The 1956 United States Army designation system was introduced by the United States Army to replace the designation system used by the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

which had become the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

in 1948. It was used until the unified tri-service designation system for all services came into effect.

List of designations and use

In 1956, the U.S. Army adopted a new, and relatively simple, designation system for its aviation assets. Aircraft were divided into three different types – 'A' for fixed-wing aircraft, 'H' for helicopters, or 'V' for

V/STOL A vertical and/or short take-off and landing (V/STOL) aircraft is an airplane able to take-off or land vertically or on short runways. Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft are a subset of V/STOL craft that do not require runways at a ...

aircraft, and then were given a mission modifier, which, unlike the USAF system, came ''after'' the type code: 'C' for transports, 'O' for observation and reconnaissance aircraft, 'U' for utility types, and 'Z' for experimental aircraft. Aircraft types designated in this system were numbered sequentially. For more information on the designation system, see 1956 United States Army aircraft designation system.

AC: Airplane, Cargo (1956–1962)

* AC-1 Caribou –

de Havilland Canada De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited is an aircraft manufacturer with facilities formerly based in the Downsview area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The original home of de Havilland Canada was the home of the Canadian Air and Space Museum lo ...

(redesignated CV-2 in 1962)Andrade 1979, p. 39 * AC-2 Buffalo – de Havilland Canada (redesignated CV-7 in 1962)

AO: Airplane, Observation (1956–1962)

* AO-1 Mohawk –

Grumman The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a 20th century American producer of military and civilian aircraft. Founded on December 6, 1929, by Leroy Grumman and his business partners, it merged in 1994 ...

(redesignated OV-1 in 1962)Andrade 1979, p. 40 * AO-2 Inflatoplane – Goodyear * AO-3 Inflatoplane – Goodyear

AU: Airplane, Utility (1956–1962)

* AU-1 –

(redesignated U-1 in 1962)Andrade 1979, p. 42

HC: Helicopter, Cargo (1956–1962)

* HC-1 Sea Knight –

Boeing Vertol Boeing Rotorcraft Systems (formerly Boeing Helicopters and before that Boeing Vertol) is the former name of an American aircraft manufacturer, now known as Vertical Lift division of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. The headquarters and main r ...

(redesignated H-46 in 1962)Andrade 1979, p. 128 ** HC-1B Chinook – Boeing Vertol (redesignated H-47 in 1962)

HO: Flying Platform (1956–1956)

* HO-1 Pawnee – Hiller (redesignated VZ-1 in 1956) * HO-2 – de Lackner (redesignated HZ-1 in 1956)

HO: Helicopter, Observation (1956–1962)

* HO-1 –

SNCASO SNCASO (abbreviated from ''Société nationale des constructions aéronautiques du Sud-Ouest'', or commonly, ''Sud-Ouest'') was a French aircraft manufacturer. Created during 1936 as one of seven nationalised aeronautical manufacturing companies, ...

* HO-2 –

Hughes Hughes may refer to: People * Hughes (surname) * Hughes (given name) Places Antarctica * Hughes Range (Antarctica), Ross Dependency * Mount Hughes, Oates Land * Hughes Basin, Oates Land * Hughes Bay, Graham Land * Hughes Bluff, Victoria La ...

* HO-3 – Brantly * HO-4 –

Bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inter ...

(redesignated H-4 in 1962) *

HO-5 The Ho-5 (Army Type 2) was a Japanese aircraft autocannon used during World War II. Developed from the Ho-103 machine gun, it was a version of the American Model 1921 Browning aircraft machine gun. It replaced the Ho-1 and Ho-3 (Army Type 97) ...

–

Fairchild Hiller Fairchild was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company based at various times in Farmingdale, New York; Hagerstown, Maryland; and San Antonio, Texas. History Early aircraft The company was founded by Sherman Fairchild in ...

(redesignated H-5 in 1962) * HO-6 – Hughes (redesignated H-6 in 1962)

HU: Helicopter, Utility (1956–1962)

* HU-1 Iroquois –

(redesignated H-1 in 1962)

HZ: Helicopter, Experimental (1956–1962)

HZ-1 Aerocycle The HZ-1 Aerocycle, also known as the YHO-2 and by the manufacturer's designation DH-5 Aerocycle, was an American one-man "personal helicopter" developed by de Lackner Helicopters in the mid-1950s. Intended to be operated by inexperienced pilot ...

– de Lackner Helicopters

VZ: Vertical Takeoff and Landing Research (1956–1962)

VZ-1 Pawnee The Hiller VZ-1 Pawnee (U.S. Army designation; earlier Army designation: HO-1) was a unique direct-lift rotor aircraft, using contra-rotating ducted fans for lift inside a platform upon which the single pilot shifted body weight for directional c ...

– HillerAndrade 1979. p. 178 * VZ-2 –

Vertol Piasecki Helicopter Corporation was a designer and manufacturer of helicopters located in Philadelphia and nearby Morton, Pennsylvania, in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Its founder, Frank Piasecki, was ousted from the company in 1956 and start ...

* VZ-3 Vertiplane – Ryan * VZ-4 Convertiplane – Doak * VZ-5 Fledgling –

Fairchild Fairchild may refer to: Organizations * Fairchild Aerial Surveys, operated in cooperation with a subsidiary of Fairey Aviation Company * Fairchild Camera and Instrument * List of Sherman Fairchild companies, "Fairchild" companies * Fairchild Fa ...

* VZ-6 –

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

* VZ-7 –

Curtiss-Wright The Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a manufacturer and services provider headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, with factories and operations in and outside the United States. Created in 1929 from the consolidation of Curtiss, Wright, and v ...

VZ-8 Airgeep The Piasecki VZ-8 Airgeep (company designation PA-59) was a prototype vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft developed by Piasecki Aircraft. The Airgeep was developed to fulfill a U.S. Army Transportation Research Command contract for a fly ...

– Piasecki * VZ-9 Avrocar – Avro Canada * VZ-10 Hummingbird – Lockheed (redesignated V-4 in 1962) * VZ-11 Vertifan – Ryan (redesignated as V-5 in 1962) * VZ-12 Kestrel – Hawker Siddeley (redesignated as V-6 in 1962)

References

Sources

* {{US Army VTOL United States Army aviation

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...