British military aircraft designation systems

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British military aircraft designations are used to refer to aircraft types and variants operated by the armed forces of the United Kingdom.

Since the end of the First World War, aircraft types in British military service have generally been known by a service name (e.g. 'Spitfire'), with individual variants recognised by mark numbers, often in combination with a letter to indicate the role. This is in contrast to identification systems used in countries such as the United States, where an aircraft type is primarily identified by an alphanumeric designation.

The British military aircraft designations (e.g. 'Spitfire Mark V' or 'Hercules C3') should not be confused with the military aircraft registration ("serial number") used to identify individual aircraft (e.g. XR220), nor with U.S. aircraft designations (e.g. C-5, C-17, MQ-9) or manufacturer's designations (e.g. Sikorsky S-58, Jaguar B, WS-61, AW139, WAH-64), though mark numbers were used to indicate aircraft built for other nations e.g. Hawker Hunter Mk.58 was a Hunter F.6 for the Swiss Air Force.

No designation system was introduced during World War I that covered more than the products of a single manufacturer. The Admiralty frequently referred to designs by the serial of the first aircraft of that type to be accepted for service.

The military designation system[edit]

In this system, which has been used since the end of World War I, each aircraft designation consists of a name, (sometimes) a role prefix, and a mark number.

A unified official naming system was introduced in February 1918 by the Ministry of Munitions, the scheme would use classes of names related to the role. Fighter aircraft were to be animals, plants or minerals; bomber aircraft were to have geographical names; and 'heavy armoured machines' would be personal names from mythology. The classes were further divided by size of aircraft and land or sea-based, for example a three-seater sea-based fighter would be named after shellfish. Italian towns were to be used for single-seat land-based bombers.[1]

Following the formation of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in April 1918, the Ministry of Munitions introduced a new system as Technical Department Instruction 538. They mainly followed the February 1918 scheme, but certain names already used for engines were excluded, for example birds of prey were used by Rolls-Royce for their aero-engines. The names related to zoology, geography, and mythology were withdrawn in 1927, and the Air Ministry introduced names with the initial letters relating to role, for example C for troop carriers as used by the Handley Page Clive. A further change was made in 1932 and 1939, to use more appropriate names. Fighters were to use "General words indicating speed, activity or aggressiveness", and trainer aircraft would be "words indicating tuition and places of education".[1]

Bombers were to be named after inland towns in the British Empire, for example the Avro Lancaster and Fairey Battle (after Battle, East Sussex, the site of the Battle of Hastings). With the introduction of helicopters, these were to be named after trees but only the Bristol Sycamore was named in this scheme.[1][a]

Names[edit]

The name ('type name') of an aircraft type would be agreed between the Air Ministry or Admiralty and the manufacturer or importer when the order was placed. Names generally followed one or a number of patterns:

The systems began to change in the immediate post-Second World War period, with the V bombers and types such as the Supermarine Scimitar. The RAF's three post-war jet-engined, swept wing strategic bombers were given names beginning with 'V' – Vickers Valiant, Avro Vulcan, and Handley Page Victor (the V bombers).

Role prefixes[edit]

Role prefixes used at various times comprise:[4]

