US Navy Aircraft History Cards

[CoastieJohn]

A FWIW only.......

I have some of the first CG aircraft cards from way back. Note the different contractors used. If anyone is interested....here's some.

[Noha307]

I recently contacted the National Museum of the Marine Corps to request some assistance understanding the immediate postwar order of battle for USMC squadrons. In the process, I ended up answering my question of whether there were any original cards still in existence. (I also learned that the original cards were double sided.) It turns out that the museum has the original paper cards up to about BuNo 98000. Apparently, a museum staff member saw them being thrown out by the Navy following the microfilming process and saved a bunch of them.

My most sincere thanks to Dr. Larry Burke for taking the time out of his very busy schedule (they're in the middle of a move to a new building) to provide these scans:

Here are higher resolution copies of the above:

(Source: Imgur)

(Source: Imgur)

For comparison, here are the microfilmed copies provided by the National Naval Aviation Museum:

AHC 92132 – Microfilm – Page 2 (Cropped).png (289.91 KiB) Viewed 3526 times

Finally, here's my recreation of the above:

[Noha307]

Part 2

[Noha307]

To build off of a post in the predecessor thread, AirCorps Library recently posted a bunch of issues of Aero Digest and a number of them include examples of forms:

• Charles G. Brown, "Tool Control," Aero Digest, January 1943, 229-230, 257.
• Franklin M. Reck, "Systematic Stock Keeping of Non-Productive Items," Aero Digest, August 1943, 179-181.
• Earle D. Williams, "Controlling Quality in Mass Production," Aero Digest, October 1943, 174-176, 226.

Based on the titles, there is a clearly distinguishable theme that emerges: they all deal with stock control. It is a good reminder that aircraft history cards were not intended for historical purposes, but were actually nothing more than inventory management. (After all, what are aircraft other than very large tools?) Correctly framing the role of aircraft record cards is important to ensure that we don't mistake their intent when interpreting them for present day use. (For further discussion of putting historical documents in proper perspective, see Session 4 of the Aviation Cultures Mk.VI conference: Logbooks & AvDocs: Critical Understanding & Case Studies of Key Flying Documents)

To emphasize this, there are also a couple of advertisements by Remington-Rand for both the Kardex system and Guardsman filing cabinets. Similar advertisements in other trade publications of the time show the former in use, the benefits of its layout, and list the aircraft manufacturers who use it.

EDIT (23-06-24): Although it's not from the Navy, page 198 of the Numerical Index of Technical Publications, T.O. No. 00-1, mentions that there is another technical order titled AAF Kardex Stock Record Control Sys, T.O. 25-1-7. If anyone could find a copy of that, it might be helpful in further understanding the cards.

Last edited by Noha307 on Sat Jun 24, 2023 4:16 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Noha307]

While it's not a record card, I came across some pictures of the aircraft log book for the TBM-3E that's in the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum the other day:

(Source: Aerial Visuals)

(Source: Aerial Visuals)

(Source: Aerial Visuals)

(Source: Aerial Visuals)

Furthermore, it's interesting to note that in addition to the aircraft log book above, both the Tri-State Warbird Museum and the EAA Aviation Museum have the original U.S. Navy aircraft log books for their respective FG-1Ds.[1] (The aircraft history card mentioned in a previous post in another thread was found within the pages of the the former.)

Note that there appears to be a second log book off to the side in the top picture. This is particularly interesting as the TSWM's example is actually made up of three separate logs books stuck together to make a single volume.

Lastly, being able to see another log book is also useful in that it confirms that U.S. Navy aircraft log books from the World War II era were bound in a booklet with a hard, brown cover. (Indeed, apparently all U.S. Navy log books of the period were made in such a way, as examples (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) of U.S. Navy "Aviator's Flight Log Books", N.AER. 4111, from the vintage aviation logbooks thread have a matching style.) So for anyone searching through a collection for a log book or requesting a copy from an a museum should be able to easily either visually identify it or describe what to look for.

[Noha307]

While it has to do with Air Force Record Cards and not Navy History Cards, the following resources for understanding the former may help with understanding the latter:

• Aircraft Assignment and Status Codes from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
• Aircraft Record Cards of the United States Air Force: How to Read the Codes by Robert A. Mann
• Deciphering United States Air Force Individual Aircraft Record Cards, 1940-1955 by the National Air and Space Museum
• Individual Aircraft Records by the Air Force Historical Research Agency
• USAF Organization and Station Codes from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

(Source: RGPrucha.com, et al.)

Lastly, for an index of ARCs by microfilm roll, see: USAF IARC Reel Guide & USAF Delivery Logs on USWarplanes.net

[JohnB]

Does anyone have access and take requests..

I have friends with recent acquired AT-6D and N3Ns.

[quemerford]

I can do some USAAF/USAF; depends on s/n.

[JohnB]

quemerford

Could you post the card for Bu No 1953, a N3N?

Thanks

[quemerford]

Sadly not, but I may be able to help with USAAF/USAF.

[JohnB]

Thanks for trying...
Okay, I know it's a long shot but how about the T-6D 42-85593?
Failing that, how about T-6F 44-81693?

Having a T-6 with civil paperwork dating to the '60s (when Texans were cheap and no one cared about correct paperwork) there are some questions about its history.

I have already provided the owners what I could find on the Baugher/Crouze serial site.

