p389  Appendix A

Naval Aircraft Designations

The system for designating naval Aircraft is intended to indicate the principal function, or functions, to which the plane may be put, the chronological number of that particular type accepted from a particular manufacturer, the manufacturer, and the modification of the original model. Thus, for example, the PB4Y‑2 is the second version of the fourth patrol bomber made by the Consolidated Aircraft for the Navy. The following are the letters designating the principal functions:

Although, during the war, the Navy employed a great many types of planes for training, transport, and utility purposes, the following list gives only the principal combat types mentioned in the narrative.

Images with borders lead to more information. The thicker the border, the more information. (Details here.)
UP TO:	The Navy's Air War		World War II History			Home
		History of U. S. Naval Aviation	American Naval History	American & Military History	History of the Americas
A page or image on this site is in the public domain ONLY if its URL has a total of one *asterisk. If the URL has two **asterisks, the item is copyright someone else, and used by permission or fair use. If the URL has none the item is © Bill Thayer. See my copyright page for details and contact information.