Buzz number

A buzz number was a large letter and number combination applied to United States Air Force military aircraft in the years immediately after World War II, through the early 1960s. They were applied for general aerial identification of aircraft, but particularly for the identification of aircraft guilty of "buzzing" (very-low-altitude high-speed passes) over populated areas.

This F-100 has the buzz number "FW-754" on its nose.

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

A P-82 Twin Mustang with a buzz number near its tail

Douglas F-24 Banshee in 1950, with 'AA' buzz number

'FX-' code on Lockheed YF-12; possibly the last buzz number

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.

Code name	Manufacturer	Aircraft	Notes
AA	Douglas	A-24/F-24 Banshee	[1]
AB	Curtiss	A-25 Shrike	[1]
AC	Douglas	A-26 Invader	recoded BC in 1948[1]
AD	Vultee	A-31 Vengeance	[1]
AE	Convair	XA-41	[1]
BA	Boeing	B-17 Flying Fortress	[1]
BA	Martin	B-57 Canberra	[1]
BB	Douglas	XB-19	[1]
BB	Douglas	B-66 Destroyer	[1]
BC	Consolidated	B-24 Liberator	[1]
BC	Douglas	B-26 Invader	originally AC[1]
BD	North American	B-25 Mitchell	[1]
BE	North American	B-45 Tornado	recoded BH in 1948[1]
BF	Boeing	B-29 Superfortress	[1]
BG	Consolidated	B-32 Dominator	[1]
BG	Northrop	XB-35	[1]
BH	Lockheed	B-37 Ventura	[1]
BH	North American	B-45 Tornado	originally BE[1]
BJ	Boeing	XB-39 Superfortress	[1]
BK	Douglas	XB-42 Mixmaster	[1]
BK	Boeing	B-50 Superfortress	[1]
BL	Boeing	XB-44 Superfortress	[1]
BM	Convair	B-36 Peacemaker	[1]
CA	Beechcraft	CQ-3 Expeditor	[1]
CA	Douglas	C-124 Globemaster II	[1]
CB	Beechcraft	UC-43 Traveler
CC	Beechcraft	C-45 Expeditor
CD	Curtiss	C-46 Commando
CE	Douglas	C-47 Skytrain	[1]
CF	Douglas	C-48
CG	Douglas	C-49
CH	Douglas	C-53 Skytrooper
CJ	Douglas	C-54 Skymaster	[1]
CK	Lockheed	C-60 Lodestar
CL	Noorduyn	UC-64 Norseman
CM	Lockheed	C-69 Constellation
CN	Douglas	C-74 Globemaster	[1]
CP	Cessna	UC-78 Bobcat	[1]
CP	Convair	C-131 Samaritan	[1]
CQ	Fairchild	C-82 Packet	[1]
CQ	Fairchild	C-119 Flying Boxcar	[1]
CR	Consolidated	C-87 Liberator Express	[1]
CS	Boeing	C-97 Stratofreighter/KC-97 Stratofreighter	[1]
CT	Convair	XC-99	[1]
CU	Douglas	C-117 Skytrooper	[1]
CV	Douglas	C-118 Liftmaster	[1]
CW	Lockheed	C-121 Constellation	[1]
CY	Chase	YC-122 Avitruc	[1]
CZ	Chase	C-123 Provider	[1][2]
CZ	Fairchild	C-123 Provider	[1]
FA	Beechcraft	F-2 Expeditor	cancelled 1948[1]
FB	Lockheed	F-5 Lightning	cancelled 1948[1]
FC	North American	F-6 Mustang	cancelled 1948, to FF[1]
FD	Consolidated	F-7 Liberator	cancelled 1948[1]
FE	Boeing	F-9 Flying Fortress	cancelled 1948, to BA[1]
FF	North American	F-10 Mitchell	cancelled 1948, to BD[1]
FG	Boeing	F-13 Superfortress	cancelled 1948, to BF[1]
FH	Northrop	F-15 Reporter	cancelled 1948, to FK[1]
F	Northrop	N-156F	[3]
FA	Lockheed	F-38 Lightning	previously PA[1]
FA	Lockheed	F-94 Starfire	[1]
FA	Northrop	F-5 Freedom Fighter	[1][4]
FB	Bell	F-39 Airacobra	previously PB[1]
FB	McDonnell	F-101 Voodoo	[1]
FC	Curtiss	F-40 Warhawk	previously PC[1]
FC	Convair	F-102 Delta Dagger	[1]
FD	Republic	XF-103	[1]
FE	Republic	F-47 Thunderbolt	previously PE[1]
FE	Convair	F-106 Delta Dart	[1]
FF	North American	F-51 Mustang	previously PF[1]
FG	Lockheed	F-104 Starfighter	[1]
FH	Republic	F-105 Thunderchief	[1]
FJ	Bell	F-59 Airacomet	previously PJ[1]
FJ	McDonnell	F-110 Spectre	[1]
FK	Northrop	F-61 Black Widow	previously PK[1]
