Dear friends,
If you say Facebook, usually what comes to mind is a rather frivolous social media.
However, it is also an easy method to share historical information, much used by the Russian aviation historical community.
Therefore, you will not find my photo or my preferences, but you can find a lot of useful facts.
One of the site I find much interesting, is the one of Mr. Linevich, aka PSY06, at the address
https://www.facebook.com/DLinevich Recently Mr. Linevich published a much interesting document, which I took the liberty to translate.
I suggest that you copy the text to your word processor, and then save it as a pdf, so it will remain surely in your archive.
The total lack of uniformity is particularly interesting, and without this guide, it would be impossible to understand the meaning of many serials.
The original text can be found at the above address, translation and its possible mistake are my responsibility only:
"RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT SERIAL NUMBERS
March 13, 1944. The head of the USM department of the VVS KA, engineer-major Petrov, prepared brief instructions on the numbering of the material part.
I. Aircraft.
The aircraft numbers of domestic production are set by the manufacturers. The aircraft number consists of a series and the aircraft's own number in this series. A certain number of aircraft are produced in each series, in the new series the aircraft numbers are repeated: the full number of the aircraft, consists of the series and the number of the aircraft in this series, should not be repeated at the same factory.
To the series and the number of the aircraft in this series, some factories add permanent numbers that do not change during the production of this type of aircraft.
These figures should be paid the most serious attention when transmitting reports on the movement and condition of the material part. Below is the order of numbering of aircraft by factories producing this type of aircraft.
1. Plane # Yak1.
- Produced by the plant 292. Airplane numbers are four and five digits, up to the hundredth series, aircraft numbers are four digits, after the hundredth series they are five digits. For example: 3598, 04154 - here the numbers 35 and 04 mean the aircraft number in this series, and the numbers 98 and 154 mean the series. Airplane numbers up to 10 have a 0 prefix in front, which must be written to indicate the full aircraft number. The plant produces 50 aircraft in each series.
2. Plane # YAK7B.
- Yak-7-B aircraft are produced by factories 153 and 82.
Aircraft of the plant 153 have the following serial number 50153117, 5115316. The first two digits 50 and 51 indicate the series, the next three digits 153 inserted in the middle of the number indicate the manufacturer, and the last three digits 117 or 16 indicate the aircraft numbers in the given series.
The planes of the plant 82 have full numbering - 821738. The first two digits mean the manufacturer, the next two digits are the 17 series and the last two digits 38 are the aircraft number in this series. Each series produces 50 aircraft.
3. Airplane # Yak9.
- Yak-9 aircraft are produced by factories 153, 82 and 166.
The Yak-9 aircraft released by the plant 153 have repeating numbering, i.e. under one number, for example: 0615323 there can be two Yak-9 aircraft, which differ from each other in the installed weapons. At the beginning, aircraft were produced only with the installation of a 20 mm ShVAK cannon, and then they began to produce aircraft with a 37 mm cannon, while the numbering of Yak-9 aircraft began again from the first series.
In order to distinguish Yak-9 aircraft with ShVAK cannon from Yak-9 aircraft with 37 mm gun, add the letter D to the first set number, and the letter T to the second. When reporting the number, you should write this: Yak-9 D No. 0615328, or Yak-9 T should be written like this: Yak-9 T No. 0615328. Decoding of number 0615328: 06 - series, 153 - manufacturer, 28 aircraft number in this series. Each series produces 100 aircraft.
Yak-9 aircraft manufactured at factory # 166 have full serial number 13166026. Here the first two digits - 13 - mean the series, the next three digits 166 - the manufacturer and the last three digits - 026 - the number of the aircraft in this series. Airplane numbers up to 100 have a zero in front of them. 100 aircraft are produced in each series.
4. Plane # La5.
- Aircraft La-5 are produced by factories 21, 99, 381.
Aircraft La-5, produced by 21 plants, have undergone a number of design changes during the production process. These design changes led to a new modification of the La-5 aircraft. When a new modification of the La-5 aircraft was released into series, the numbering of the latter began from the first series. Let us analyze sequentially the numbering of each modification of the La-5 aircraft, produced by 21 plants.
Initially, La-5 aircraft were produced with an M-82 engine, without a rear view.
This modification was numbered 37212764. Here, the number 37 meant the type of aircraft produced by the plant, the number 21 meant the manufacturer, the number 27 was the series, and the number 64 was the number of the aircraft in this series. The plant discontinued the production of this modification. Each series produced 100 aircraft.
