User:The Bushranger/1956 United States Army aircraft designation system
The 1956 United States Army aircraft designation system In 1956, the U.S. Army adopted a new, and relatively simple, designation system for its aviation assets. Aircraft were divided into three different types - 'A' for fixed-wing aircraft, 'H' for helicopters, or 'V' for V/STOL aircraft, and then were given a mission modifier, which, unlike the USAF system, came after the type code: 'C' for transports, 'O' for observation and reconnaissance aircraft, 'U' for utility types, and 'Z' for experimental aircraft. Aircraft types designated in this system were numbered sequentially.[1]
Airplane, Cargo, 1956-1962
[edit]| Sequence | Name | Manufacturer | Image | First flight | Number built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC-1 | Caribou | de Havilland Canada | 
|
30 July 1958 | 56 | redesignated CV-2, then C-7. |
| AC-2 | Buffalo | de Havilland Canada | 
|
22 September 1961 | 4 | redesignated CV-7, then C-8. |
Airplane, Observation, 1956-1962
[edit]| Sequence | Name | Manufacturer | Image | First flight | Number built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AO-1 | Mohawk | Grumman | 
|
14 April 1959 | 343 | redesignated OV-1. |
| AO-2 | Inflatoplane | Goodyear Aircraft Company | 
|
13 February 1956 | 1 | |
| AO-3 | Inflatoplane | Goodyear Aircraft Company | 
|
5 |
Airplane, Research, 1956-1962
[edit]| Sequence | Name | Manufacturer | Image | First flight | Number built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AZ-1 | Marvelette | Mississippi State University | 
|
16 November 1962 | 1 | Testbed for VZ-11 program. |
Flying Platform, 1955-1956
[edit]| Sequence | Name | Manufacturer | Image | First flight | Number built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HO-1 | Pawnee | Hiller Aircraft Corporation | .jpg)
|
1955 | 6 | redesignated as VZ-1 in 1956 |
| HO-2 | Aerocycle | de Lackner Helicopters | 
|
22 November 1954 | 12 | redesignated as HZ-1 in 1956 |
Helicopter, Cargo, 1956-1962
[edit]| Sequence | Name | Manufacturer | Image | First flight | Number built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HC-1A | Boeing Vertol | 
|
August 1959 | 3* | redesignated as CH-46C in 1962 | |
| HC-1B | Chinook | Boeing Vertol | 
|
21 September 1961 | redesignated as CH-47A in 1962 |
Helicopter, Observation, 1956-1962
[edit]- HO-1 - Sud-Ouest
- HO-2 - Hughes
- HO-3 - Brantly
- HO-4 - Bell (redesignated as OH-4A in 1962)
- HO-5 - Fairchild Hiller (redesignated as OH-5A in 1962)
- HO-6 - Hughes (redesignated as OH-6A in 1962)
Helicopter, Utility, 1956-1962
[edit]- HU-1 Iroquois - Bell (redesignated as UH-1 in 1962)
Helicopter, Experimental, 1956-1962
[edit]- HZ-1 Aerocycle - de Lackner Helicopters
Vertical Takeoff and Landing Research, 1956-1962
[edit]- VZ-1 Pawnee - Hiller
- VZ-2 - Vertol
- VZ-3 Vertiplane - Ryan
- VZ-4 Convertiplane - Doak
- VZ-5 Fledgling - Fairchild
- VZ-6 - Chrysler
- VZ-7-Curtiss-Wright
- VZ-8 Airgeep - Piasecki
- VZ-9 Avrocar - Avro Canada
- VZ-10 Hummingbird - Lockheed (redesignated as XV-4 in 1962)
- VZ-11 Vertifan - Ryan (redesignated as XV-5 in 1962)
- VZ-12 Kestrel - Hawker Siddeley (redesignated as XV-6 in 1962)
Drones
[edit]In the late 1950s, the Army Combat Surveillance Agency was assigned responsibility for developing a series of reconnaissance drones for U.S. Army use. While the projects developed by the Agency did not receive designations in the Army manned aircraft system, the drones developed did receive sequential designations in the AN/USD- series, shortened to SD- in practice, and are therefore listed here.[2]
- Northrop SD-1 Observer
- Aerojet SD-2 Overseer
- Republic SD-3 Snooper
- Republic SD-4 Swallow
- Fairchild SD-5 Osprey
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ Chorney, Andrew. Systems of Designation, U.S. Army Aircraft, 1956-1962 System. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations 1911-2004
- ^ Newcome 2004, pp. 72-73
Bibliography
[edit]- Newcome, Lawrence R. (2004). Unmanned Aviation: A Brief History of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Reston, Virginia: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. ISBN 978-1-56347-644-0.