ZZ999 - what then?

[wilnot]

I see that RAF aircraft serial numbers have now reached the ZZ prefix. Presumably there's a cunning plan to move to something new when (if ever) we reach ZZ999? Start again at AA?

[charliegolf]

Since ZZ can quite comfortably get to 999, I don't think it's much of a problem. If a crisis occurs, they could 'capability gap' AA, making it A_A. Perhaps?

CG

[MPN11]

That had been puzzling me too, in those idle hours of ... What were we talking about? Oh, yes, serials.

A mate told me there's a Committee at the Air Box looking into it. They are taking advice from BT, who have proven skills in making numbering sequences completely incomprehensible, and DVLA who live on another planet but are experts in irrelevant letters and numbers. Accordingly the results won't be known until 2019 ;)

I see two options ... Either AAAnnn or nnnAA. Or hexadecimal, starting at 0. :cool:

(Oops, that's 3 options, or 10 in Hex IIRC ... Or is that binary?)

[Maxibon]

A bloke darnnn the pub told me that ZZ999 will coincide with the end of 'a hundred year experiment'? No idea what that means. :E

[60024]

How about starting at 001AA in a similar way to the way that car registrations swapped the year letter from the end to the front.

[Tengah Type]

The sequence for aircraft serial numbers started with 5 numbers, and ended
at 10000, to be replaced by a letter and 4 numbers. This lasted until Z9999,
which was followed by 2 letters and 3 numbers, as at present. The logical
next step is 3 letters and 2 numbers - so it will not be that, will it!:confused:

[1.3VStall]

The way the RAF is shrinking there are enough numbers left behind the ZZ prefix to see the Service into its second decade!

[Linedog]

998, 999, change hands. :ok:

[Saintsman]

Perhaps they should add the year of registration, changing every 6 months of course in an attempt to boost sales...

[Roadster280]

The way the RAF is shrinking there are enough numbers left behind the ZZ prefix to see the Service into its second decade!

I think it's a little bit older than that. Although the RN & Army who share the numbers are a LOT older.

[VX275]

The question of what comes after ZZ999 is likely to arrive sooner than some people think. Yes there are blocks of numbers that were never used previously but all the small UAS used by the army have a military serial and the way these get lost / smashed the unused blocks will disapear quickly. Its annoying the hell out of the spotters who can't tick them off in their little books.:D

[dragartist]

VX275, Not sure if you were at the same meeting as me with ADRP back in 2000 where he suggested he give registration numbers to all our parachutes. That sure would have used all the numbers up! I managed to talk him out of it but he was pretty insistent over ORION.

[Willard Whyte]

Why have alphanumerics?

Just start counting at 001.

Won't be at 999 for some time.

If ever.

Except in an emergency.

[NutLoose]

All they have to do is transpose them, eg 001AA

[Surplus]

Come on guys and gals, there's been 2 posts insinuating the Army/Navy takeover of the RAF and nobody's bitten. :D:D:D It's either getting old or you all have the BS filter active. :}

[Norma Stitz]

I can't see what everyone is worried about...all of the ZZxxx serials have been out of sequence (e.g. C-17s ZZ17x, just so '17' could appear in the serial), 51 Sqn RIVET JOINTs so they could get their 6+6+4+6+6+5+6+6+6=51 'signature' allocation, and so on.

The Typhoon fleet is somewhat nearer to reality (ZK3xx range), therefore fear not pretty much forever more with hardly any (if at all) serial blocks of ZL/ZM(except the F-35s)/ZN/ZP/ZR(a few helos)/ZS/ZT (one Lynx)/ZU/ZV/ZW/ZX/ZY being used so far.

[Rakshasa]

Given it's taken about 30 years to get from ZA (Tonkas and Chinooks) to ZK (Typhoons and new Chinooks) I wouldn't worry too much.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

British serial numbers are often given to aircraft destined for export, so that eats up a few (very few, unfortunately). As VX275 mentioned, Serials are given to the numerous military model aeroplanes that we now have and, as I read it, these can only multiply.

Tengah Type gave us the real clue but it seems to have been lost in the subsequent crayoning. At the dawn of military aviation, the Air Committee Joint Numbering System was created and set the convention. So, unless we gash the Convention in favour of popular fashion, it's probably 3 letters followed by 2 numbers.

UK Serials (http://www.ukserials.com/) is interesting.

[Dan Winterland]

There are a lot of gaps - to confuse the enemy about production. The unused registrations could be used. But with the current size of the RAF, I don't think it's going to be a problem for a while yet!

[PhilipG]

I thought that I heard on the radio this morning that the EU wants the UK to change the number plates on cars, outlawing personal numbers etc, so no doubt they will issue an EU directive on the future of military aircraft numbering.....

[Danny42C]

Why bother with numbers ? They'll be so few that we can give them all names !

D.

[OffshoreSLF]

"I thought that I heard on the radio this morning that the EU wants the UK to change the number plates on cars, outlawing personal numbers etc, so no doubt they will issue an EU directive on the future of military aircraft numbering..... "




And yet another reason to tell the EU to sod off and mind their own business!

[CoffmanStarter]

Why bother ... at the rate this Government signs PFI type defence contracts to provide the RAF with airborne assets ... we might as well stick with the good old Civilian G- registrations :suspect:

[PICKS135]

Thought it had all been sorted with the QQ101 [Qinetiq] being the first in line

[Willard Whyte]

I can't see what everyone is worried about...all of the ZZxxx serials have been out of sequence (e.g. C-17s ZZ17x, just so '17' could appear in the serial), 51 Sqn RIVET JOINTs so they could get their 6+6+4+6+6+5+6+6+6=51 'signature' allocation, and so on.

The Typhoon fleet is somewhat nearer to reality (ZK3xx range), therefore fear not pretty much forever more with hardly any (if at all) serial blocks of ZL/ZM(except the F-35s)/ZN/ZP/ZR(a few helos)/ZS/ZT (one Lynx)/ZU/ZV/ZW/ZX/ZY being used so far.

Or, ditch the stupid tradition of following the same boring, blinkered, unimaginative, predictable, dull, pompous way of doing things just because it's what has happened for the last 95 damn years.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Willard Whyte, Sir, one sees a true visionary when thrust before us. Indeed, that's the future; let the popular tax paying masses have their say. The Mail, the Sun, the Metro or, even better, the Daily Sport could stage a 'phone in vote for what Serial system the People want and deserve. Make it a premium rate call number and direct the revenue to the MoD "in aid" Budget line and everyone's a winner.

The concerned Great British People have the right to have their say and their wishes respected. What day shall we order your MBE for?

[Davef68]

Interesting the new batch of Chinooks have been numbered in the 'normal' sequence after the trend in recent years of using 'ZZ', ZM' ZR (for Rotary), and hiding serials in earlier batches (Mil17, 146 C3, AAC Dauphins) etc. ZZ was originally meant to be used for leased aircraft, but the Wildcat allocations put paid to that.

I do wonder if policy is made up by whoever is driving that desk at the time.....

[Heathrow Harry]

Danny42C
"Why bother with numbers ? They'll be so few that we can give them all names !"

Another opportunity for paid sponsorship

"Marks & Spencer"

"Wonga"

etc etc

[Whenurhappy]

Why not use the civil register? Given the way it's going, most of them will be PPP/PFI airframes anyway!

[Jollygreengiant64]

Bring back nose art and differentiate between them all by that?