Dahawaiian From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 226 posts, RR: 0 Posted (9 years 2 months 4 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 2623 times:
I have always noticed that the US Army Air Corps used the pursuit or "P" designation to denote their aerial combat aircraft whereas USN/USMC aircraft were given the "F" designation as in the F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair during WWII. When and why did the US Army Air Corps, later the USAF, drop the "P" and pick up the "F" designation?
Garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5244 posts, RR: 55 Reply 1, posted (9 years 2 months 4 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 2564 times:
After the Air Force became a separate service, it revised its designation system in 1948, in part to reflect the varying types of aircraft entering service. The "P" for Pursuit was dropped in this system and "P" was reassigned to Patrol aircraft. As a result, "F" for Fighter was adopted.
South Carolina - too small to be its own country, too big to be a mental asylum.
Ramprat74 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 1456 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (9 years 2 months 4 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 2545 times:
When the Shooting Star first came out. It was the P-80. I think they changed it to the F-80 after 1948 like Garnet said.
Broke From United States of America, joined Apr 2002, 1322 posts, RR: 4 Reply 4, posted (9 years 2 months 3 weeks 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 2525 times:
Changes in designations when the independent Air Force was created included;
A - Attack - deleted, A-24 became the F-24, A-26 became the B-26
A - Amphibian - Unchanged
B - Bomber - unchanged
C - Cargo or transport - unchanged
F - Photorecon - changed to R
H - Helicopter - replaced R
K - created for tankers
L - Liaison, later was interchanged with U
O - Observation or search and rescue - Changed to L or S
P - Pursuit - changed to F - fighter
Q - drones
R - rotary - Changed to H
S - Search and rescue
T - Replaced PT, BT, AT
Jetmek319 From Germany, joined Sep 2003, 199 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (9 years 2 months 3 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 2495 times:
Broke,
When did the "A" become attack again?? A-4, A-10... When did the "SR" become "Strategic Reconnaissance"? Or is that a one-off title for the Blackbirds only??
Garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5244 posts, RR: 55 Reply 6, posted (9 years 2 months 3 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 2497 times:
"A" became "Attack" again in 1962 with the introduction of the Tri-service designation system that's currently utilized. As for SR-71, the aircraft was originally referred to as the "RS-71," but when it was publicly unveiled, President Johnson referred to it as the "SR-71." Rather than simply correct the president, the military changed the designation instead.
South Carolina - too small to be its own country, too big to be a mental asylum.
HaveBlue From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 2069 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (9 years 2 months 3 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 2473 times:
Before the A-4 Skyhawk was the A-1 Skyraider (or Sandy) and the A-3 Vigilante.
Garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5244 posts, RR: 55 Reply 8, posted (9 years 2 months 3 weeks 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 2470 times:
There was also the North America A-2 Savage (formerly the AJ)
South Carolina - too small to be its own country, too big to be a mental asylum.
Garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5244 posts, RR: 55 Reply 9, posted (9 years 2 months 3 weeks 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 2388 times:
Hate to make it seem like I'm pushing this thread to the top, but while cruising a few sites (rather than study for my comparative politics test I have in an hour), I found that the story regarding LBJ and the SR-71 was apocryphal. Apparently it has been refuted and the reason why SR-71 was chosen rather than RS-71 was that then-Chief of Staff Curtis LeMay simply liked SR-71 better and had LBJ's speech altered to read as such.
South Carolina - too small to be its own country, too big to be a mental asylum.
HaveBlue From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 2069 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (9 years 2 months 3 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 2436 times:
An pilot friend of mine had dinner with a Blackbird pilot this past Saturday. Several tidbits of information were discussed during the dinner, one of which was that the legend of the President renaming the SR in error was false.
I only wish I had my friends phone call during the dinner, there is many questions I would have liked to pose to the Sled driver, but I didn't get the message in time.
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