United Kingdom aircraft test serials explained

United Kingdom aircraft test serials are used to externally identify aircraft flown within the United Kingdom without a full Certificate of Airworthiness. They can be used for testing experimental and prototype aircraft or modifications, pre-delivery flights for foreign customers and are sometimes referred to as "B" class markings.

1930s

An initial set of markings was introduced in 1929, each company was allocated a letter to which would follow a number, sometimes with a hyphen or a gap between. For example, A was allocated to the Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft and A 1 was used in March 1930 on an Armstrong Whitworth Starling. Sometimes Hawker and Vickers would also add the letters PV to the markings to indicate a private venture (that is a type in development not paid for by the Air Ministry).

1940s

The presentation was changed to look like a military serial for security reasons during the Second World War. For example, the prototype de Havilland Mosquito was allocated test markings E-0234.

1948

Following a change back to the original system in 1946 a new system was introduced on 1 January 1948. Each company was allocated a number which followed the British nationality marking G and then followed by an individual identity number. For example, Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company were allocated G-2 and the first allocation G-2-1 was used on a Miles Messenger used as an engine testbed for the Cirrus Bombardier. Companies could allocate and re-use the identities as they liked, some ran in sequence from 1 and others used the aircraft manufacturers serial number as part of the marking, for example G-51-200 was a Britten Norman Islander with a manufacturers serial number of 200. Allocations of codes from defunct companies have been reallocated.

Letter sequence 1929–1947

AllocationCompanyNotes
AArmstrong Whitworth AircraftReplaced by G-1 in 1948
BBlackburn Aeroplane & Motor CompanyReplaced by G-2 in 1948
CBoulton PaulReplaced by G-3 in 1948
DPortsmouth AviationReplaced by G-4 in 1948
Ede HavillandReplaced by G-5 in 1948
FFairey AviationReplaced by G-6 in 1948
GGloster AircraftReplaced by G-7 in 1948
HHandley PageReplaced by G-8 in 1948
IHawker AircraftReplaced by G-9 in 1948
JParnall AircraftOut of use by 1946
JReid & SigristFrom 1947, replaced by G-10 in 1948
KAvroReplaced by G-11 in 1948
LSaunders-RoeReplaced by G-12 in 1948
MShort BrothersReplaced by G-14 in 1948
NSupermarineReplaced by G-15 in 1948
OVickers ArmstrongsReplaced by G-16 in 1948
PWestland AircraftReplaced by G-17 in 1948
RBristol AeroplaneReplaced by G-18 in 1948
SSpartan AircraftOut of use by 1936
SHeston AircraftReplaced by G-19 in 1948
TGeneral AircraftReplaced by G-20 in 1948
UPhillips & Powis later Miles AircraftReplaced by G-21 in 1948
VAirspeedReplaced by G-22 in 1948
WG & J Weir1933–1946
XPercival AircraftReplaced by G-23 in 1948
YBritish Aircraft ManufacturingOut of use by 1938
YCunliffe-Owen1940–1947, replaced by G-24 in 1948
ZAuster AircraftReplaced by G-25 in 1948
ABSlingsby SailplanesReplaced by G-26 in 1948

Numeric sequence since 1948

AllocationCompanyNotes
G-1Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft later Hawker Siddeley Aviation1948–1967
G-1Rolls-RoyceSince 1969
G-2Blackburn Aircraft later Hawker Siddeley AviationUsed at Brough
G-3Boulton Paul
G-4Portsmouth Aviation1948–1949
G-4Miles AviationSince 1969
G-5de Havilland later Hawker Siddeley AviationUsed at Hatfield then Chester
G-6Fairey Aviation later Westland Helicopters
G-7Gloster Aircraft1948–1961
G-7Slingsby SailplanesSince 1971
G-8Handley Page1948-1970
G-9Hawker Aircraft later Hawker Siddeley AviationMainly used on Hawker Hunters and Hawker Sea Fury's
G-10Reid & Sigrist1948–1953
G-11Avro later Hawker Siddeley AviationUsed at Woodford
G-12Saunders-Roe later Westland Aircraft then British Hovercraft CorporationG-12-1 was used on the first practical hovercraft, the SR-N1; G-12-1 had been used previously on the Saro SR/A1
G-13Not used
G-14Short Brothers
G-15Supermarine1948–1968
G-16Vickers-Armstrongs later British Aircraft Corporation
G-17Westland Aircraft later Westland Helicopters
G-18Bristol Aeroplane later British Aircraft CorporationUsed at Filton (Bristol) and Oldmixon (Weston-super-Mare)
G-19Heston Aircraft1948–1960
G-20General Aircraft1948–1949
G-21Miles Aircraft later Handley Page Reading1948–1963
G-22Airspeed1948–1952
G-23Percival Aircraft later British Aircraft Corporation1948–1966
G-24Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft1948–1949
G-25Auster Aircraft1948–1962
G-26Slingsby Sailplanes1948–1949
G-27English Electric later British Aircraft Corporation
G-28British European Airways later British Airways Helicopters
G-29D. Napier & Son1948–1962
G-30Pest Control Limited1952–1957
G-31Scottish Aviation
G-32Cierva Autogiro Company1948–1951
G-33Flight Refuelling Limited1948–1972
G-34Chrislea Aircraft1948–1952
G-35F.G Miles then Beagle Aircraft1951–1970
G-36College of Aeronautics then Cranfield Institute of TechnologySince 1954
G-37Rolls-RoyceUsed at Hucknall 1954–1971
G-38de Havilland Propellers later Hawker Siddeley Dynamics1954–1975
G-39Folland Aircraft1954–1965; G-39-1 was used on the prototype Folland Midge
G-40Wiltshire School of Flying
G-41Aviation Traders1956–1976
G-42Armstrong Siddeley Motors1956–1959
G-43Edgar Percival Aircraft1956–1959
G-44Agricultural Aviation Limited1959
G-45Bristol Siddeley Engines1959–1969
G-46Saunders-Roe later Westland Aircraft1959–1962
G-47Lancashire Aircraft
G-48Westland Aircraft later Westland Helicopters1960–1969
G-49F G Miles Engineering1965–1969
G-50Alvis
G-51Britten NormanSince 1967
G-52Marshall of Cambridge
G-53NDN Aircraft
G-54Cameron Balloons
G-55W Vinten
G-56Edgley Aircraft
G-57Airship Industries
G-65Solar Wings
G-76Police Aviation Services Limited
G-77Thruster Air Services Ltd
G-78Bristow Helicopters Limited
G-79Eurocopter Oxford
G-80British Microlight Aircraft Association Ltd
G-89Cosmik Aviation Limited

See also

References

Bibliography

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