Warbird Information Exchange

These are from Beech historian Bob Parmerter regarding a friend’s AT-11, 41-9474. It also shows our 41-9486 on the 8th line of page 2.

The Kirkland, Albuquerque part is straightforward, it’s the Kelly and Godman CNR and FCNR parts that I can’t fiqure out.
I tried the military acronym site but not having much luck.
Can anyone help decipher what the codes.




Thanks
John

_________________
"Experience is what you get, just after you needed it."

A helpful resource is the book "Aircraft Records Cards of the United States Air Force, How to Read the Codes" by Robert A. Mann. This book includes the codes included on the IARC's, and guidance on how to decipher.

The record cards you show appear to most closely match format "A.1" in Mann's book. Unfortunately, in Dec 1942 the USAAF Statistical Control Units became responsible for the IARC's and changed the format (Air Materiel Command responsible through Nov 1942). As shown on the first card you included, the format is consistent through Nov 1942, and then suddenly changes. Prior to this change, format A.1 included reporting of monthly flying time on the card. Following the change, this was dropped and the format of the entries no longer matched the column headings.

The eighth line of the second card is a bit difficult to read from the screenshot, but my interpretation is;

GODMAN CNR2236ARTCNLLTO CC T11 CI 5248 2 2 50 8 9474

From Mann (reference format "S.1"), my deciphering of that line is;

GODMAN = Godman AFB, KY
CNR = Air Reserve (Major Command)
2236ARTCN = 2236 AF Reserve Training Center (where ART is the "Organization Kind Code" for AF Reserve Training and CN is abbreviation for Center, 2236 is likely the unit number, this website supports this decode LINK to Godman Field history, which includes the text "2236th Air Force Reserve Training Center")
LL = Loss code of L, "Aircraft lost to change of Assignment & Status Code"
TO CC = Lost to CC, functional code of CC has a few different translations 1) "Combat Crew Training", 2) "Air Crew Training", 3) "Air Defense, Air Ground Coordination, Sea Search, Patrol, Unit or Crew Training (including two target missions, Troop Carrier Unit or Crew Training)" , 4) "Tactical and Training: unit equipment for the accomplishment and support of the primary mission of organization"
T11 = Aircraft model
CI = Functional code, CI is "Minimum Individual Training (flying proficiency)"
5248 = Possessing station number, 5248 is the Air Force Station Code for Godman AFB, KY
2 2 50 = Action date, 2 Feb 1950
8 = Reporting date, not sure if this means 8 Feb 1950, or something else
9474 = Last four digits of s/n to be reported next

Anyways, that's my best interpretation using Mann as a reference.

Jordan

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Greenville Flyers: The Legacy of Allied Pilots Who Flew at Greenville Army Airfield

Jordan, excellent info.

Would you have any idea why they would also reference 41-9486 on this card?
It’s a huge coincidence because I once owned both those Kansans.
They are now based only about 20 miles apart.


Photo credit Mark Nankivil

Thank you,
John

_________________
"Experience is what you get, just after you needed it."

John,

Great photo of the Kansans! I recall seeing 9486 at OSH this year. Great looking airplane.

A bit more digging in Mann and head scratching required, but I think I understand why 9486 is on the IARC for 9474.

According to Mann, in September 1949 IARC updates were changed to a batch printing method. In this method, "pending entries were entered in a batch, with the final line giving the serial number of the plane and the number of lines in the preceding batch."

Referencing the second card you provided the image of, see the 7th, 8th, and 9th lines;

GODMAN CNR2236ARTCNLLTO CC T11 CI 5248 2 2 50 8 9474
GODMAN CNR2236ARTCNGLFROM CI T11 CC 5248 2 2 50 8 9486
41 9474 2

These lines appear to be a "batch", as described above. The 9th line being the "final line giving the serial number of the plane [41-9474] and the number of lines [2] in the preceding batch".

As described in Appendix S of Mann, referencing IARC format "J", there are definitions for the various column headers on the card. The last column (right most) in that format is labeled "NEXT IARC TO BE PRINTED". Mann references an "Intepretation Package" he received from USAF Historical Research Agency which provides a limited note, "...the serial number of the next IARC for batch printing...". Although this note is for format "J", the last column on the format "S.1" card is labeled similarly as "LAST FOUR DIGITS OF S/N TO BE REPORTED NEXT", thus I believe the note still applies.

So, it appears the serial number in the last column pertains to the entry on the next line. Since the "batch" in this example is two lines (both pertaining to 41-9474 as indicated by the 9th line), the serial number at the end of the 7th line is 9474 since the following line (8th line) also pertains to 41-9474. The 9486 at the end of the 8th line just means that the next "batch" they had to print was for 41-9486, not that the entry on this line of this card pertains to 9486, rather the next entries printed after this one would have been on the IARC for 41-9486.

Confusing, but hopefully this explanation makes sense. It seems that it's just coincidence that 9486 ended up on the card for 9474.

Jordan

PS - I just realized that in my previous post I incorrectly referred to the line on the card that I broke down as the 8th line, when in fact it is the 7th.

_________________
Greenville Flyers: The Legacy of Allied Pilots Who Flew at Greenville Army Airfield

A quick follow-up, the next "batch" on this card (2nd photo you attached) would be;

GODMAN CNR2236ARTCNLBCNR52482230ER T11 CC 5248 6 2 50 8 9474
GODMAN CNR2230ARTDTGBCNR52482236AR T11 CI 5248 6 2 50 8 9474
GODMAN CNR2230ARTDTLBCNR52482236AR T11 CI 5248 6 9 50 8 9474
GODMAN CNR2236ARTCNGBCNR52482230AR T11 CC 5248 6 9 50 8 9478
41009474 4

Once again, all four lines apply to 41-9474 as indicated by the line "41009474 4". In this case, the next entries for batch printing would have been on the IARC for s/n 9478.

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Greenville Flyers: The Legacy of Allied Pilots Who Flew at Greenville Army Airfield

This is a great topic, thanks Buzzby! Fantastic AT-11's... I would enjoy seeing this expand with other record cards and their interpretation by the WIXer brain.

Jordan, I sent you a pm.

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Always looking for P-51D parts.

Jordan, great explanation.

A WWII Kirtland AT-11 pilot explained to me that, not only for proficiency, they could use AT-11s (or any plane) for leave. Distance they could go was based on availability and years out of school.
Under 1 year but more than 500 hrs you could go 500 miles off base
Over 1 year and more than 1000 hrs you could go up to 1000 miles.

I would like to find out more about what else these planes did after the war.


Thanks again

_________________
"Experience is what you get, just after you needed it."