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Buzz number

USAF aircraft identification

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Source updated March 20, 2025

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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.

01List 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.

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

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Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Buzz number”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Images, from Wikimedia Commons:

F-100.jpg by USAF, Public domain
523d FES North American F-82E Twin Mustang 46-332.jpg by United States Air Force, Public domain
A-24A Jun 1950 051121-F-1234P-008.jpg by USAAF, Public domain
Lockheed YF-12A buzz number.png by Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain

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Buzz number

01List of buzz codes

Sources and credits

Related topics

Tail code

United States military aircraft serial numbers