Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: wmartin@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL (Will Martin) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: F-117 vs F-19 -- List of Army/Air Force Fighter Designations Message-ID: <1990Aug16.030708.16047@cbnews.att.com> Date: 16 Aug 90 03:07:08 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 30 Approved: military@att.att.com From: Will Martin Thank you VERY much for posting such a comprehensive and complete listing! I have saved it, along with your later addenda, for future reference. I'm sending printed copies to some friends who will also appreciate the reference. If it is possible, and if it is in your area of interest, it would be really helpful to see an equivalent list of all the B- series aircraft, along with the same sort of historical background on the evolution of the designations. There are many gaps in the series when we think of the usual ones that come to mind: B-17, -24, -25, -29, -36, -47, -49 (I think that was the Flying Wing), -52, -57, -58, -70, and now the B-1 & B-2. Filling in those missing numbers would be most helpful and interesting. I know your fighter list included quite a few with X designations, but wasn't there a completely separate and distinct "X-" series of eXperimental aircraft, including the rocket planes for sound-barrier research? A list of those would also be intriging. There was one with a looonnngg needle nose and stubby wings like an F-104, for example; I keep thinking "X-3" but then think that referred to a much earlier and less-sleek model. I used to have dozens of plastic models of these things as a child but all are now gone, so I am running on memory, which has increasing numbers of faults each year... :-) Regards, Will wmartin@st-louis-emh2.army.mil OR wmartin@stl-06sima.army.mil