models of each type are now indicated with suffixed letters, i.e. the F4H-2 would be the F-4B.
The theory of common procurement actually didn't always work out. The first candidate for use by both Navy and Air Force was the F-111 (still with the old Air Force number), a variable wing fighter bomber by General Dynamics. This turned out to be a poor fighter and was rather too heavy to operate well off of aircraft carriers. It was successful, however, as a medium bomber for the Air Force, affectionately called the "Aardvark." F-111's were the planes that President Reagan sent to bomb Libya. Subsequently, the different physical needs of the Navy led to a preference for different planes. Thus, the Navy picked the F-14 Tomcat (Grumman), while the Air Force got the F-15 Eagle (McDonnell Douglas).
The Japanese system, of course, ended with the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was abolished after World War II.
Finally, another noteworthy feature of the Japanese system was a separate set of designations for land based aircraft. The Japanese Navy had its own ideas about air support for ships at sea and for independent land based air operations against naval targets. It also allowed, evidently, that land and carrier based operations might call for different characteristics. Thus, the land based "attack" bombers, like the G4M "Betty," were twin engine medium bombers, such as could not operate off of aircraft carriers. Bettys from Rabaul became familiar in the air over Guadalcanal. Similarly, squadrons of the G3M "Nell," based at Saigon, sank the British battleships Repulse and Prince of Wales in the first days of the Pacific War. The Navy even had four engine bombers designed, but none made it into production. The United States Navy, on the other hand, relied on Army Air Corps land based bombers in World War II. Thus, the Army twin engine, medium bomber, the B-25, devastated Japanese convoys on the Battle of the Bismark Sea. The U.S. Navy did not have such planes.
U.S. Battle Cruisers & Aircraft Carrier Names
The Battleship Kongô
Advanced Japanese Destroyers of World War II
The Treaty Cruisers
Bibliography and Suggested Reading
Philosophy of History, Military History
Philosophy of History
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U.S. Army Air Corps, Air Force, and Navy-Air Force Aircraft Designations
This list is of planes that have come to my attention. Several numbers are missing, and I don't have something very important: the entire "X" series of experimental aircraft, like the Bell X-1 in which Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier, or the X-15 that was breaking altitude records in the '60's, with its flights often featured on the news at the time. This list is supplemented with some pictures of 1/72 models, laid out next to each other on a dining room table. This does not make for the highest quality illustration, but it does make some size comparison possible.
| U.S. Army Air Corps, U.S. Air Force |
|---|
| Bombers |
|---|
| # | Maker | Notes |
|---|
| B-4 | Keystone | biplane, 2 engine |
|---|
| B-10 | Martin | 2 engine |
|---|
| B-17 | Boeing | 4 engine, "Flying Fortress" |
|---|
| B-18 | Douglas | 2 engine = DC-2
|
|---|
| XB-21 | North American | |
|---|
| B-24 | Consolidated | 4 engine, "Liberator" |
|---|
| B-25 | North American | 2 engine, "Mitchell"
|
|---|
| B-26 | Martin | 2 engine, "Marauder"
|
|---|
| XB-28 | North American |
|---|
| B-29 | Boeing | 
4 engine, "Superfortress" |
|---|
| B-32 | Convair | 4 engine, "Dominator" |
|---|
| YB-35 |  |
|---|
| Northrop | prop engine flying wing |
| B-36 |  |
|---|
| Convair | 6 engine + 4 jets,
"Peacemaker";
heavy strategic #1 |
| B-45 | North American | 4 jets, "Tornado" |
|---|
| B-47 | Boeing | 
6 jets, "Stratojet";
medium strategic #2 |
|---|
| XB-48 | Martin | 6 jets |
|---|
| YB-49 | Northrop | jet engine flying wing; the death
of Capt. Edwards in a crash of
this plane provided the eponym
for Edwards Air Force Base |
|---|
| B-50 | Boeing | A = B-29D;
medium strategic #1 |
|---|
| XB-51 | Martin | light bomber |
|---|
| B-52 |  |
|---|
| Boeing | 8 jets, "Stratofortress";
heavy strategic #2 |
| XB-54 | Boeing | A = YB-50C |
|---|
| B-57 | Martin | = English Electra Canberra |
|---|
