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NG vs NK Airwings on AC carriers

Hi all, You'd think I'd know the answer to this having served in Enterprise for about three years, but, ya gotta remember, I worked in the hole.

My pictures of aircraft all have tail codes of "NG". I've gotten some Trumpeter aircraft that have tail codes of "NV". I know in WWII and Korea, they'd paint the tails differently according to which carrier they flew from. My question is this. Did all airwings operating from Enterprise always use "NG" or did it change with time? Is "NV" from Nimitz? How about a short course on the subject from one of you knowledgeable folks on rms? Thanks, Jerry 47

Reply to
jerry 47
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Enterprise

I served with VF24 and VF211 during Westpacs '83 and '85. We had NG on our tails, and were aboard Ranger for '83 and Kittyhawk for '85. Both these squadrons carried NG tailcodes until the transfer to the right coast in about '96(?) regardless of what carrier they flew off of.

Reply to
timetraveler658

with time? Is "NV" from Nimitz?

Reply to
Al Superczynski

I remember when Airfix's Phantom first arrived in the stores. The kit carried the tail code of AJ.

I think, bolstered somewhat by Squadron's book on carrier units (Vol.3) that the tail codes changed when the air wing changed. Obviously when Enterprise was in the Atlantic she would have had the 'A' codes and I believe her first cruise was to the Mediterranean.

This is based on what went on from '64-'73. I have no references for later operations.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

Reply to
Mad Modeller

The site Al suggests is a great resource. In short, it depends on force alignments. No CV or CVN has had an airwing permanently assigned as the ships may need to be tranferred to either coast so you can see the same airwing on different ships. Also, when a ship is retired, the airwing will transfer to another ship unless, of course, it too is dis-established, depending on force needs.

I've never seen "NV" as a tailcode. The easy breakdown is this: the first letter ('A' or 'N') is for the coast the airwing is based at - 'A' for Atlantic Fleet, 'N' for Pacific Fleet. Why not "P" for Pacific? No idea. The second letter is the airwing indicator. Depending on how many carriers are commissioned, there'll be an airwing for each one. If there are 14 carriers, seven on each coast, they'll be discerned by 'A' or 'N' and the next seven letters will signify the airwing, 'AA', 'AB', 'NA', 'NB', etc.

There are notable exceptions, for instance, 'PP' was used for a while for photoreconnaisance. During Korea, there were some single-letter tailcodes. It all depends on what (and when) you're modeling.

Frank Kranick

Reply to
Francis X. Kranick, Jr.

The chart in Squadron's book agrees with the chart Al directed us to so the codes have not apparently changed since the '60s-'70s. 'NG' appears to have been Carrier Air Wing 9's code and still is, no matter what carrier it flies off. HTH.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

Reply to
Mad Modeller

'NV' appears to have belonged to CVSG-57, an anti-sub group disestablished in the Autumn of 1969.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

Reply to
Mad Modeller

You're welcome, Jerry. I'm happy that Squadron's info is backed up considering all the fuss I went to to track the series down. I got tired of guessing at what the codices, tail codes, etc. signified and these books seemed a good way to find out.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

And thanks, Al, for sending us to the website.

Reply to
Mad Modeller

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