# Buzz number

Buzz number is a term applied to the large letter and number combination applied to United States Air Force military aircraft in the years immediately after World War II, through the early 1960s. This moniker evolved from aircrew speculation that the large numbers were meant to dissuade "buzzing" (very-low-altitude high-speed passes over populated areas) by increasing the likelihood of being identified and punished.
The first two letters of a buzz number indicated the type and designation of an aircraft while the last three were generally the last three digits of the aircraft serial number. Air Force fighters used buzz numbers starting with the letter F (or P, when fighters were designated as "pursuit" aircraft before June 1948), while bombers started with the letter B. For example, a P-51 Mustang would have a buzz number such as FF-230 while an F-86 Sabre might be FU-910. A B-66 Destroyer would have a buzz number such as BB-222. One of the last Air Force fighters to carry a buzz number was the F-4 Phantom II (FJ), then called the F-110 Spectre by the Air Force.

## List of buzz codes

This table lists U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army aircraft by buzz-number prefix. Note that some aircraft types changed prefixes during their career, while other prefixes were re-used after an earlier type was retired.
| Code name | Manufacturer | Aircraft | Notes |
| AA | Douglas | A-24/F-24 Banshee | |
| AB | Curtiss | A-25 Shrike | |
| AC | Douglas | A-26 Invader | recoded BC in 1948 |
| AD | Vultee | A-31 Vengeance | |
| AE | Convair | XA-41 | |
| BA | Boeing | B-17 Flying Fortress | |
| BA | Martin | B-57 Canberra | |
| BB | Douglas | XB-19 | |
| BB | Douglas | B-66 Destroyer | |
| BC | Consolidated | B-24 Liberator | |
| BC | Douglas | B-26 Invader | originally AC |
| BD | North American | B-25 Mitchell | |
| BE | North American | B-45 Tornado | recoded BH in 1948 |
| BF | Boeing | B-29 Superfortress | |
| BG | Consolidated | B-32 Dominator | |
| BG | Northrop | XB-35 | |
| BH | Lockheed | B-37 Ventura | |
| BH | North American | B-45 Tornado | originally BE |
| BJ | Boeing | XB-39 Superfortress | |
| BK | Douglas | XB-42 Mixmaster | |
| BK | Boeing | B-50 Superfortress | |
| BL | Boeing | XB-44 Superfortress | |
| BM | Convair | B-36 Peacemaker | |
| CA | Beechcraft | CQ-3 Expeditor | |
| CA | Douglas | C-124 Globemaster II | |
| CB | Beechcraft | UC-43 Traveler | |
| CC | Beechcraft | C-45 Expeditor | |
| CD | Curtiss | C-46 Commando | |
| CE | Douglas | C-47 Skytrain | |
| CF | Douglas | C-48 | |
| CG | Douglas | C-49 | |
| CH | Douglas | C-53 Skytrooper | |
| CJ | Douglas | C-54 Skymaster | |
| CK | Lockheed | C-60 Lodestar | |
| CL | Noorduyn | UC-64 Norseman | |
| CM | Lockheed | C-69 Constellation | |
| CN | Douglas | C-74 Globemaster | |
| CP | Cessna | UC-78 Bobcat | |
| CP | Convair | C-131 Samaritan | |
| CQ | Fairchild | C-82 Packet | |
| CQ | Fairchild | C-119 Flying Boxcar | |
| CR | Consolidated | C-87 Liberator Express | |
| CS | Boeing | C-97 Stratofreighter/KC-97 Stratofreighter | |
| CT | Convair | XC-99 | |
| CU | Douglas | C-117 Skytrooper | |
| CV | Douglas | C-118 Liftmaster | |
| CW | Lockheed | C-121 Constellation | |
| CY | Chase | YC-122 Avitruc | |
| CZ | Chase | C-123 Provider | |
| CZ | Fairchild | C-123 Provider | |
| FA | Beechcraft | F-2 Expeditor | cancelled 1948 |
| FB | Lockheed | F-5 Lightning | cancelled 1948 |
| FC | North American | F-6 Mustang | cancelled 1948, to FF |
| FD | Consolidated | F-7 Liberator | cancelled 1948 |
| FE | Boeing | F-9 Flying Fortress | cancelled 1948, to BA |
| FF | North American | F-10 Mitchell | cancelled 1948, to BD |
| FG | Boeing | F-13 Superfortress | cancelled 1948, to BF |
| FH | Northrop | F-15 Reporter | cancelled 1948, to FK |
| F | Northrop | N-156F | |
| FA | Lockheed | F-38 Lightning | previously PA |
| FA | Lockheed | F-94 Starfire | |
| FA | Northrop | F-5 Freedom Fighter | |
| FB | Bell | F-39 Airacobra | previously PB |
| FB | McDonnell | F-101 Voodoo | |
| FC | Curtiss | F-40 Warhawk | previously PC |
| FC | Convair | F-102 Delta Dagger | |
| FD | Republic | XF-103 | |
| FE | Republic | F-47 Thunderbolt | previously PE |
| FE | Convair | F-106 Delta Dart | |
