USAF Registrations

[Malcolm Clarke]

In the work of raising profiles for unprofiled images, I encountered a lack of consistency with USAF registrations among early listings regarding the number of numerics for those below 1000. In other words should it be 53-272 or 53-0272.
Joe Baugher uses the former but many websites favour the latter.

I contacted Joe and this is his response.

My presentation is based on a couple of Air Force regulations. Prior to 1947, there was no requirement on the minimum number of digits in the serial number. For example the first plane ordered in FY 1940 would be 40-1. In 1947, at about the same time that the USAF was officially formed, DoD regulation 5304.9003 was promulgated which required that the sequence number now have at least 3 digits. This means that fiscal year serials with individual sequence numbers less than 100 are filled up with zeroes to bring them up to 3 digits in length. So 48-1 is written as 48-001 in official documentation.
Sequence numbers greater than 9999 are written with 5 digits. In 1958, the minimum number of digits in the sequence number was raised to four, so that the 1958 aircraft series started at 58-0001.

So in summary

To 1946 - no minimum, e.g. 46-1
1947 to 1957 - 3 digits minimum, e.g. 57-001
1958 to date - 4 digits minimum, e.g. 58-0001

I believe that in the interests of accuracy, we should follow Joe's listings.

Any comments please?

Malcolm
Admin Team

[Raybin]

I agree with you. Joe's listings are very helpfull.
But your example counts only for the US AIR FORCE.
US-Army and US-Navy have other systems.
Army: FY followed by 5 digits
Navy: 6 digits without any space.
Is that correct?
Greets
Ray

[Glenn E. Chatfield]

I thought the Army followed the Air Force, since it split from them in 1947 and aircraft prior to that time would be Air Force machines. Is there a particular rule that says 5 digits after the FY?

Older Navy birds will not have six digits, pre WWII (and early WWII)

[Malcolm Clarke]

Ray, Glenn.

In brief, the US Army & Air Force followed the same system up to 1966. In 1967, the Army adopted FY-15000 onwards and from 1971, FY-20000 for helicopters.

The US Navy adopted the 6 digit system in 1945.

There is considerably more data on this subject contained in Joe Baugher's preambles to each of the three sections contained in his website (www.joebaugher.com), particularly in respect of allocations prior to the dates I have quoted.

For those who may not be aware, the third section of Joe's site is devoted to the US Coastguards, again a very valuable data source.

I note that 75 persons have been interested enough to read this forum post, but for whatever reasons, nobody has responded to my query.

Disappointing!

Malcolm.

[Glenn E. Chatfield]

Well, I learned something new!

As for how they should be posted, it will take a lot of fixing, I think, for what's already out there, but standardization with the regs would be best.

[Raybin]

So i am nobody?
Once again: i agree with you, we should follow Joe's listings.
Btw: i think " a lot of hits but no comments" is the main illness of all forums.
Greets
Ray

[Ztex]

I think we should follow Joe Baugher's listings. Can't get any better than that.

Zane