| B-58 | Convair | 
4 jets, "Hustler";
medium strategic #3 |
|---|
| YB-60 | Convair | jet powered B-36 |
|---|
| B-61 | Martin | "Matador" guided missle |
|---|
| B-66 | Douglas | 2 jets, "Destroyer"
= A3D "Skywarrior" (A-3) |
|---|
| XB-70 | North American | 
6 jets, supersonic,
"Valkyrie" |
|---|
| Pursuit, Fighters |
|---|
| # | Maker | Notes |
|---|
| P-6 | Curtiss | biplane, "Hawk"
|
|---|
| P-12 | Boeing | biplane
|
|---|
| P-26 | Boeing |
|
|---|
| P-35 | Seversky |
|
|---|
| P-36 | Curtiss |
|
|---|
| P-38 | Lockheed | 2 engine, "Lightning" |
|---|
| P-39 | Bell | "Airacobra" |
|---|
| P-40 | Curtiss | "Warhawk" |
|---|
| P-43 | Republic | "Lancer" |
|---|
| P-47 | Republic | "Thunderbolt" |
|---|
| P-51 | North American | "Mustang" |
|---|
| XP-56 | Northrop | flying wing, "Dumbo" |
|---|
| P-59 | Bell | 2 jets, "Airacomet," first US jet |
|---|
| P-61 | Northrop | 2 engine, "Black Widow" |
|---|
| P-63 | Bell | "Kingcobra" |
|---|
| P-70 | Douglas | 2 engine = A-20 "Havoc" |
|---|
| XP-79 | Northrop | "Flying Ram" jet |
|---|
| F-80 | Lockheed | jet, "Shooting Start" |
|---|
| F-82 | North American | 2 engine, "Twin Mustang" |
|---|
| F-84 | Republic | jet, "Thunderjet" |
|---|
| XF-85 | McDonnell | tiny parasite fighter for B-36 |
|---|
| F-86 | North American | jet, "Sabre" |
|---|
| XF-88 | McDonnell | 2 jets |
|---|
| F-89 | Northrop | 2 jets, "Scorpion" |
|---|
| XF-90 | Lockheed | 2 jets |
|---|
| XF-91 | Republic | inverse taper wings |
|---|
| XF-92 | Convair | delta wing |
|---|
| F-94 | Lockheed | jet, "Starfire" |
|---|
| F-100 | North American | jet, "Super Sabre" |
|---|
| F-101 | McDonnell | 2 jets, "Voodoo" |
|---|
| F-102 | Convair | jet, "Delta Dagger" |
|---|
| F-104 | Lockheed | jet, "Starfighter" |
|---|
| F-105 | Republic | jet, "Thunderchief" |
|---|
| F-106 | Convair | jet, "Delta Dart" |
|---|
| XF-107 | North American |
|
|---|
| F-110 | McDonnell | = F4H "Phantom II" (F-4) |
|---|
| F-111 | General Dynamics | 2 jets variable wing, "Aardvark" |
|---|
| F-117 | Lockheed | "Nighthawk" Stealth |
|---|
| U.S. Air Force & Navy Joint Numbering |
|---|
| Bombers |
|---|
| B-1 | Rockwell
International | 
heavy strategic #3 |
|---|
| B-2 |  |
|---|
Northrop | Stealth;
heavy strategic #5 |
| Fighters |
|---|
| F-1 | North American | 
= FJ Fury = F-86 Sabre |
|---|
| F-2 | McDonnell | = F2H Banshee |
|---|
| F-3 | McDonnell | = F3H Demon |
|---|
| F-4 | McDonnell |  = F4H Phantom II,
F-110 |
|---|
| F-5 | Northrop | Tiger II |
|---|
| F-6 | Douglas | = F4D Skyray |
|---|
| F-7 | Vought | = F7U Cutlass |
|---|
| F-8 | Vought | F8U Crusader |
|---|
| F-9 | Grumman | F9F Cougar |
|---|
| F-10 | Douglas | = F3D Skyknight |
|---|
| F-11 | Grumman | = F11F Tiger I |
|---|
| YF-12 | Lockheed | Blackbird |
|---|
| F-13 | |
|---|
| F-14 | Grumman |  Tomcat |
|---|
| F-15 | McDonnell Douglas | Eagle |
|---|
| F-16 | General Dynamics | Fighting Falcon |
|---|
| YF-17 | Northrop | |
|---|
| F-18 | McDonnell Douglas/
Northrop | Hornet |
|---|
| F-19 | |
|---|
| F-20 | Northrop | Tigershark |
|---|
| F-21 | Israel Aircraft
Industries | Kfir |
|---|
| F-22 | Lockheed/
Boeing/
General Dynamics | ATF |
|---|
| YF-23 | Northrop/
McDonnel Douglas | ATF |
|---|
| Attack |
|---|
| A-1 | Douglas | 
= BT2D = AD Skyraider |
|---|
| A-2 | North American | = AJ Savage |
|---|
| A-3 | Douglas | = A3D Skywarrior = B-66 |
|---|
| A-4 | Douglas | = A4D Skyhawk |
|---|
| A-5 | North American | = A3J Vigilante |
|---|
| A-6 | Grumman | = A2F Intruder |
|---|
| A-7 | Vought | Corsair II |
|---|
| A-8 | | |
|---|
| A-9 | | |
|---|
| A-10 | Fairchild Republic | Thunderbolt II |
|---|
| Search |
|---|
| S-1 | |
|---|
| S-2 | Grumman | = S2F Tracker |
|---|
| S-3 | Lockheed | Viking |
|---|
| Electronics |
|---|
| E-1 | Grumman | = WlF Tracer |
|---|
| E-2 | Grumman | = W2F Hawkeye |
|---|
| E-3 | Boeing | Sentry = 707 |
|---|
| Patrol |
|---|
| P-1 |
|
|---|
| P-2 | Lockheed | = P2V Neptune |
|---|
| P-3 | Lockheed | = P3V Orion |
|---|
That is especially helpful with the bombers. What is not shown in the list is the model of the 
X-15, shown at right, which can also be seen lying behind the B-35. The X-15 was carried under the wing of a B-52, of course, before being released for its flight.
