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Old 04-14-2016, 12:38 PM
 
Location: Texas
15,893 posts, read 18,265,550 times
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I have a question and hope that you folks can answer it for me.


I'm watching a documentary about a C-53 air crash in the Alps in 1946.


It was my understanding that our aircraft numbers (ie. "53") represented the year the aircraft came into being. Thus, I'm confused about how a "53" could crash in "46."


I just remembered that my father flew the C-47 over "The Hump" during WWII. So, my belief that the number represents the year of birth for a plane is obviously wrong.


I guess I answered my own question. I just wonder where I came up the year designation represented the birth of the plane. Any ideas?
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Old 04-14-2016, 01:00 PM
 
Location: Eastern Washington
17,158 posts, read 56,898,950 times
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Nowhere near that simple, these guys don't like the KISS principle much.

Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United...nation_systems

As you can see up till 1962 each service went their own way.

About the only thing you can say (I think) is that the sequence numbers give you a general idea (in most cases) about when the airplane first flew, and/or was designed. At least in some cases. So the F-15 and F-16 are close to contemporary, but, I wouldn't bet money just on the designation which one flew first.

I blundered into a page that says that the C-47 and C-53 are essentially the same plane, a DC-3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_C-47_Skytrain
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Old 04-14-2016, 01:25 PM
 
Location: Texas
15,893 posts, read 18,265,550 times
Reputation: 62766
Thank you so much, M3 Mitch. Obviously I was searching in all the wrong places.
What a wealth of information at that link.


We (US military) did have quite a few naming systems that overlapped and clashed over the years.


This is so much fun. I wish I has asked my father more about it when he was alive. He flew the B-52 and and another B that I think was B57 (If I remember correctly that is the plane we were going to bomb the Soviets in Cuba with during the missile crisis) but the Gooney Bird was always his favorite. We didn't see much of him during that crisis because he was literally sleeping on the flight line along with all the crewmembers and groundcrews. I got to tour those planes on military celebration days and all I remember is that the B-52 was crawling inside with little green spiders. Odd memory. I still miss SAC. "Peace Is Our Profession."


Now I am rambling and I'll stop but I really thank you for helping me with this.
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Old 04-14-2016, 02:23 PM
 
Location: Eastern Washington
17,158 posts, read 56,898,950 times
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No problem. Probably you are thinking about the B-47. It was the predecessor of the B-52. One of my uncles was a crew chief on B-47s. I think both were involved in alerts during the Cuban crisis.
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Old 04-14-2016, 04:37 PM
 
Location: Texas
15,893 posts, read 18,265,550 times
Reputation: 62766
Quote:
Originally Posted by M3 Mitch View Post
No problem. Probably you are thinking about the B-47. It was the predecessor of the B-52. One of my uncles was a crew chief on B-47s. I think both were involved in alerts during the Cuban crisis.

You are right.
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