Fuselage Letter Codes of WWII Training Aircraft

[jdvoss]

Well, I've finally did it. After spending many years collecting the subject alpha letter codes on BT, AT and fighter transition aircraft and I have finally marshalled the data into a meaningful format. Is it 100% complete and correct? No, but I've taken the subject about as far as I can and I'll need information from my fellow WIX'ers to read, review, critique and fill in the empty blanks.

Here it is: http://www.fuselagecodes.com

This is my first website ever and it's a DIY one to boot.

JohnV

[The Inspector]

DURN!! wonderful undertaking This may help untangle some misconceptions about exactly where Gandpa Harry did his primary training back in '43-take the rest of the day off, but clock out first-

[Taigh Ramey]

Well done!

Midland used M as a code later in the war on their AT-11's. I have some base books with several aircraft showing M codes Here is a sample where you can see M123 painted on the belly



I have an AT-11 that was at Midland and it had 1D83 on the side according to a photo in an accident report. I wonder if it became M83 later.



I also wonder if the 0 and 1 prefix codes were somehow linked to a flight within a squadron. I wonder about the D significance too. I also have Midland class books with the following codes on AT-11's:

1D29
OD14
OD66
OD6

[Taigh Ramey]

Bob Parmerter reports that AT-7's at Hondo Texas had N codes

[jdvoss]

Taigh:

Thank you so much for the Midland and Hondo AAF fuselage codes as those two have been most illusive for me for sometime. Also, looking at the your photo of the AT-11 with the 0D and 1D codes it seems that the date on the print is dated 1945 or is it 1943 ??

Noting the M code + number written on the very bottom of the fuselage was interesting. is it possible these codes may have been early "Buzz number"??

JohnV

[Taigh Ramey]

I think your right that the M code is earlier than the 1945 dated 0D/1D codes and it's probably is a buzz code like you said. I'll pull the class annual for the M code shot to see when it was published.

[Taigh Ramey]

I think your right that the M code is earlier than the 1945 dated 0D/1D codes and it's probably is a buzz code like you said. I'll pull the class annual for the M code shot to see when it was published.

[JDK]

Great work, John! I've put a short note on my blog here: http://vintageaeroplanewriter.blogspot. ... codes.html to spread the word further.

And you've already answered a question regarding RAF training in the US for a friend of mine, so it's of use already!

Regards,

[WIXerGreg]

Saved to favorites. Great job!

[jdvoss]

JDK:

Thanks so much for putting me on your website. A nice gesture indeed. You commented that my website answered a question for a friend of yours. Just out of curioisty...what was the question that I answered? Aa I have become more aware of the BFTS schools here in the US it has really sparked my interest to do more research on the subject. It would be a good subject for a TV documentary.

John

[JDK]

Hi John,
No problem, and I hope it makes a few more connections - you never know. I'll say again, it's a great effort.

The question was actually quite minor, in establishing that some RAF trainees would've flown BT 13, though the syllabus changed. I agree it's an interesting area, and we'd like to establish is any RAF trainees were Australian - but that's a huge, vague question! Probably to be tackled on another day.

Regards,