that began with 00. The double zeros were part of the
bureau number. These numbers obviously do not fit
into the regular six digit numbering system that began
with 100001. Documentation has not been found that
explains why the normal six digit numbering system
was not employed for these aircraft.
The other major exception to the normal sequential
assignment of bureau numbers in the six digit system
involves numbers beginning with 198003 and ranging
up to 999794. This group of six digit numbers is not
sequentially assigned. Almost all of the aircraft in this
group of numbers were acquired by the Navy from
the Army, Air Force, or other organizations, not direct-
ly from the manufacturer. There appears to be no logi-
cal sequence or reasoning for the assignment of these
six digit numbers. It is believed that some of the num-
bers may have been dervied by modifying the Air
Force aircraft numbering system. However, this is only
conjecture since there is no documentation to verify
this explanation.
Aside from the very sizable overlap stemming from
the numbering schemes, the same number was never
used on more than one aircraft. During the planning
and contracting processes, however, numbers were
often assigned to aircraft that were never obtained.
Sometimes, but by no means always, these cancelled
numbers were reassigned to other aircraft.
The basic sources used in compiling the following list
include a master “Serial List of Designating Numbers for
Naval Aircraft” prepared by the aircraft records office in
the Bureau of Aeronautices. It was typed on twelve 17
1
⁄2
inch by 21
1
⁄2 inch pages and numbered consecutively 0
through 11. It was probably put in that form in 1935
when the first significant handwritten emendations
appeared. Page 0 covered the pre-1916 schemes and
pages 1 through 11 began with A-51 and ran through
all four digit serials. For later aircraft, primarily those in
the six digit system, the bureau number listing was
compiled by using the “List of Serial Numbers Assigned
Navy Aircraft” developed by the Aviation Statistics
Office of DCNO (Air) and by reviewing the Aircraft
History Card microfilm collection.
The compilations have been cross-checked against
the compilation in William T. Larkins, U.S. Navy
Serial number and bureau number are synonymous
terms for the identifying number assigned to individu-
al naval aircraft. The earliest system was a letter–num-
ber combination which segregated the aircraft by man-
ufacturer (or designer) and general type. As this
scheme developed, the letter “A” was used with
Curtiss hydroaeroplanes, “B” for Wright type
hydroaeroplanes, “C” for Curtiss flying boats, “D” for
Burgess flying boats, and “E” for Curtiss amphibian fly-
ing boats. Sequential numbers beginning with one,
were assigned to each set of aircraft. That scheme was
replaced by AH numbers which were assigned aircraft
in service. A system of construction numbers was then
initiated to identify aircraft on order. The two coexist-
ed for some 15 months when the service numbers
were abandoned (See 27 Mar 1914, 10 Feb 1916, and
19 May 1917, chronology entries).
Construction numbers began with A-51 and, as seri-
al numbers or bureau numbers, ran through A-9206
after which the letter “A” was dropped although
sequential numbering continued through 9999. A sec-
ond series of four digit numbers began with 0001 and
ran through 7303. The last number in this series was
assigned in December 1940. Beginning in 1941 a
series of five digit numbers, beginning with 00001 was
adopted and numbers were assigned through 99999,
with 99991-100000 cancelled. A sixth digit numbering
system was then added beginning with 100001 and is
still in use. To summarize, the five major numbering
systems are as follows:
A-51 to A-9206
9207 to 9999 (the A prefix was dropped)
0001 to 7303
00001 to 100000 (99991-100000 were cancelled)
100001 to present (still in use but with many
modifications)
There are several major exceptions to the assign-
ment of numbers in the six digit numbering system. In
the 1960s a block of six digit numbers, beginning with
00, were assigned to the DASH vehicle (Drone
Antisubmarine Helicopter). The original designation
for the unmanned helicopter was DSN. Production
models of the DSN were designated QH-50C and QH-
50D. All of these helos had six digit bureau numbers
UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910–1995 517
517
APPENDIX 9
Bureau (Serial) Numbers
of Naval Aircraft