Thanks

[mike furline]

quemerford

Could you post the card for Bu No 1953, a N3N?

Thanks

E-mail here for a copy of the aircraft history card.
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/hi ... brary.html

Aircraft History Cards

Aircraft history cards are a record of the assignments of individual naval aircraft (e.g. squadron or shore activity). [Please note that the cards do not indicate who flew the aircraft, or what happened to the aircraft after being stricken from the Navy's inventory.] The cards are indexed by the unique Bureau Number the Navy gives to each of its aircraft. The collection covers the period 1911 to 1987. It is on microfilm only. You may request copies of Aircraft History Cards by individual Bureau Number (BuNo) by contacting the Emil Buehler Library at the National Naval Aviation Museum.

[mike furline]

Thanks for trying...
Okay, I know it's a long shot but how about the T-6D 42-85593?
Failing that, how about T-6F 44-81693?

Having a T-6 with civil paperwork dating to the '60s (when Texans were cheap and no one cared about correct paperwork) there are some questions about its history.

I have already provided the owners what I could find on the Baugher/Crouze serial site.

Thanks

An e-mail here will get you a copy of the aircraft history card.
https://airandspace.si.edu/archives/arc ... tory-cards
https://airandspace.si.edu/archives/acc ... ch-request

[quemerford]

44-81693; built by NAA Dallas as AT-6F on Project Dom.3022
- Accepted 16Feb45
- Available 16Feb45 for Bowman Field (deleted 17Feb)
- Available again 18Feb45
- arrived Texarkana 21Feb45 (transient; weather)
- arrived 1077th AAF Base Unit, Bowman Field 23Feb45
- gained by 4122nd AAF Base Unit Hensley 31Jan46 for ferrying
- available for South Plains 21Feb46 (storage)
- arrived 4168th AAF Base Unit South Plains 04Mar46
- assigned for AMC Oklahoma Air Materiel Area 31Mar47
- arrived with 4121st AAF Base Unit Kelly AAF (Oklahoma AMA) 30xx47 (see below)
- (actual gained date indistinct – either 30Mar47 or 30Apr47); aircraft appears to have been designated for salvage 10May47 but in error; this error corrected to ‘storage’ 28Jan48.
- re-designated as T-6F 01Jul48
- assigned from AMC to Training Command Project TRC-3 15Oct48
- arrived with 3555th Basic Pilot Training Wing, Perrin AFB (02Nov48?) – date is indistinct
- arrived with 3595th Pilot Training Wing, Nellis AFB 24Feb49 (flying proficiency)
- mission change to air crew training 01Mar49
- mission change to student/combat crew training 01Jun50
- arrived with 3500th Pilot Training Wing, Reese AFB 17Jul50 (student/combat crew training)
- arrived with 3595th Pilot Training Wing, Nellis AFB 10Jul51 (flying proficiency)
- mission change to student/combat crew training 09Oct51
- arrived with 3575th Pilot Training Wing, Vance AFB 14Nov51 (student/combat crew training)
- arrived with 3320th Technical Training Wing, Amarillo AFB 19Aug52 (student/combat crew training)
- declared excess to command 26Feb53
- assigned from ATC to ANG/105th TAC Sqn 13Mar53
- arrived with 105th Tactical Reconnaissance Sqn TN ANG Berry Field 25Mar53
- assigned from ANG to AMC 04Jan54 (record card says “04Jan53”)
- arrived with 3040th Aircraft Storage Depot, Davis Monthan AFB 13Jan54 (storage)
- authorised for reclamation 29Sep55
- struck off 13Oct55

Sold from Davis Monthan for $627.00 to Arrow Sales. Inc of 7460 Varna Avenue, North Hollywood CA 07Jun57

[quemerford]

42-85593; built by NAA Dallas as AT-6D
- Accepted 10Aug44
- Available 09Aug44 for Moore Field
- arrived with 2529th AAF Base Unit, Moore Field 10Aug44
- arrived with 3541st AAF Base Unit Lincoln 29Oct44
- arrived with 3505th AAF Base Unit Scott AAF 24Mar45
- arrived with 3705th AAF Base Unit Lowry 24Sep46
- assigned to 463rd AAF Base Unit Geiger 11Nov46
- assigned to 4134th AAF Base Unit Spokane 21Feb47
- assigned to 3705th AAF Base Unit Lowry 09Jul47
- assigned to 2532nd AF Base Unit Randolph 17Nov47
- re-designated as T-6D 16Jul48
- assigned to 3565th Basic Pilot Training Wing, Waco AFB 29Sep48 (re-named James Connally AFB)
- assigned to 3595th Pilot Training Wing, Las Vegas AFB 26Oct49 (re-named Nellis AFB)
- assigned to 127th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB 01Jun51
- assigned to 3625th Training Wing, Tyndall AFB 24Sep51
- assigned to 3500th Pilot Training Wing, Reese AFB 08Nov51
- declared excess to command 01Mar53
- assigned to 139th FS ANG 18Mar53 (cancelled 19Mar53)
- assigned to 113th FGp, DC ANG Andrews AFB 16Apr53
- assigned to 121st FBS, DC ANG Andrews AFB 01Oct53
- assigned to 3040th Aircraft Storage Depot, Davis-Monthan AFB 17Mar56
- authorized for reclamation 29Sep56
- struck off 13Oct56

No record after Oct56.