List of undesignated military aircraft of the United States explained

The United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Air Force and its predecessors, and United States Coast Guard operated aircraft when specific alphanumerical designation systems were not in use; these aircraft were referred to by their manufacturers' designations. There were also aircraft in service later that did not receive designations for other reasons, such as foreign military aircraft used for testing or special operations, and civil aircraft purchased off-the-shelf or impressed into service.

For aircraft of the Air Force and its preceding Army air services after the introduction of the 1919 United States Army Air Service aircraft designation system, see the list of United States Air Force aircraft designations (1919–1962). For Navy and Marine Corps aircraft that received designations from 1911–1917 and post–1922 United States Navy aircraft designation system, see the list of United States Navy aircraft designations (pre-1962). For the Army designation system used from 1956 to 1962, after the creation of the Air Force, see 1956 United States Army aircraft designation system. For all United States military aircraft after the implementation of the unified 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system, see list of United States Tri-Service aircraft designations.

Army

This list includes aircraft operated by the United States Army, Army Signal Corps, and American Expeditionary Forces.

TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedRetiredNotes
Aeromarine M-1USPropellerTrainer1917Single-engined piston biplane; evaluated but not accepted
Airco DH.9UKPropellerBomber1917Single-engined piston biplane
Ansaldo SVAItalyPropellerReconnaissance1917Single-engined piston biplane
Avro 504UKPropellerTrainer1913Single-engined piston biplane
Bréguet 14FrancePropellerBomber/reconnaissance1918Single-engined piston biplane
Burgess-DunneUSPropellerExperimental1914 or 1915Single-engined tailless piston biplane
Burgess Model F[1] USPropellerTrainer1911Single-engined piston biplane; license-built Wright Model B
Burgess Model HUSPropellerTrainer1912Single-engined piston biplane
Burgess Model IUSPropellerReconnaissance19131915Single-engined piston biplane floatplane
Burgess Model JUSPropellerScout19131914Single-engined piston biplane; license-built Wright Model C
Burgess Model UUSPropellerReconnaissance1917Single-engined piston biplane floatplane
Caudron G.3FrancePropellerReconnaissance1917Single-engined piston biplane
Caudron G.4FrancePropellerBomber1917Two-engined piston biplane
Caudron R.11FrancePropellerFighter1918Two-engined piston biplane
Curtiss Model D[2] USPropellerTrainer19111914Single-engined piston biplane
Curtiss Model EUSPropellerUtility19111914Single-engined piston biplane floatplane
Curtiss Model FUSPropellerUtility1913Single-engined piston biplane flying boat
Curtiss Model GUSPropellerScout1913Single-engined piston biplane
Curtiss Model JUSPropellerExperimental1914Single-engined piston biplane
Curtiss Model JNUSPropellerTrainer19151927Single-engined piston biplane
Curtiss Model L[3] USPropellerTrainer1916Single-engined piston triplane
Curtiss Model NUSPropellerTrainer1915Single-engined piston biplane floatplane
Curtiss Model RUSPropellerUtility1915Single-engined piston biplane
Curtiss Model SUSPropellerFighter1917Single-engined piston triplane; evaluated but not accepted
Dorand ARFrancePropellerReconnaissance1917Single-engined piston biplane
Farman F.40FrancePropellerReconnaissance1915Single-engined piston biplane
Farman F.50FrancePropellerBomber1918Two-engined piston biplane
LWF model VUSPropellerTrainer/reconnaissance1916Single-engined piston biplane
Martin RUSPropellerReconnaissance1916
Martin SUSPropellerReconnaissance1915Single-engined piston biplane floatplane
Morane-Saulnier AIFrancePropellerTrainer1917Single-engined piston parasol monoplane
Morane-Saulnier PFrancePropellerReconnaissance1914Single-engined piston parasol monoplane
Nieuport 10FrancePropellerTrainer1915Single-engined piston biplane
Nieuport 11FrancePropellerTrainer1916Single-engined piston biplane
Nieuport 12FrancePropellerTrainer1915Single-engined piston biplane
Nieuport 17FrancePropellerTrainer1916Single-engined piston biplane
Nieuport 21FrancePropellerTrainerSingle-engined piston biplane
Nieuport 23FrancePropellerTrainerSingle-engined piston biplane
Nieuport 24FrancePropellerTrainerSingle-engined piston biplane
Nieuport 27FrancePropellerTrainerSingle-engined piston biplane
Nieuport 28FrancePropellerTrainerSingle-engined piston biplane
Nieuport 80FrancePropellerTrainerSingle-engined piston biplane
Nieuport 81FrancePropellerTrainerSingle-engined piston biplane
Nieuport 83FrancePropellerTrainerSingle-engined piston biplane
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2UKPropellerSingle-engined piston biplane
Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2UKPropellerSingle-engined piston biplane
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5UKPropellerFighterSingle-engined piston biplane
Salmson 2FrancePropellerTrainer/reconnaissance1918Single-engined piston biplane
SIA 7ItalyPropellerBomber/reconnaissance1917Single-engined piston biplane
Sopwith CamelUKPropellerFighterSingle-engined piston biplane
Sopwith DolphinUKPropellerFighterSingle-engined piston biplane
Sopwith SOP.1FrancePropellerTrainerSingle-engined piston biplane; French license-built Sopwith 1½ Strutter
SPAD S.VIIFrancePropellerTrainer1917Single-engined piston biplane
SPAD S.XIFrancePropellerTrainerSingle-engined piston biplane
SPAD S.XIIIFrancePropellerFighter1918Single-engined piston biplane
SPAD S.XVIFrancePropellerTrainerSingle-engined piston biplane
Standard H-2USPropellerTrainer1916Single-engined piston biplane
Standard JUSPropellerTrainer1916Single-engined piston biplane
Sturtevant S[4] USPropellerTrainer/reconnaissance1916Single-engined piston biplane
Thomas D-5USPropellerTrainer1915
Voisin VIIIFrancePropellerTrainerSingle-engined piston biplane
Voisin XFrancePropellerTrainer1919Single-engined piston biplane
Wright Model AUSPropellerTrainer19091911Single-engined piston biplane
Wright Model BUSPropellerTrainer/reconnaissance19111914Single-engined piston biplane
Wright Model CUSPropellerScout19121914Single-engined piston biplane
Wright Model DUSPropellerReconnaissance19121914Single-engined piston biplane

