F-2A Buffalo Model Aircraft

Wouldn't they start over again with -1 and -2 when starting the Boeing F9B designation?

The GM-built Wildcats became FM-1s and FM-2s despite Grumman having reached as high as -8 in the Grumman-built F4F series.

Cheers,

Actually, I think it might be an FAH18-E/F. The McDonnell Aircraft Co. made the initial deliveries, and still holds the name on the type cert on the design. It's just that now McDonnell Aircraft is a wholly owned division of the Boeing Co.

...ok...I need an Exedrin...thanks.

...It's not a Boeing fighter - it's a McDonnell fighter. Still says so on the manufacturer's plate. So it's H, and 18.

...now I need TWO Exedrin.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

After the question of all the Army "M" designations came up, I noticed that they don't apply that concept to helicopters, which us a two-letter prefix instead (OH,UH, AH, CH)... although I doubt we had 63 other types of attack helicopters prior to the AH-64 Apache or 46 other cargo helicopters prior to the CH-47 Chinook. Even this government website doesn't seem to explain where the numbers in the designation come from:

Pat

Now, about that F-111B... :-)

Pat

The H covers all US helos. The first added-on letter designates its mission. The reason the Cobra is AH-1 as it was derived from the UH-1, so it's the bona fide attack version of the Huey, hence AH-1 HueyCobra. Same went for the S-67 Blackhawk, supposedly had it gone in service, it would have been AH-3, as it was derived from the H-3 series from Sikorsky. Even tho the USAF's Jolly Green Giant & USN's Sea King are quite different, they're still H-3s, it's just the USAF's are HH or CH & the USN's are SH or I think occasionally UH for some versions. The original UH-1, BTW, was designated H-40, before '62.

On Feb 25, 3:54=A0am, Pat Flannery wrote:

This still doesn't explain where the AH-64 Apache came from. The only attack helicopters between it and the Cobra were the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne, and the Bell-built competitor to the Apache, the YAH-63. Unless the ACH-47 armed Chinook screwed up the numbering sequence. But even with that, where are the AH-57 to AH-62? There's the UH-60 Black Hawk, but that shouldn't be in the AH sequence, should it? The Navy designations were overly complex, but at least they were consistent. Interesting photo here BTW, the Bell Model 209 prototype Cobra with retractable landing skids:

Pat

We were talking "what ifs" in terms of the old system, and manufacturer's codes - H was the manufacturer's code for McDonnell Aircraft Corp.

...ok. That one's actually easy. First, there isn't a "sequence" of aircraft numbers - but there is a numerical sequence of contract designations during RFP for the initial paper design studies.

The example I'm most familiar with is the case of the XF-32 and XF-35, which were the end competitors for JSF. There were initially six (or so...) design proposals submitted during the RFP; four of which never made it past the initial selection stages. For example, one of those - MCAIRs - was XF-34 and was eliminated in the first round and never made it off paper. The remainders teamed up to actually develop the two down selected designs for final compete - those happened to be XF-32 and XF-35 as submitted by each designer and as assigned by contract in the RFP contract rotation. Lockheed won the JSF downselect, and so now you have F-22 and F-35 both coming from the same builder.

This makes it look like there are "skips" in the "series", but the fact it that there isn't really a series. At least not in modern times.

The prototypes were designated XH-40 and YH-40 but the original 1959 US Army service designation was HU-1 - thus the "Huey" nickname as a phonetic reading of the HU-1 designation and reading the "1" as an "I".

Cheers,

IT has nothing to do with solely attack helos, just helos, as I said, H is for helo, then you have its mission in front. The basic H-57 is a Jet Ranger, as in TH-57. I know the USN used it. H-58, another Jet Ranger, the OH-58 Kiowa. H-59 was, IIRC, XH-59, an experimental helo. We all know the H-60 line, not sure what an H-61 is. H-62, IIRC, was the overgrown Chinook proposal, the CH-62. Got it?

Rufus wrote in news:A7twj.48686$9j6.3631@attbi_s22:

What he said!

Frank

ISTR reading that it was another notch deeper than that. The USMC version was HU-1E, which spelled, 'Huie'.

Actually. that's not correct. The 2 JSF 'winners' were the X-32 & X-35, not XFs. I haven't checked, but I think they are in sequence for the 'X-planes'. F-32 & F-35 came about by some dipstick not knowing the system at a news conference & much as the RS-71 became the SR-71 due to LBJ's slip, the dipstick, when asked their service designation, said, something like, 'well, they are the X-32 & X-35, so they'll be the F-32 & F-35.'

Another kink, regarding the USA naming their a/c after Indian tribes, their L-19 / O-1 was named Bird Dog, & AFAIR, none of the DeHavilland-Canada a/c used by the Army were ever given Indian names. The P-51 & T-28 used by them for chase planes were never named after indians, tho the original A-36 Mustang was called the Apache. The USA used several other a/c that were never 'properly' named, as well. The Huey, in reality, is called Iroquois. The UH-60, to avoid confusion with the S-67 Blackhawk, contrary to many people's writing, is Black Hawk, who wasn't a tribe, but an Indian chief, IIRC.

On Feb 25, 6:56=A0pm, frank wrote:

Uh...no. I happened to be working for the folks that lost with XF-34 at the time.

Hmm, I think it's more likely to have been AF5H-5/5T or 6. Then the EF-18G would be the EAF5H-5Q. A tanker craft would be KAF5H-5. My favourite vapour designation is the F-111B. ISTR Grumman having designed an F12F so the -111 could have been the F13F. That would possibly make the F-14, the F14F.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.