User:The Bushranger/1956 United States Army aircraft designation system

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The 1956 United States Army aircraft designation system In 1956, the U.S. Army adopted a new, and relatively simple, designation system for its aviation assets. Aircraft were divided into three different types - 'A' for fixed-wing aircraft, 'H' for helicopters, or 'V' for V/STOL aircraft, and then were given a mission modifier, which, unlike the USAF system, came after the type code: 'C' for transports, 'O' for observation and reconnaissance aircraft, 'U' for utility types, and 'Z' for experimental aircraft. Aircraft types designated in this system were numbered sequentially.[1]


Airplane, Cargo, 1956-1962[edit]

Sequence Name Manufacturer Image First flight Number built Notes
AC-1 Caribou de Havilland Canada 30 July 1958 56 redesignated CV-2, then C-7.
AC-2 Buffalo de Havilland Canada 22 September 1961 4 redesignated CV-7, then C-8.

Airplane, Observation, 1956-1962[edit]

Sequence Name Manufacturer Image First flight Number built Notes
AO-1 Mohawk Grumman 14 April 1959 343 redesignated OV-1.
AO-2 Inflatoplane Goodyear Aircraft Company 13 February 1956 1
AO-3 Inflatoplane Goodyear Aircraft Company 5

Airplane, Research, 1956-1962[edit]

Sequence Name Manufacturer Image First flight Number built Notes
AZ-1 Marvelette Mississippi State University 16 November 1962 1 Testbed for VZ-11 program.

Flying Platform, 1955-1956[edit]

Sequence Name Manufacturer Image First flight Number built Notes
HO-1 Pawnee Hiller Aircraft Corporation 1955 6 redesignated as VZ-1 in 1956
HO-2 Aerocycle de Lackner Helicopters 22 November 1954 12 redesignated as HZ-1 in 1956

Helicopter, Cargo, 1956-1962[edit]

Sequence Name Manufacturer Image First flight Number built Notes
HC-1A Boeing Vertol August 1959 3* redesignated as CH-46C in 1962
HC-1B Chinook Boeing Vertol 21 September 1961 redesignated as CH-47A in 1962

Helicopter, Observation, 1956-1962[edit]

Helicopter, Utility, 1956-1962[edit]

Helicopter, Experimental, 1956-1962[edit]

Vertical Takeoff and Landing Research, 1956-1962[edit]

Drones[edit]

In the late 1950s, the Army Combat Surveillance Agency was assigned responsibility for developing a series of reconnaissance drones for U.S. Army use. While the projects developed by the Agency did not receive designations in the Army manned aircraft system, the drones developed did receive sequential designations in the AN/USD- series, shortened to SD- in practice, and are therefore listed here.[2]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Chorney, Andrew. Systems of Designation, U.S. Army Aircraft, 1956-1962 System. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations 1911-2004
  2. ^ Newcome 2004, pp. 72-73

Bibliography[edit]

  • Newcome, Lawrence R. (2004). Unmanned Aviation: A Brief History of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Reston, Virginia: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. ISBN 978-1-56347-644-0.
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