| FF | North American | F-51 Mustang | previously PF |
| FG | Lockheed | F-104 Starfighter | |
| FH | Republic | F-105 Thunderchief | |
| FJ | Bell | F-59 Airacomet | previously PJ |
| FJ | McDonnell | F-110 Spectre | |
| FK | Northrop | F-61 Black Widow | previously PK |
| FL | Bell | F-63 Kingcobra | previously PL |
| FN | Lockheed | F-80 Shooting Star | previously PL, recoded FT |
| FP | Convair | XF-81 | previously PP |
| FQ | North American | F-82 Twin Mustang | previously PQ |
| FR | Bell | XF-83 | previously PR |
| FS | Republic | F-84 Thunderjet | previously PS |
| FT | Lockheed | F-80 Shooting Star | previously PN, FN |
| QFT | Lockheed | QF-80 Shooting Star | |
| FU | North American | F-86 Sabre | previously PU |
| FV | Northrop | Northrop F-89 Scorpion | |
| FW | North American | F-100 Super Sabre | |
| FX | Lockheed | YF-12 Blackbird | Unofficial? |
| FY | North American | YF-93 | |
| FY | North American | YF-95 | recoded FU |
| GA | Waco | PG-2 | |
| GB | Waco | PG-3 | |
| GC | Waco | CG-4 | |
| GD | Laister-Kauffman | XCG-10 Trojan Horse | |
| GE | Waco | CG-13 | |
| GF | Chase | YCG-14 | |
| GG | Waco | CG-15 | |
| GH | Chase | XCG-18 | |
| GJ | Chase | XCG-20 | |
| JT | Cessna | YAT-37D | |
| LA | Taylorcraft | L-2 Grasshopper | |
| LA | Piper | L-4 Grasshopper | originally LC |
| LB | Aeronca | L-3 Grasshopper | |
| LB | Stinson | L-5 Sentinel | originally LD |
| LC | Piper | L-4 Grasshopper | recoded LA |
| LC | Aeronca | L-16 | originally LH |
| LB | Stinson | L-5 Sentinel | recoded LB |
| LD | Ryan | L-17B/U-18B Navion | See LJ for North American L-17A/C, U-18A/C |
| LE | Interstate | L-6 Cadet | |
| LE | Boeing | L-15 Scout | |
| LE | Piper | L-18 Super Cub | |
| LF | Piper | L-14 | |
| LF | Cessna | L-19 Bird Dog | |
| LG | Convair | L-13 Grasshopper | |
| LG | de Havilland Canada | L-20 Beaver | |
| LH | Aeronca | L-16 | recoded LC |
| LH | Piper | L-21 Super Cub | |
| LJ | North American | L-17A/C, U-18A/C Navion | See LD for Ryan L-17B, U-18B |
| LJ | Beechcraft | L-23 Seminole | |
| LK | Aero Commander | L-26 | |
| OA | Grumman | OA-9 Goose | |
| OB | Consolidated | OA-10 Catalina | |
| OC | North American | O-47 | |
| OD | Kellett | YO-60 | |
| OE | Boeing | PB2B-1 Catalina | |
| PA | Lockheed | P-38 Lightning | recoded FA in 1948 |
| PB | Bell | P-39 Airacobra | recoded FB in 1948 |
| PC | Curtiss | P-40 Warhawk | recoded FC in 1948 |
| PD | Curtiss | XP-42 | |
| PE | Republic | P-47 Thunderbolt | recoded FE in 1948 |
| PF | North American | P-51 Mustang | recoded FF in 1948 |
| PG | Curtiss | XP-55 Ascender | |
| PH | Lockheed | XP-58 Chain Lightning | |
| PJ | Bell | P-59 Airacomet | recoded FJ in 1948 |
| PK | Northrop | P-61 Black Widow | recoded FK in 1948 |
| PL | Bell | P-63 Kingcobra | recoded FL in 1948 |
| PM | Fisher | P-75 Eagle | |
| PN | Lockheed | P-80 Shooting Star | recoded FT in 1948 |
| PP | Convair | XP-81 | recoded FP in 1948 |
| PQ | North American | P-82 Twin Mustang | recoded FQ in 1948 |
| PR | Bell | XP-83 | recoded FR in 1948 |
| PS | Republic | P-84 Thunderjet | recoded FS in 1948 |
| PU | North American | P-86 Sabre | recoded FU in 1948 |
| QF | Piasecki | H-21 Workhorse | |
| QK | Culver | Q-14 Cadet | |
| RF | North American | RF-51 Mustang | |
| TA | North American | AT-6 Texan | |
| LTA | North American | LT-6G Texan | |
| TB | Beechcraft | AT-7 Navigator | |
| TC | Beechcraft | AT-11 Kansan | |
| TC | Mikoyan-Gurevich | MiG-15 | |
| TC | Convair | TF-102 Delta Dagger | |
| TD | Fairchild | AT-21 Gunner | |
| TD | Beechcraft | T-34 Mentor | |
| BTE | Vultee | BT-13 Valiant | |
| TE | Cessna | T-37 Tweet | |
| PTF | Boeing | PT-13 Kaydet | |
| TF | North American | TF-51 Mustang | |
| TF | Northrop | T-38 Talon | |
| TG | Boeing | PT-17 Kaydet | |
| TG | Lockheed | TF-104 Starfighter | |
| TG | North American | T-39 Sabreliner | |
| TH | Fairchild | PT-19 | |
| TJ | Culver | PQ-8 Cadet | |
| TK | Culver | PQ-14 Cadet | |
| TL | North American | T-28 Trojan | |
| TP | Convair | T-29 Flying Classroom | |
| TQ | Fairchild | T-31 | |
| TR | Lockheed | T-33 Shooting Star | |
| UG | de Havilland Canada | U-6 Beaver | |
| UH | Piper | U-7 Super Cub | |
| UK | Aero Commander | U-4/U-9 | |
| YF | North American | YF-93 | |
| YT | Cessna | YAT-37D | |