Buzz number

Buzz numbers were letter-number combinations displayed by United States Air Force military aircraft in the years immediately after World War II, through the early 1960s.

The first two letters of a buzz number indicated the type and designation of an aircraft while the last three were generally the last three digits of the aircraft serial number. Air Force fighters used buzz numbers starting with the letter F (or P, when fighters were designated as "pursuit" aircraft before June 1948), while bombers started with the letter B. For example, a P-51 Mustang would have a buzz number such as FF-230 while an F-86 Sabre might be FU-910. A B-66 Destroyer would have a buzz number such as BB-222. One of the last Air Force fighters to carry a buzz number was the F-4 Phantom II (FJ), then called the F-110 Spectre by the Air Force.

List of buzz codes

This table lists U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army aircraft by buzz-number prefix. Note that some aircraft types changed prefixes during their career, while other prefixes were re-used after an earlier type was retired.

See also

• Tail code
• United States military aircraft serials

Citations

Bibliography

• Adcock, Al (1992). C-123 Provider in action. Aircraft In Action. Vol. 124. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 978-0-89747-276-0.
• Andrade, John M. (1979). . Leichester, UK: Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
• Hooftman, Hugo (1965). . Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8168-8100-0.
• Johnsen, Frederick A. (2006). Northrop F-5/F-20/T-38. WarbirdTech Series. Vol. 44. North Branch, MN: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-094-2.
• Kinzey, Bert (1990). . Detail & Scale. Vol. 35. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 978-0-8306-3046-2.
• Sgarlato, Nico (1979). USAF Aircraft of Today. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 0-89747-068-0.
• Swanborough, Gordon; Peter M. Bowers (1989). . Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. ISBN 978-0-87474-880-2. Douglas XCG-17.

Further reading

• Bowers, Peter M.; David W. Menard (2006). Buzz Numbers: The Explanations and Regulations Behind America's Military Aircraft Identification System. North Branch, MN: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-103-1.

External links