British military aircraft prefixes
prefix description example with mark
A airborne (paratroop transport) Halifax A.VII
ABR amphibian boat reconnaissance Supermarine Sea Otter ABR.1
AEW airborne early warning Sentry AEW.1
AH army helicopter Westland Lynx AH.7
AL army liaison Islander AL.1
AOP airborne observation post Auster AOP.9
AS anti-submarine Gannet AS.1
ASR air-sea rescue Sea Otter ASR.II
ASaC airborne surveillance and control Sea King ASaC.7
B bomber Vulcan B.2
B(I) bomber interdictor Canberra B(I).8
B(K) bomber / tanker Valiant B(K).1
B(PR) bomber / photo reconnaissance Valiant B(PR).1
B PR(K) bomber / photo reconnaissance / tanker Valiant B(PR)K.1
B(SR) bomber / strategic reconnaissance Victor B(SR).2
C transport Hercules C.4
CC communications transport BAe 125 CC.3
COD courier – later carrier – onboard delivery Gannet COD.4
C(PR) transport / photo reconnaissance Pembroke C(PR).1
D drone (pilotless aircraft) Shelduck D.1
DW mine exploding ('directional wireless') Wellington DW.1
E electronics (particularly electronic warfare) Canberra E.15
ECM electronic counter-measures Avenger ECM.6
F fighter Typhoon F.2
FA fighter / attack Sea Harrier FA.2
FAW fighter, all-weather Javelin FAW.9
FB fighter-bomber Sea Fury FB.11
FG fighter / ground attack Phantom FG.1
FGA fighter / ground attack (superseded by FG) Hunter FGA.9
FGR fighter / ground attack / reconnaissance Phantom FGR.2
FR fighter / reconnaissance Hunter FR.10
FRS fighter / reconnaissance / strike Sea Harrier FRS.1
GA ground attack Hunter GA.11
GR general reconnaissance (to 1950, superseded by MR) Lancaster GR.III
GR ground attack / reconnaissance Harrier GR.9
GT glider tug Master GT.II
HAR helicopter, air rescue Sea King HAR.3
HAS helicopter, anti-submarine Sea King HAS.2
HC helicopter, cargo Chinook HC.2
HCC helicopter, communications Squirrel HCC.1
HF high-altitude fighter (Spitfire only) Spitfire HF.VII
HM helicopter, maritime Merlin HM.1
HMA helicopter, maritime attack Lynx HMA.8
HR helicopter, rescue Dragonfly HR.5
HT helicopter, training Griffin HT.1
HU helicopter, utility Sea King HU.4
K tanker VC10 K.4
KC tanker / cargo TriStar KC.1
L low-altitude fighter (Seafire only) Seafire L.III
LF low-altitude fighter (Spitfire only) Spitfire LF.XVI
Met meteorological reconnaissance (superseded by W) Hastings Met.1
MR maritime reconnaissance Nimrod MR.2
MRA maritime reconnaissance and attack Nimrod MRA.4
NF night fighter Venom NF.2
PR photographic reconnaissance Canberra PR.9
R reconnaissance Sentinel R.1
RG reconnaissance / ground attack Protector RG.1 (expected in service 2024)[5]
S strike (nuclear capability)[6][page needed] Buccaneer S.2
SR strategic reconnaissance Victor SR.2
ST special transport Albemarle ST.VI
T training Hawk T.1
TF torpedo fighter Beaufighter TF.X
TR torpedo / reconnaissance Sea Mosquito TR.33
TT target tug Canberra TT.18
TX training glider Cadet TX.3
U drone (pilotless aircraft) – (superseded by D) Meteor U.15
W weather research Hercules W.2
prefix description example with mark

Mark numbers[edit]

Starting in the interwar period, variants of each operational type were usually indicated by a mark number, a Roman numeral added to the type name, usually preceded by 'Mark', or its abbreviated form 'Mk.' or 'Mk', e.g.: Fury Mk.I. Mark numbers were allocated sequentially to each new variant, the new mark number signifying a 'major' change such as a new engine-type. Sometimes, an alphabetic suffix was added to the mark number to indicate a minor change, e.g.: Bulldog Mk.IIA. Occasionally, this letter indicated a change in role, e.g.: the Blenheim Mk.I bomber was adapted to the Blenheim Mk.IF long-range fighter. Sometimes a minor but otherwise significant change in an aircraft would necessitate a new mark number, e.g., when the Lancaster I was fitted with Packard-built Merlin engines, which used a different make of carburettor from the Rolls-Royce-built ones, the Lancaster I became a Lancaster III. Otherwise, these two aircraft were identical in appearance and performance, and normally indistinguishable from each other but needed to be identified differently for maintenance.

During the Second World War, as aircraft ordered for one purpose became adapted to a multitude of roles, mark numbers became prefixed with letters to indicate the role of that variant. Aircraft of the same mark that were adapted for different purpose would then be differentiated by the prefix. For instance the Defiant Mk.I was adapted to a night fighter, the Defiant NF Mk.II, some of which were later converted to target tugs as the Defiant TT Mk.II. Where there was a Sea- variant, this would have its own series of mark numbers, e.g.: the Seafire Mk.I was derived from the Spitfire Mk.V.

Occasionally, other 'minor' but nonetheless important changes might be denoted by series numbers, preceded by 'Series', 'Srs.', or 'Srs', e.g.: Mosquito B Mk.IV Series I / B Mk.IV Series II – the different series number denoting the introduction, after a few initial production aircraft, of extended engine nacelles to eliminate buffeting. This design change was made standard on all subsequent production Mosquitoes. The series number denoted a revision during the production run of a particular mark. This again could then have an additional letter-suffix; e.g.: the Halifax Mk.II Series IA.

Export variants of British military aircraft are usually allocated mark numbers (sometimes without a role prefix) from a higher range of numbers, usually starting at Mark 50. A converse convention was adopted for the Canadian-designed de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk, where the sole British service variant was designated Chipmunk T.10.

