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From: raymond%europa@uunet.UU.NET (Raymond Man)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Aircraft designation (Re: F19 vs. F117)
Message-ID: <1990Jul30.015753.8609@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 30 Jul 90 01:57:53 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: AME Dept., Univ. of Arizona at Tucson
Lines: 27
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: raymond%europa@uunet.UU.NET (Raymond Man)

As have been pointed out, the services have different designations
before 1963 when McNamara became secretary of defense and tried
to put an end to this numbering madness. For the fighters, they
started with the Phantom II, which is the real F-4; the 
bombers, the B-1 of course; attack aircraft, the A-3 Skywarrior (I
am not so sure, anyone can name an A-1 or A-2 which is of the right 
vintage?); ASW, the S-2 Tracker(again?); Observation, OV-1 etc.
The FB-111 was the USAF's last and probably they fought a lot to keep
the designation.

The missing numbers are just missing, eg F-6 and F-7, but F-8 is
indeed F-8U because the Navy was still using it. So those older
aircraft like F6F, F8F Bearcat and F11F Tiger(remember Grumman always
name theirs after big cats?) has nothing to do with the new system.

However, since the McNamara era has been over for so long, looks
like those Air Force cowboys are going back to some nostalgic trip
with the F-117.


Just call me `Man'. 
"And why take ye thought for "    --   Matt. 6:28
raymond@jupiter.ame.arizona.edu