FL	Bell	F-63 Kingcobra	previously PL[1]
FN	Lockheed	F-80 Shooting Star	previously PL, recoded FT[1]
FP	Convair	XF-81	previously PP[1]
FQ	North American	F-82 Twin Mustang	previously PQ[1]
FR	Bell	XF-83	previously PR[1]
FS	Republic	F-84 Thunderjet	previously PS[1]
FT	Lockheed	F-80 Shooting Star	previously PN, FN[1]
QFT	Lockheed	QF-80 Shooting Star	[1]
FU	North American	F-86 Sabre	previously PU[1]
FV	Northrop	Northrop F-89 Scorpion	[1]
FW	North American	F-100 Super Sabre	[1]
FX	Lockheed	YF-12 Blackbird	[5] Unofficial?
FY	North American	YF-93
FY	North American	YF-95	recoded FU
GA	Waco	PG-2	[1]
GB	Waco	PG-3	[1]
GC	Waco	CG-4	[1]
GD	Laister-Kauffman	XCG-10 Trojan Horse	[1]
GE	Waco	CG-13	[1]
GF	Chase	YCG-14	[1]
GG	Waco	CG-15	[1]
GH	Chase	XCG-18	[1]
GJ	Chase	XCG-20	[1]
JT	Cessna	YAT-37D	[6]
LA	Taylorcraft	L-2 Grasshopper	[1]
LA	Piper	L-4 Grasshopper	originally LC[1]
LB	Aeronca	L-3 Grasshopper	[1]
LB	Stinson	L-5 Sentinel	originally LD[1]
LC	Piper	L-4 Grasshopper	recoded LA[1]
LC	Aeronca	L-16	originally LH[1]
LB	Stinson	L-5 Sentinel	recoded LB[1]
LD	Ryan	L-17B/U-18B Navion	See LJ for North American L-17A/C, U-18A/C[1]
LE	Interstate	L-6 Cadet	[1]
LE	Boeing	L-15 Scout	[1]
LE	Piper	L-18 Super Cub	[1]
LF	Piper	L-14	[1]
LF	Cessna	L-19 Bird Dog	[1]
LG	Convair	L-13 Grasshopper	[1]
LG	de Havilland Canada	L-20 Beaver	[1]
LH	Aeronca	L-16	recoded LC[1]
LH	Piper	L-21 Super Cub	[1]
LJ	North American	L-17A/C, U-18A/C Navion	See LD for Ryan L-17B, U-18B[1]
LJ	Beechcraft	L-23 Seminole	[1]
LK	Aero Commander	L-26	[1]
OA	Grumman	OA-9 Goose	[1]
OB	Consolidated	OA-10 Catalina	[1]
OC	North American	O-47	[1]
OD	Kellett	YO-60	[1]
OE	Boeing	PB2B-1 Catalina	[6]
PA	Lockheed	P-38 Lightning	recoded FA in 1948[1]
PB	Bell	P-39 Airacobra	recoded FB in 1948[1]
PC	Curtiss	P-40 Warhawk	recoded FC in 1948[1]
PD	Curtiss	XP-42	[1]
PE	Republic	P-47 Thunderbolt	recoded FE in 1948[1]
PF	North American	P-51 Mustang	recoded FF in 1948[1]
PG	Curtiss	XP-55 Ascender	[1]
PH	Lockheed	XP-58 Chain Lightning	[1]
PJ	Bell	P-59 Airacomet	recoded FJ in 1948[1]
PK	Northrop	P-61 Black Widow	recoded FK in 1948[1]
PL	Bell	P-63 Kingcobra	recoded FL in 1948[1]
PM	Fisher	P-75 Eagle	[1]
PN	Lockheed	P-80 Shooting Star	recoded FT in 1948[1]
PP	Convair	XP-81	recoded FP in 1948[1]
PQ	North American	P-82 Twin Mustang	recoded FQ in 1948[1]
PR	Bell	XP-83	recoded FR in 1948[1]
PS	Republic	P-84 Thunderjet	recoded FS in 1948[1]
PU	North American	P-86 Sabre	recoded FU in 1948[1]
QF	Piasecki	H-21 Workhorse	[6]
QK	Culver	Q-14 Cadet	[6]
RF	North American	RF-51 Mustang	[6]
TA	North American	AT-6 Texan	[1]
LTA	North American	LT-6G Texan	[1]
TB	Beechcraft	AT-7 Navigator	[1]
TC	Beechcraft	AT-11 Kansan	[6]
TC	Mikoyan-Gurevich	MiG-15	[7]
TC	Convair	TF-102 Delta Dagger	[8]
TD	Fairchild	AT-21 Gunner	[1]
TD	Beechcraft	T-34 Mentor	[1]
BTE	Vultee	BT-13 Valiant	[1]
TE	Cessna	T-37 Tweet	[6]
PTF	Boeing	PT-13 Kaydet	[1]
TF	North American	TF-51 Mustang	[6]
TF	Northrop	T-38 Talon	[6][9]
TG	Boeing	PT-17 Kaydet	[1]
TG	Lockheed	TF-104 Starfighter	[6]
TG	North American	T-39 Sabreliner	[6]
TH	Fairchild	PT-19	[1]
TJ	Culver	PQ-8 Cadet	[1]
TK	Culver	PQ-14 Cadet	[6]
TL	North American	T-28 Trojan	[1]
TP	Convair	T-29 Flying Classroom	[1]
TQ	Fairchild	T-31	[1]
TR	Lockheed	T-33 Shooting Star	[6]
UG	de Havilland Canada	U-6 Beaver	[6]
UH	Piper	U-7 Super Cub	[6]
UK	Aero Commander	U-4/U-9	[6]
YF	North American	YF-93	[10]
YT	Cessna	YAT-37D	[6]

