US Navy Aircraft History Cards

[A7B]

I am a volunteer researcher at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fl.

The Museum is now the custodian of the US Navy's Aircraft History cards through 1987, and they didn't come with instructions for interpreting them - there are at least 8 different card versions. I would assume History and Heritage Command didn't have a copy of the instructions either, else they surely would have sent them when they shipped the microfilm.

From reading the thread concerning history cards, I was able to glean quite a bit of information, particularly about the TBM-3E card, but I do have a question on the strike code "33P3." The first 3 means strike for admin reasons. The second 3 - there is no 3 within Employment. P - Excess to navy aircraft inventory requirements. 3rd 3 - Jettisoned or abandoned in operational or repairable condition . . . My question, since there is no 3 within Employment, is, what is the date on this specific strike code chart? Were there other editions of the strike code chart, and, if so, where might I find them?

Do you have an expert interpreter of later date history cards, particularly the computer printout ones with 2 or 3 bureau numbers on every page? I would really appreciate contact information for this person.

[Noha307]

there are at least 8 different card versions

Could you post an example of each? The Mann book has an appendix listing each of the 21 formats - with each one being assigned a letter - and it is particularly useful. So I might suggesting doing the same with the Navy versions for easy referral.

From reading the thread concerning history cards

For future reference, the thread he's referring to is this one: US Navy Aircraft History Card Requests

From reading the thread concerning history cards, I was able to glean quite a bit of information, particularly about the TBM-3E card, but I do have a question on the strike code "33P3." The first 3 means strike for admin reasons. The second 3 - there is no 3 within Employment. P - Excess to navy aircraft inventory requirements. 3rd 3 - Jettisoned or abandoned in operational or repairable condition . . . My question, since there is no 3 within Employment, is, what is the date on this specific strike code chart? Were there other editions of the strike code chart, and, if so, where might I find them?

Honestly, that's where I got stuck. I was trying to create a glossary for the copy of the record card for our museum's TBM and I couldn't find what that second 3 stood for. For anyone who missed it, the problem is that on the code list I found "3" is just not present. The list just skips from 1 to 4:

(Source: Integrated Publishing)

My question, since there is no 3 within Employment, is, what is the date on this specific strike code chart?

Unfortunately, the manual that has the chart I found appears to have had any date information scrubbed when it was transcribed to a digital version. The sample record card included in it has entries dated 1984-1985, so that might be your best estimate of when it was originally published.

[Noha307]

After a quick bit of searching, it looks like the manual that contains the relevant information is OPNAV 4790.2 or OPNAVINST 4790.2. The question is finding a copy from the correct time period. A modern version is available from the Naval Air Systems Command. Unfortunately, the aircraft maintenance system appears to have been upgraded and since that seemed to involve dropping the number-number-letter-number, it appears to be of no use. I'm guessing the upgrade involved a transition to a more computerized and that the change may have taken place in 1987 since that is when your records stop.

It is important to note, however, that the designation of this form may have changed over time. For example, the record card for our museum's FG-1D is given as "OPNAV FORM-5442-1", but it is listed on the same card as being "[f]ormerly OPNAV-50-150".

[Noha307]

Okay, so it looks like the document you're looking for may actually be OPNAV 5442. The earliest I have been able to find a copy of so far dates to 6 July 1992.

I did come across a report from 31 August 1963 that includes a table of status codes, but it seems like it might be different format:

(Source: Naval History and Heritage Command)

[Noha307]

Okay, so I realized I've made a mistake and forgot that there was apparently difference between "status codes" and "strike codes".

However, I have found out that the digitized document at the beginning of this thread that included the chart of strike codes is titled "Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 3 & 2" and is designated "NAVEDTRA 10391-C2". The chart matches one on page 3-26 of the 1980 edition. My best guess is that the answer to what employment codes 2 and 3 represent are in an earlier version of this manual. Unfortunately, while Hathi Trust has copies of the 1969 edition of "1 & C", at the moment I haven't been able to find "3 & 2" from this time period.

Might the library at the museum there have a pre-1980 copy of it? If you do find anything, I would love to know what you come up with!

[Cvairwerks]

It may be that having an admin strike code negates the employment code.

[paulmcmillan]

All

A contact of mine on another forum has a lot of expertise in US Navy History Cards - I alerted him to this post and he replied as follows

"Thanks for drawing my attention to that question. I'm not a member of
that forum but can tell you that the second '3' is from an old (1950)
table of codes and translates as "Parked ashore or moored in water
(Category 3 strike)".

