Early aircraft prototype serial numbers
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Early aircraft prototype serial numbers
Why were prototype serial numbers prefixed with K regardless of manufacturer for example Supermarine Spitfire K5054, Fairey Battle K4303 where as
service serials were not?
service serials were not?
Initially, aircraft were given serial numbers only. By 1916 they had run out of 4 digit numbers, and started using a letter plus up to 4 numbers. By 1929 they got to the K series. By 1940, with increased aircraft production, they got to Z9999, and started on two letters plus 3 numbers. Not sure where you got the idea that service serials other than prototypes did not have a letter. That was only the case pre - 1916.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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The first production batch of Spitfires was K9787 - L1096...
I recall seeing pics of Miles prototypes wearing U- plus four digits - eg Miles M.20 was U-0228. Anyone else do it and was it an Air Ministry concept?
I recall seeing pics of Miles prototypes wearing U- plus four digits - eg Miles M.20 was U-0228. Anyone else do it and was it an Air Ministry concept?
Early in WWII they were modified to look like military serials, but it was the precursor to the later G-21- (for Miles) test registrations.
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Cheers guys! Occasionally wondered about the U- markings.
Can't think I've actually ever seen anything in the flesh carrying B class markings, though my visits to production airfields have been pretty limited.
Can't think I've actually ever seen anything in the flesh carrying B class markings, though my visits to production airfields have been pretty limited.
At the risk of kicking over the rock marked 'woeful state of our industry etc etc' I doubt there are many places you would see a Class B reg these days.
Certainly evident during (long) past visits to Warton (G27-) and Hatfield (G5-)
Certainly evident during (long) past visits to Warton (G27-) and Hatfield (G5-)
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My visits were Bembridge, Hatfield and Dunsfold in the 70s/80s, don't think I went anywhere else.
Not "Class B reg" or similar. As I recall (from being chastised for stating something else), the term was/is always "Under B Conditions". Last aircraft I recall carrying a B Conditions serial number was a Strikemaster at Hurn, circa 1981.
There is a 1978 publication titled 'Under B Conditions' that lists a lot of the relevant registrations and users. There also appears to be a 2020 updated version from the same author but the single review on Amazon states that it has more errors than the 1978 version.... See here: https://amzn.to/49anWI3
Going back to the original question. Weren't there 'black out blocks' where batches of serial numbers were jumped, to confuse the opposition as to how many aircraft had been ordered?
I think this was done mainly before WW2, although it carried on into the Cold War. Serial blocks also seem to be flexible these days too. Have a look at Crecy's "Military Aircraft Markings " (Spotters Bible!") to see what I mean.
I think this was done mainly before WW2, although it carried on into the Cold War. Serial blocks also seem to be flexible these days too. Have a look at Crecy's "Military Aircraft Markings " (Spotters Bible!") to see what I mean.
That's a good question... one I don't know the answer to. There were of course several blocks (large and small) where serials were originally allocated but the airframes were not ordered. You would have to trawl through the lists to find these, off the top of my head I can only list XV110 to XV114 that were never taken up for their intended use. So the question remains whether they every intentionally skipped any blocks of serials.
Try` UKSERIALS.COM`....
Going back to the original question. Weren't there 'black out blocks' where batches of serial numbers were jumped, to confuse the opposition as to how many aircraft had been ordered?
I think this was done mainly before WW2, although it carried on into the Cold War. Serial blocks also seem to be flexible these days too. Have a look at Crecy's "Military Aircraft Markings " (Spotters Bible!") to see what I mean.
I think this was done mainly before WW2, although it carried on into the Cold War. Serial blocks also seem to be flexible these days too. Have a look at Crecy's "Military Aircraft Markings " (Spotters Bible!") to see what I mean.
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1878? I knew that Ansons were in service for a long time but...
One lives and learns, I had thought Nulli Secundus was the start of it all... 
https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/researc...ry-ballooning/
It was to be another fifteen years before the first official experiments with balloons were conducted in 1878 by the Balloon Equipment Store at the Woolwich Arsenal. Captain James L.B. Templer an officer in the Middlesex Militia and a keen amateur balloonist designed its first balloon. ‘Pioneer’,with its capacity of 10,000 cubic feet of hydrogen was constructed for just £71, and is considered to represent the birth of the British air arm.
https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/researc...ry-ballooning/
Used to see the Avro (later Hawker Siddeley) 748 test flights from Woodford wearing G-11-** marks before registration and delivery. As an aside their construction numbers were always referred to as “set numbers”