Air Force

This list includes aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and its predecessors: the United States Army Air Service (USAAS), United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF).

TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedRetiredNotes
Airspeed OxfordUKPropellerTrainer19421945Two-engined piston monoplane; operated by US units in conjunction with UK Royal Air Force
Albree Pigeon-FraserUSPropellerFighter1918Single-engined piston monoplane
Antonov An-28UkrainePropellerTransportTwo-engined turboprop monoplane
Avro AnsonUKPropellerTransport19421945Two-engined piston monoplane; operated by US units in conjunction with UK Royal Air Force. Canadian built Ansons operated as AT-20[5]
Boeing Model 4USPropellerTrainer1918Single-engined piston biplane with floats
Consolidated LB-30USPropellerBomber1941Four-engined piston monoplane; UK Liberator B Mk II aircraft requisitioned by USAAF and operated under company designation rather than as B-24
Curtiss 18USPropellerFighter1918Single-engined piston biplane
C-class blimpUSAirshipPatrol1921Two-engined piston blimp; two aircraft transferred from US Navy
Curtiss Model JNUSPropellerTrainer19181927Single-engined piston biplane
Curtiss Model RUSPropellerUtility1918Single-engined piston biplane
D-class blimpUSAirshipPatrol1921Two-engined piston blimp; four aircraft transferred from US Navy
Dayton-Wright/Fisher DH-4USPropellerBomber19181932Single-engined piston biplane; license-built variant of the Airco DH.4
de Havilland DominieUKPropellerTransport19421945Two-engined piston biplane; operated by US units in conjunction with UK Royal Air Force
de Havilland MosquitoUKPropellerBomber19421945Two-engined piston monoplane; operated by US units in conjunction with UK Royal Air Force
de Havilland Tiger MothUKPropellerTrainer19421945Single-engined piston biplane; operated by US units in conjunction with UK Royal Air Force
Douglas BostonUSPropellerBomber19421945Two-engined piston monoplane; UK version of Douglas A-20 operated in conjunction with UK Royal Air Force
Engineering Division USB-1USPropellerFighter1918Single-engined piston biplane; license-built variant of the Bristol F.2
Engineering Division USB-2USPropellerFighter1918Single-engined piston biplane; license-built variant of the Bristol F.2
Engineering Division USD-9USPropellerBomberSingle-engined piston biplane; license-built variant of the Airco DH.9
Engineering Division XB-1USPropellerReconnaissanceSingle-engined piston biplane; license-built variant of the Bristol F.2
Fokker D.VIIGermanyPropellerTrainer1918Single-engined piston biplane; obtained as German war reparations, some transferred to US Navy
Hawker HurricaneUKPropellerFighter19421945Single-engined piston monoplane; operated by US units in conjunction with UK Royal Air Force
Heinkel HD 22GermanyPropellerUtility1930Single-engined piston biplane; one purchased for US Military Attaché in Germany
Heinrich PursuitUSPropellerFighter1918Single-engined piston biplane
LWF model VUSPropellerTrainer/reconnaissance1918Single-engined piston biplane
Martin GMBUSPropellerBomber1918Two-engined piston biplane
Mil Mi-171RussiaRotorcraftTransportTwo-engined turboshaft helicopter
Miles MasterUKPropellerTrainer/reconnaissance19421945Single-engined piston monoplane; operated by US units in conjunction with UK Royal Air Force
Morane-Saulnier MS-234[6] FrancePropellerUtility19321935Single-engined piston biplane; one purchased for US Military Attaché in Paris
Orenco DUSPropellerFighter1919Single-engined piston biplane; also built by Curtiss
Packard-Le Père LUSAC-11USPropellerFighter1918Single-engined piston biplane
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5UKPropellerFighter1918Single-engined piston biplane
Supermarine SpitfireUKPropellerFighter19421945Single-engined piston monoplane; operated by US units in conjunction with UK Royal Air Force
Verville VCPUSPropellerFighter/racer1920Single-engined piston biplane; later variants designated PW-1 and R-1
Vought VE-7USPropellerFighter/trainer1918Single-engined piston biplane
Vought VE-8USPropellerFighter/trainer1918Single-engined piston biplane
Vought VE-9USPropellerFighter/trainer1927Single-engined piston biplane; improved VE-7

Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard

This list includes aircraft operated by the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard.

Aviation in the Marine Corps and Coast Guard has historically been subsidiary to naval aviation, with Marine Corps aircraft being procured by the Navy. Many Coast Guard aircraft have been procured from the Navy or the Air Force and its predecessors, typically carrying designations conforming to equivalent types operated by those services, but the Coast Guard has also independently obtained several aircraft types without a military designation or an equivalent.

The Navy's rigid airships were commissioned as warships and given hull classification symbols, but many of its other lighter-than-air craft never received formal designations. Until the 1940s, Navy blimps were grouped into classes by nominal power and size; within each class, individual aircraft often had significant design variations, and were sometimes sourced from different manufacturers. Spherical crewed free gas balloons used for airship crew training were considered ZF-class aircraft but categorically never received formal designations and were identified only by serial number and volume; similarly, crewed kite balloons and uncrewed barrage balloons were considered ZK-class, but were undesignated.

TypeOriginClassRoleIntroducedRetiredNotes
Aeromarine ASUSPropellerScout1917Single-engined piston biplane floatplane
Aeromarine 39USPropellerTrainer1917Single-engined piston biplane floatplane
Aeromarine 40USPropellerTrainer1918Single-engined piston flying boat
Aeromarine 700USPropellerTorpedo bomber1917Single-engined piston biplane floatplane
B-class blimpUSAirshipPatrol1917Single-engined piston blimp
Blackburn SwiftUKPropellerTorpedo bomber1921Single-engined piston biplane; two purchased for evaluation
Boeing B-314USPropellerTransport19421945Four-engined piston monoplane flying boat; impressed from Pan Am, Army designation of C-98 disregarded
Bristol BulldogUKPropellerFighter1929Single-engined piston biplane; two purchased for evaluation
C-class blimpUSAirshipPatrol1918Two-engined piston blimp
Caproni Ca.44ItalyPropellerBomber1918Three-engined piston bomber
Caspar U.1GermanyPropellerScout1922Single-engined piston biplane floatplane; two purchased for evaluation, not accepted for service
Consolidated 21-AUSPropellerTrainer19311941Single-engined piston biplane; single aircraft transferred from USAAC to Coast Guard, later designated N4Y-1
Curtiss-Cox Cactus KittenUSPropellerRacer1922Single-engined piston triplane; single aircraft purchased from civil owner
Curtiss 18USPropellerFighter/racer19181923Single-engined piston biplane
Curtiss F-5LUSPropellerPatrol1918Two-engined piston biplane flying boat; evolution of RNAS Felixstowe design, later designated PN
Curtiss HUSPropellerPatrol19161928Two-engined piston biplane flying boat
Curtiss HAUSPropellerFighter1918Single-engined piston biplane; none ordered, but test aircraft were retained by Navy
Curtiss HSUSPropellerPatrol1917Single-engined piston biplane flying boat
Curtiss JNUSPropellerTrainer19171926Single-engined piston biplane
Curtiss Model MFUSPropellerPatrol1918Single-engined piston biplane flying boat
Curtiss NCUSPropellerPatrol1918Four-engined piston biplane flying boat
Curtiss N-9USPropellerReconnaissance/trainer19171926Single-engined piston biplane floatplane
Curtiss Model RUSPropellerScout/trainer1918Single-engined piston biplane; some operated as floatplanes, some used for torpedo bombing trials
D-class blimpUSAirshipPatrol19191921Two-engined piston blimp; transferred to US Army