[Scott Rose]

Thanks everyone for helping with this.

[paulmcmillan]

A7B

Can I suggest you post any questions on another forum =- where my contact is more active - He has many years experience of studying these and has published articles n US Navy History - Scott - I hope you don't mind me posting a rival forum in this case - but it is more History specific that WIX Thanks Paul?

Please see 12 O'Clock High Forum - there are specialist sub forums fo pre an post WW2 History (inc. Naval Aviation)


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/forumdisplay.php?f=4

[wendovertom]

Good info - I will need to do some research here on Wendover's R5D we recerntly aquired.

There are always rumors about planes it seems, but we keep being told that our R5D (C-54) was used a lot by Nimitz at the end of the war and right after. Seems like there is a big grain of salt to take with these stories but they are consitent enough that I am thinking that a little more in depth research would be worth it.

Tom P.

[Scott Rose]

A7B

Can I suggest you post any questions on another forum - where my contact is more active - He has many years experience of studying these and has published articles n US Navy History - Scott - I hope you don't mind me posting a rival forum in this case - but it is more History specific that WIX Thanks Paul?

Please see 12 O'Clock High Forum - there are specialist sub forums for pre and post WW2 History (inc. Naval Aviation)


http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/forumdisplay.php?f=4

YOU ARE BANNED SIR!!!

Just kidding, there are no rival forums. The only rival that this, and all forums have, is Facebook.
Also, you can always ask you contact to join WIX

P.S. just went to join the 12 O'Clock High Forum and apparently aren't allowing new members

[Noha307]

A contact of mine on another forum has a lot of expertise in US Navy History Cards - I alerted him to this post and he replied as follows

"Thanks for drawing my attention to that question. I'm not a member of
that forum but can tell you that the second '3' is from an old (1950)
table of codes and translates as "Parked ashore or moored in water
(Category 3 strike)".

Thank you (and him)! This is excellent!

Could you by any chance ask him what the second "2" and the third "G" represent? They're the only other letters missing from the chart above. I would also love to know exact title and designation of the document he's referencing, if that's at all possible. (I like to keep the number of online accounts I have to make to a minimum.)

[CoastieJohn]

FWIW....I also asked my CG aircraft guy this question. He has been doing this CG aircraft research since the 1970's. Here is his response. Hopefully someone can get some possible use out if this for future reference.





Way back in the mid-70s when we started looking for info, we had the great luck to run into DR. Bill Armstrong (PhD) who
was the Historian at Naval Air System Command - - - then located in Crystal City, just down the road (US Rte 1) from the
5-sided puzzle palace. At that time, NAVSYSCOM had the responsibility of documenting the AHC's when the changing
info was updated for all USN/USMC aircraft. This was up through the mid to late 80s when out of a whim, the USN got
tired of paying high rent in their Crystal City digs and moved their entire operation to PAX River - - - Dr. Bill included. I
recall that he had a 3-ring binder spelling out the procedures for understanding the various AHC formats over the years.
We would occasionally stop by his office to check the meaning of entries as they changed if we had any questions.

We really missed him after the move but would still get together for a great dinner & drinks at PAX or in NoVA on
visits. Sadly, Bill passed away about 3 years ago and I have no info on who replaced him at NAVAIR. I copied the info
for NHK below as it might aid the person who posted the question on the site you mentioned to contact the base or
command history office to see if they had a copy of Bill's book on how to read AHCs.

Naval Air Station Patuxent River, also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States naval air station located in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River. Wikipedia
Address: 47123 Buse Rd #540, Patuxent River, MD 20670
Phone: (301) 342-3104
Description
Code: NHK
Current commander: Captain John Brabazon
Built: 1942 – 1943
Identifiers: IATA: NHK, ICAO: KNHK, FAA LID: NHK, WMO: 724040
In use: 1943 – present
Controlled by: Naval District Washington
Elevation: 11.8 metres (39 ft) AMSL

[A7B]

Diebold at lower right corner - can't read numbers

look under the word Grumman

Noah,

Here are 5 examples of Aircraft History Cards - I hope we can find Bill's binder!

[paulmcmillan]

I have an answer

"2 as a second letter signifies parked ashore or moored in water-category
2 strike. As to G as a third letter, I have never seen that so perhaps
you could ask him which particular aircraft he is concerned with.

It's a long time ago now but I think the information came in
correspondence with the former Naval Air Systems Command Historian,
William J. Armstrong."


So same Bill Armstrong.. and maybe G never used ?? Unless you can find an example of it being used?