Aircraft
by Nation
United States
Navy/Marine Corps (1914 -1916)
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In 1914, the Navy realized that their existing
designating system would become confusing as they procured more aircraft
types from an increasing number of manufacturers. That year they
introduced a new system...a two letter to designate class and type.
The system still combined designation with serial number so each aircraft
had a different designation. All existing aircraft were
re-designated.
The aircraft types were "A" for
Heavier-than-air, "B" for Balloons, "D" for Dirigibles
and "K" for Kite balloons. The types within the
Heavier-than-air class were "H" for Hydroaeroplane (seaplane),
"B" for Flying boat and "X" for Amphibian.