DN-1USAirshipPatrol19161917Two-engined piston blimp; single aircraft, retroactively considered the A-class blimp
de Havilland DH.9AUKPropellerBomber1918Single-engined piston biplane
Detroit ZMC-2USAirshipPatrol19291941Two-engined piston blimp; single aircraft
Donnet-Denhaut flying boatFrancePropellerPatrol1918Single-engined piston biplane flying boat
GermanyPropellerExperimental1920Single-engined piston monoplane flying boat; one purchased to study its metal construction
Douglas D-558-1 SkystreakUSJetExperimental19471953Single-engined jet monoplane; high-speed research aircraft operated in conjunction with NACA
Douglas D-558-2 SkyrocketUSJet/rocketExperimental19481956Hybrid jet/rocket monoplane; high-speed research aircraft operated in conjunction with NACA
E-class blimpUSAirshipPatrol19191924Single-engined piston blimp; single aircraft
F-class blimpUSAirshipPatrol19191923Single-engined piston blimp; single aircraft
FBA 17HT4FrancePropellerTrainer1931Single-engined piston biplane flying boat; one Schreck-built aircraft purchased by Coast Guard, later license-built in US as Viking OO-1
FBA Type HFrance/ItalyPropellerPatrol1918Single-engined piston biplane flying boat
Fokker C.INetherlandsPropeller1921Single-engined piston biplane; three purchased for Marine Corps, originally built in 1918 for Germany but never delivered
Fokker D.VIIGermanyPropellerTrainer19181924Single-engined piston biplane; German war reparations transferred from US Army
Franklin PS-2USGliderTrainer1930s?Monoplane glider
Gallaudet D-1USPropellerExperimental19181918Two-engined piston biplane floatplane
Gallaudet D-4USPropellerExperimental19181918Single-engined piston biplane floatplane; development of Gallaudet D-1
G-class blimpUSAirshipPatrol/trainer19351959Two-engined piston blimp; later designated ZNN-G
General Aviation FLB[7] USPropellerSearch and rescue1932Two-engined piston monoplane flying boat; operated only by Coast Guard, later designated PJ
H-class blimpUSAirshipPatrol/trainer19211921Single-engined piston blimp
Hanriot HD.1FrancePropellerFighter1918Single-engined piston biplane; landplane conversions from HD.2 floatplanes
Hanriot HD.2FrancePropellerFighter1918Single-engined piston biplane floatplane
J-class blimpUSAirshipPatrol/trainer19221940Two-engined piston blimp
Junkers-Larsen JL-6GermanyPropellerExperimental1920?Single-engined piston monoplane floatplane; three purchased for evaluation
K-class blimpUSAirshipPatrol/trainer1931Two-engined piston blimp; first aircraft (K-1) differed substantially from others; later designated ZNP-K
L-class blimpUSAirshipTrainer1937Two-engined piston blimp; later designated ZNN-L
Levy-Lepen HB2FrancePropellerPatrol1918Single-engined piston biplane flying boat
Loening LSUSPropellerReconnaissance/racer1918Single-engined piston monoplane; floatplane version of Loening M-8
Loening M-8USPropellerReconnaissance/racer1918Single-engined piston monoplane
Macchi M.5ItalyPropellerFighter1918Single-engined piston biplane flying boat
Macchi M.16ItalyPropellerScout1922Single-engined piston biplane floatplane; three purchased for evaluation, not accepted for service
Martin M-130USPropellerTransport19421945Four-engined piston monoplane flying boat; impressed from Pan Am
Morane-Saulnier AR-1FrancePropellerTrainer1921Single-engined piston parasol monoplane
Naval Aircraft Factory N-1USPropellerPatrol19181918Single-engined piston biplane floatplane
Naval Aircraft Factory PTUSPropellerTorpedo bomber1922Single-engined piston biplane floatplane; built largely from Curtiss HS and R-6 spare parts