See also

• Tail code
• United States military aircraft serials

References

Citations

1. Andrade 1979, p. 249
2. Adcock 1992, p.7.
3. Johnsen 2006, p.10.
4. Johnsen 2006, p.6.
5. Sgarlato 1979, p.82.
6. Swanborough and Bowers 1989, p.43.
7. Hooftman 1965, p.59.
8. Kinzey 1990, p.17.
9. Johnsen 2006, p.58.
10. "North American YF-93". Fact Sheets. National Museum of the United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 2014-10-27. Retrieved 2017-07-09.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

Bibliography

• Adcock, Al (1992). C-123 Provider in action. Aircraft In Action. 124. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 978-0-89747-276-0.
• Andrade, John M. (1979). U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Leichester, UK: Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 0-904597-22-9. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
• Hooftman, Hugo (1965). Russian Aircraft. Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8168-8100-0. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
• Johnsen, Frederick A. (2006). Northrop F-5/F-20/T-38. WarbirdTech Series. 44. North Branch, MN: Specialty Press. ISBN 978-1-58007-094-2.
• Kinzey, Bert (1990). F-102 Delta Dagger in Detail & Scale. Detail & Scale. 35. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 978-0-8306-3046-2. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
• Sgarlato, Nico (1979). USAF Aircraft of Today. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 0-89747-068-0.
• Swanborough, Gordon; Peter M. Bowers (1989). United States Military Aircraft since 1909. 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

• Aerofiles Buzz Numbers & Tail Codes