Question on serial numbers

Location : Messingham Spotter Watch Member : No

Can anyone help to explain the serials on the based KC135's. On the tail you'll have something like 00355, but when you see the serials recorded you get something like 63-8033. Can you help out?

Location : essex Spotter Watch Member : No

Cannot explain why they do it, but the number on the tail is an abbreviated version of the full number, so :
KC135R 60-0331 will have 00331 on its tail,
Going even further the tail number gives details of what year the aircraft was ordered and how far down the production line it was, so taking the same aircraft that KC135 was ordered in 1960 and was the three hundreth and thirty first aircraft ordered by the USAF in that year.
HTH
Dave

Location : Messingham Spotter Watch Member : No

Many thanks Dave for the explanation

Location : Peterborough

Older members will remember an excellent book by Bob Archer, "United States Military Aviation - The Air Force" , published 1980, still worth obtaining if you see it. The USAF serial system is fully explained. The main point about reading the tail number is you should also check the data block near the cockpit area, this will show the full six digit serial number where to first two digits show the fiscal year and then the airframe number (as previously stated) Your comment about the different presentation of this number on the tail originated when the USAF was much bigger and structured into Strategic and Tactical commands. TAC aircraft carried the fiscal year, followed by a dash then the last three (sometimes last four) on the tail, usually below a two letter squadron / unit code. SAC, and the Transport and Training commands, presented their serials as the last five of the six digits, therefore the fiscal year could not be determined. This also lead to the occasional conflict, which at one stage was cured by added a "0-" to the start of the serial.

Admin Location : East Midlands Spotter Watch Member : Yes

The US deem what we call "serial numbers" as "bureau numbers", and bureau numbers are very sensitive.

Here is an excellent aspect as what is described above for the USN but in a step by step guide dating from 1911.

http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/navyserials.html

Location : Messingham Spotter Watch Member : No

Thanks everyone for the explanations :)