Naval Aircraft Factory SAUSPropellerScout19191919Single-engined piston monoplane
Naval Aircraft Factory TFUSPropellerFighter19181923Two-engined piston biplane flying boat
Naval Aircraft Factory TGUSPropellerTrainer1922Single-engined piston biplane floatplane
Naval Aircraft Factory TSUSPropellerFighter1922Single-engined piston biplane; some operated as floatplanes, later designated F4C
Nieuport 28FrancePropellerExperimental1919Single-engined piston biplane; transferred after WWI from US Army and used for ship platform launching trials
NS class airshipUKAirshipPatrol1918Two-engined piston blimp; single aircraft
O-1[8] ItalyAirshipExperimental19191921–1922?Two-engined piston airship; single aircraft
Parnall PantherUKPropellerFighter1919Single-engined piston biplane
Romeo Ro.1ItalyPropellerUtility1928Single-engined piston biplane; one purchased for US Naval Attaché in Rome
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5AUKPropellerFighter1918Single-engined piston biplane
RRG PrüflingGermanyGliderExperimental1930?Monoplane glider; one purchased from US civil flight school for airship launch tests conducted in early 1930
Seversky NF-1[9] USPropellerFighter1935Single-engined piston monoplane; none ordered, but the test aircraft was retained by the Navy; called FN-1 by some sources
Sopwith BabyUKPropellerScout19171918Single-engined piston biplane floatplane; at least seven evaluated, not accepted for service
Sopwith CamelUKPropellerFighter1917Single-engined piston biplane
Sopwith 1½ StrutterUKPropellerReconnaissance1918Single-engined piston biplane
SS class airshipUKAirshipPatrol1918Single-engined piston blimp
SST class airshipUKAirshipPatrol1918Two-engined piston blimp; single aircraft
SSZ class airshipUKAirshipPatrol1918Single-engined piston blimp
TC-class blimpUSAirshipPatrol19381943Two-engined piston blimp; two aircraft transferred from US Army, never given naval designations
Tellier flying boatFrancePropellerPatrol1917Single-engined piston biplane flying boat
Thomas-Morse MB-3USPropellerTrainer1921Single-engined piston biplane; transferred from US Army for use by Marine Corps
Thomas-Morse S-4USPropellerTrainer1917Single-engined piston biplane
Thomas-Morse S-5USPropellerScout1917Single-engined piston biplane; diverted from US Army S-4 order and refitted as floatplanes
Thomas-Morse SH-4USPropellerReconnaissance/trainer1917Single-engined piston biplane floatplane
Vickers VikingUSPropellerExperimental1921Single-engined piston biplane amphibian
Vought VE-7USPropellerFighter/trainer1918Single-engined piston biplane; some operated as floatplanes
Vought VE-9USPropellerReconnaissance1918Single-engined piston biplane; some operated as floatplanes

See also

References

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Burgess . 2022-05-12 . www.aerofiles.com.
  2. Web site: Wacker . Bill . 2008-11-19 . Curtiss # to J . 2022-05-16 . www.aerofiles.com.
  3. Web site: Curtiss L-Z . 2022-05-16 . www.aerofiles.com.
  4. Web site: Sturtevant Sturtevant Aeroplane Co. . 2022-05-16 . www.sturtevantfan.com.
  5. Web site: Baugher. Joe. October 9, 2021. 1943 USAAF Serial Numbers (43-5109 to 43-52437).
  6. Web site: Baugher. Joe. 1930-1937 USAAC Serial Numbers. joebaugher.com. 25 September 2021 . 28 October 2021.
  7. Web site: Baugher. Joe. US Coast Guard Aircraft Serial Numbers. joebaugher.com. 25 September 2021 . 26 October 2021.
  8. Web site: Baugher. Joe. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos, First Series (A51 to A6001). joebaugher.com. 28 August 2021 . 10 November 2021.
  9. Web site: Baugher. Joe. Seversky NF-1. joebaugher.com. 25 December 1999 . 21 October 2021.