A word/question on non-US aircraft nomenclature systems

OK, here's MY understanding:

1.) German aircraft would be presented as something like: Bf 109E-4 (no hyphen after the company designator), "E" is the fifth version of the Bf 109 series, and the "4" (note the hyphen) is the 4th version of the 109E. Ju 88 (no hyphen) He 111 (again, no hyphen)

2.) I go with "MiG-15"

3.) The Japanese aircraft with "Ki-" in the designator are JAAF aircraft. The A6M, P1Y types of numbers follow pretty much the same system the USN used.

4.) Italian: MC - Macchi-Castoldi Br - Breda I go with the first example you used.

5.) Brits just used Mark numbers instead of "A, B, C..." I think it's supposed to be written as Mk.I, etc.

Of course, I could be wrong, it's been known to happen... all too often I might add. 8-)

Don McIntyre Clarksville, TN

And before someone asks why Myasishchev has three letters, that's only true in Roman alphabet-based languages. That famous Russian backwards 'R' is a 'Ya'.

As for the Japanese Army designations I've mostly seen it as Ki.43, Ki.46, etc. It's called the 'Kitai' system and, IIRC, wasn't discovered by the Allies until after the war. That's why Japanese aircraft got ID'd by names we made up. To be honest I think Japanese planes had several designation systems concurrently in use. Mr. Hassenpflug, .....come in please......

Anyone ever notice that Swedish designations almost always depend on the SAAB project number? A Draken is always a something or other-35. Even the Drakens in Danish service were F-35s (which is what I think of when I hear that designation).

KC-135s were Boeing Model 717s. Now they're calling some other plane (a Douglas design?) the same thing. I know, I know, private company....

Bill Banaszak, MFE

Actually, since summer 1990, MIG is the correct spelling.

ahhh, strike a light... even the Reds have gone all Western commercial. (c:

RobG

It was - and it stood for Military Industrial Group - as in RSK MIG.

I think it has now reverted to being MiG again - as in MiG Corporation :-

Or - RAC MiG !!!!

Ken

I'm wondering why I never made that connection.

WmB

Hey, learn something new everyday.

And then you have to unlearn it just as fast as that. I gotta spank Mozilla for not loading that site properly - cause I'm curious how three english words got picked up for a Russian acronym.

*** THANKS TO ALL for the replies in this thread. ***

WmB

Mad Modeller wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@nextline.com:

that's only

Russian backwards

as Ki.43,

wasn't discovered

aircraft got

designation systems

depend on the

other-35. Even

think of when

other plane (a

company....

There is a really. really good book written by Robert Mikesh (WWII recognition model builder, A-26, B-57 pilot and former Senior Curator with Air & Space and who's son I know) that is fantastic. His specialty is apparently Japanese WWII aircraft.

Hold on a tick and I'll go get it from the library...

Japanese Aircraft Code Names & Designations Robert C. Mikesh Schiffer 1993 I paid $15 for mine.

It has the how and why of the allied naming system for Japanese aircraft, a photo, short description and why it was code named what it was for each aircraft. It explains the IJA and IJN designations in detail and also the Japanese popular names and translations.

Pretty much the last word on the subject.

Very highly reccomended. Frank

Sounds interesting. I made a note to look for that one. I think the article I read long ago was in "Popular Aviation" or something similar. It only lasted a few issues back around 1970(?).

Bill Banaszak, MFE

One thing not mentioned about German aircraft is that the corrrect full designation didn't have the Ju or Me or He, but had a prefix of '8' for heavier than air aircraft. So the 109 was actually the 8-109. The Factory designation was a convenient shorthand.

Like the US, the Japanese Army and Navy used differing systems. The Army system was consecutive, with the Ki followed by the aircraft type number.

The Navy system was like the US Navy in many ways:

Aircraft Type;Number of that type from Manufacturer; Manufacturer;Variant

, so the A6M2 was the second version (2) of the 6th fighter design (A6) from Mitsubishi, G4M3 was the third version of the 4th Bomber (G) Type from Mitsubishi

AFAIK the Italians used manufacturer's type numbers for each aircraft

Unlike most others, the UK used (and still does) a system based around each aircraft type having a name rather than a designation. So you have North American Mustang, rather than P-51. Variants are identifyed by a series of mark numbers, usually abridged to mk. sub variants can be identified by letters after the mark number.

During WW2, role designators began to be used before the number to identify role related mods. Arabic letters replaced roman letters just after the war

So the first Spitfire was the mark I, usually shortened to mk I. The last Spitfire was the F mk 24. You could get the mk Vb, then later the LFmkVb (low flying version of the 5th Spitfire variant, fitted with the B wing)

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