Up until the end of 1942, the RAF always used Roman numerals for mark numbers, sometimes separated from its 'mark' abbreviation by a period (full stop). 1943 to 1948 was a transition period, during which new aircraft entering service were given Arabic numerals for mark numbers, but older aircraft retained their Roman numerals. From 1948 onwards, Arabic numerals were used exclusively. Thus, the Spitfire PR Mk.XIX became the PR Mk.19 after 1948.[7] With this change, the Sea- variants were allocated their own range within one common series for all variants; e.g.: the Hawker Fury Mk.I was followed by the Sea Fury F.10, Sea Fury FB.11 etc.

Format of designation[edit]

The system has been largely unchanged since 1948, with the addition of more prefixes as new roles have arisen.

For example, the first Lockheed Hercules variant in Royal Air Force service was the Hercules C.1 ('Cargo, Mark 1'). A single example was adapted for weather monitoring purposes and became the Hercules W.2. The fuselage-lengthened variant became the Hercules C.3. For aircraft with a long service life, as their function evolves over time, the designation letters and sometimes the mark digit will change to reflect this. The practice of restarting the mark numbers for the naval variant where the name was changed continued; e.g., the naval version of the Hawker Siddely Harrier, the BAe Sea Harrier, marks started again at FRS Mk.1, whilst variants where the name was unchanged for the naval version such as the Lynx have a single set of numbers for both land and naval variants. In the case of the Sea King, which began as a naval aircraft, the RAF kept the name and it also has a single set of numbers.

The post-1948 mark numbers are variously presented in full,[8] e.g.: Hercules C Mk.3; or abbreviated,[9] e.g.: Hercules C3 forms; and either with[10][11] or without a full stop between the prefix and mark number. The use of the 'Mark' or 'Mk.' has gradually been dropped.

Other designation systems used for UK military aircraft[edit]

Specification numbers[edit]

From 1920 to 1949, most aircraft had an associated Air Ministry specification number. Prototype aircraft would be produced under contract, and would be referred to by manufacturer name and specification number. If accepted, they would get a service name. For example, the 'Fairey 6/22' was built to meet the 6th specification issued in the year 1922; it was subsequently accepted as the Fairey Flycatcher. Later, a preceding letter was added to the specification number to identify the type of aircraft; e.g.: specification B.28/35 for a bomber was the 28th specification issued in 1935; in this case the specification was specifically written for the Bristol 142M, a modification of Bristol's Type 142 private venture civil aircraft (Britain First) for military use as a bomber, which would enter service as the Bristol Blenheim Mk.I light bomber.

Manufacturers designations[edit]

From about 1910, the largest single designer of aircraft for the British Army's Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the Royal Aircraft Factory. The Royal Aircraft Factory designated its types according to either the layout of the aircraft or its role; e.g.: Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5, the 'S.E.' prefix representing 'scouting experimental'. In practice, successful Royal Aircraft Factory designs were largely built by other manufacturers, though still known by the Royal Aircraft Factory designations.

Some examples of manufacturers designations and the corresponding service designations are shown below:

US designations[edit]

For some aircraft types in the UK armed services which originate from established U.S. military aircraft; e.g., the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, which is currently known in RAF service as the 'C-17 Globemaster III', have used the original US designation, rather than assigning a UK specific designation.[12]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The sycamore tree is known for its distinctive winged seeds which spin as the fall

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Carole Hough (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Names and Naming. pp. 607–609.
  2. ^ Vickers names starting with W were of geodesic construction.
  3. ^ Brew, Boulton Paul Aircraft
  4. ^ Flintham, Vic (n.d.). "British military aircraft designations 1945 to date" (PDF). VicFlintham.co.uk. Vic Flintham. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  5. ^ Allison, George (18 June 2019). "UK signs £72.5m contract for MQ-9A Reaper support to 2021 – General Atomics has been awarded £72.5m contract by the United Kingdom for MQ-9A Reaper Contractor Logistics Support Phase IV". UKDefenceJournal.org.uk. UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  6. ^ Calvert, Denis J. (1 November 2012). Hawker Siddeley / BAe Harrier. Haynes Publishing. ISBN 978 0 85733 079 6.
  7. ^ Morgan and Shacklady 2000, p. 593.
  8. ^ "History Gallery 1950–1959". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  9. ^ "RAF Timeline 1950–1959". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  10. ^ Jane's Defence Weekly, 22 December 2010
  11. ^ "RAF Museum aircraft thesaurus – Hawker-Siddeley". CollectionsTrust.Orangeleaf.org.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ "British Standards and the Aircraft Industry". Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology. 34 (12): 378–379. 1 December 1962. doi:10.1108/eb033656. ISSN 0002-2667.

Further reading[edit]