The first plane built of a type would be given an "X" prefix, e.g. the XB-70. If the plane was not approved for production, but was to be used for more tests, one or more subsequent planes would also have "X" prefixes. If the plane was tentatively approved for production, a plane might be built with a prototype "Y" prefix, e.g. the YB-35 or YB-49. The production of the planes might still be cancelled, as it was with these.
The B-36, B-52, and B-70 are very large airplanes. But so are the B-1 and the B-2. And the B-2 turned out to be, when it was first rolled out for public view, a flying wing. This extraordinary design, "all lift and no drag," was pioneered by Northrop before World War II. During the War, bomber, fighter, and experimental (X-4) flying wings were developed. The B-35 seemed to be a successful aircraft. However, such an aircraft has stability problems, i.e. the pilot must continuously be correcting the tendency of the plane to yaw and pitch. Conventional aircraft, with tail and rudder, will correct themselves into straight and level flight. Thus, although the B-35 and its jet version, the B-49, had impressive speed and range, the Air Force was leary of their stability, and the crash of a B-49 on 5 June 1948 seemed to confirm the danger. So the program was cancelled, though there were also accusations of political influence by the supporters of the B-36. The death of Captain Glenn Edwards in the plane led to the renaming of the Muroc test center as Edwards Air Force Base.
It turned out that another virtue of the flying wing designed was the simplicity of the form, which made it easier to eliminate a radar signature. It also became possible to have computers do the small adjustments -- "flying by wire" -- to compensate for the yaw and pitch tendencies. Thus, to the pilot, the plane would be as stable as any conventional aircraft. All of this made the B-2 both desirable and possible.
The problem of radar had originally sunk the planned successor of the venerable B-52, the B-70. A stunning, high altitude, supersonic bomber, appropriately named the "Valkyrie," the B-70 became obsolete as soon as the Russians shot down Francis Gary Powers' U-2 with a ground to air missile. Speed and high altitude were suddenly no defense for an aircraft, and the 2 B-70's built were simply used as experimental aircraft. The B-1 was designed around the idea of low altitude flight, getting under radar, concealed by the topography. This allowed little margin for error, and eventually one of the prototype planes crashed (as did one of the B-70's). The B-2 actually relies on high altitude flight, since its engine intakes and exhausts, which give strong radar returns, are on the top of the wing.
The B-36 is now a very strange looking airplane, with its six large "pusher" propellers on the back of the wings. It can still be seen in flight in the Jimmy Stewart movie, Strategic Air Command (1955), and it did have one virtue over the B-49: The body of the aircraft was so large that it was the only plane for a while that could carry hydrogen bombs.
Soon the bombs were smaller and jet aircraft were replacing all the prop aircraft. The B-52 succeeded the B-36. Fourty years later, B-52's are still operational, and they are the only modern bomber that ever went up alone in a long campaign against a modern air defense system, over North Vietnam. Although several were shot down, and at the time, as I remember, people talked like they were just sitting ducks, the attritition was actually much, much less than that of bombers over Germany in World War II; and eventually the North Vietnamese defenses were beaten down. The camouflage of the planes was impressive, flat black underneath and dark browns and greens on top. They certainly looked powerful and deadly, as I saw some myself in 1972 on the runways at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu. The B-2, meant also to operate at night, is similarly done up in flat black.
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