Looking Back / Edited by Mark Albertson: Pages 694 & 695, December 1962 issue, ARMY AVIATION Magazine.
We now have a new AR which should be of interest to all Army Aviators. This new AR 700-26, dated 18 Sept. 1962, titled, “Designation, Redesignation, and Naming Military Aircraft, upersedes AR 705-42. The AR also implements DOD Directive 4506.6, dated 6 July 1962.
Here is what the AR does: It prescribes a standard designation for all aircraft and applies to all services, Army, Navy, Air Force, etc. It further reidentifies all aircraft which are in the nventory.
Hold it!
Don’t get panicky!
This reidentification is not as bad as you might think; it has many advantages.
Now all of the services will call an aircraft by a common designator.
This system will also permit the interchange of maintenance data and problem areas with our sister services without the barrier of different designators.
Typical Examples:
If you’ve read AR 700-26, you’ll find out the system works like this.
Let’s use the H-34C and the L-23D as examples:
C. Modified Mission symbol, “Cargo.”
H. Basic Mission and Type, “Helicopter.”
34. Design Number.
C. Series symbol
R. Modified Mission symbol, “Reconnaissance.”
U. Basic Mission and Type, “Utility.”
8. Design Number.
D. Series symbol.
The actual assignment of the designation will be made at the time of purchase of the aircraft, so in the field all you have to worry about is learning that designation. To help you to learn the new designators we have a chart to cross reference the old into the new. This system does not preclude you from using the “Popular Names” of aircraft, in fact it is encouraged.
Designation Popular Name New Designation
Helicopters
H-21B Shawnee CH-21B
H-21C Shawnee CH-21C
H-34A Choctaw CH-34A
H-34C Choctaw CH-34C
H-37A Mojave CH-37A
H-37B Mojave CH-37B
HC-1A Chinook CH-46A
HC-1B Chinook CH-47A
HO-4 Not Assigned OH-4A
HO-5 Not Assigned OH-5A
HO-6 Not Assigned OH-6A
H-13E Sioux OH-13E
H-13G Sioux OH-13G
H-13H Sioux OH-13H
H-13K Sioux OH-13K
H-23B Raven OH-23B
H-23C Raven OH-23C
H-23D Raven OH-23D
H-23F Raven OH-23F
YH-41 Not Assigned NH-41A
HU-1 Iroquois UH-1
HU-1A Iroquois UH-1A
HU-1B Iroquois UH-1B
HU-1D Iroquois UH-1D
H-19C Chickasaw UH-19C
H-19D Chickasaw UH-19D
Observation
L-19A Bird Dog O-1A
TL-19D Bird Dog TO-1D
L-19E Bird Dog O-1E
Utility
U-1A Otter U-1A
L-20A Beaver U-6A
L-23D Seminole U-8D
RL-23D Seminole RU-23D
L-23F Seminole U-8F
L-26B Not Assigned U-9B
L-26C Not Assigned U-9C
RL-26D Not Assigned RU-9C
VTOL and STOL
AO-1A Mohawk OV-1C
AO-1B Mohawk OV-1B
AO-1C Mohawk OV-1C
AC-1 Caribou CV-2A
AC-1A Caribou CV-2B
AC-2 Caribou CV-7A
XV-3A Not Assigned None