The second modification began to produce La-5 aircraft with an M-82 engine with a rear view. The numbering of this modification began with the first series. Its full serial number is 39212921. Here the first two digits 39 - mean the type of the La-5 aircraft in the new modification. The rest of the numbers have the same meaning as for the La-5 aircraft of the first modification.
The third modification began to produce La-5 aircraft with a rear view, but with the installation of the M-82 FN engine. The numbering of this modification began with the first series. Its full serial number is written like the second modification, only with an addition to the number of letters FN. For example La-5 FN No. 39210928. The meaning of the numbers here is the same as in the second modification.
The La-5 aircraft manufactured by plant 381 have the full serial number 3810413: here the number 381 means the manufacturer, 04 is the series, 13 is the aircraft number in this series.
The La-5 aircraft, produced by the 99th plant, have a full serial number 37-9906-14. Here 37 stands for the type of aircraft, 99 for the manufacturer, 06 for the series, 14 for the number of the aircraft in the given series.
5. Airplane # LaGG3.
- Aircraft LaGG3 are produced by factories 21 and 31. At present, the production of LaGG-3 aircraft at plant 21 has been discontinued.
LaGG-3 airplanes of plant 21 production are numbered with an eight-digit number, for example, 31213745, where 31 means the type of aircraft produced by the plant since the foundation of the latter, 21 is the manufacturer, 37 is the series, 45 is the number of the aircraft in this series.
The LaGG-3 aircraft manufactured by the plant 31 are numbered with a four-digit number, for example: 6603 - where 66 means the series number, and 03 is the aircraft number in this series. There are 99 aircraft produced in each series.
6. Airplane # Pe2.
- Pe-2 aircraft are produced by plant 22. The aircraft number is indicated by a fraction, for example, 8/140, where the numerators indicate the aircraft number, and the denominator is the series. 20 aircraft are produced in each series.
7. Plane # IL4.
- IL-4 aircraft are produced by factories 126, 39, 23.
IL-4 aircraft, produced by the plant 126, have four-digit or five-digit numbers, depending on the time of release. Up to the hundredth series, aircraft numbers are four-digit, after the hundredth series, five-digit. For example, 9915, 10802 - here numbers 99,108 mean the aircraft series, numbers 15, 02 are aircraft numbers in this series.
IL-4 aircraft manufactured by the plant 23 have a full serial number 092320, where 09 is the aircraft series, 23 is the manufacturer, and 20 is the aircraft number in this series.
IL-4 aircraft manufactured by the 39th plant have the full serial number 5043911, where 504 is the aircraft series, 39 is the manufacturer, 11 is the aircraft number in this series.
8. Airplane # TU2.
- The Tu-2 aircraft is produced by the 166th plant. The full serial number is 100614, where 6 is the series number, 14 is the aircraft number in this series, 100 is a conventionally taken number.
9. Plane # IL2.
- IL-2 aircraft are produced by factories 1, 18 and 30 and were previously produced by factory 381.
Let's analyze the numbering of Il-2 aircraft by factories.
Plant No. 1 airplane numbers are four-digit, for example: 5351. The first two digits 53 mean the aircraft series, the last two digits - 51 - mean the aircraft number in this series. With the hundredth series, the numbers of the Il-2 aircraft of the 1st plant will be five-digit. Each series produces 100 aircraft.
Plant number 18. The full production number of the Il-2 aircraft is 1871738. Number decoding - 18 - manufacturer, 7 - type of aircraft produced by the plant since the foundation of the latter, 17 - aircraft number of this series, 38 - series. Each series produces 100 aircraft.
Plant number 30. Full serial number 301427. Decoding - 30 manufacturer, 14 - series, 27 - aircraft number in this series. Each series produces 100 aircraft.
Factory number 381. Full serial number 3811019. Explanation: 381 - manufacturer. 10 - aircraft number of this series. 19 - series. The production of aircraft by the plant was discontinued about April 1943.
10. Airplane # Li2.
- The aircraft are produced by plant 84. Full serial number 1848006. Explanation: 84 - manufacturer, 1 - aircraft type, 80 - series, 06 - aircraft number in this series.
11. Plane # Yak6.
- Yak-6 aircraft were produced by factories 47, 471, 464. Since November, the production of aircraft by these factories has been discontinued. Let's analyze the numbering of Yak-6 aircraft by factories.
Plant number 47. Full serial number 16847. Number decoding: 16 - aircraft number in this series, 8 - series, 47 - manufacturer.
Plant number 471. The full serial number of the aircraft is 65571. Number decoding: 65 series, 5 aircraft number in this series, 71 constant unchanging number in all numbers, indicating that the aircraft was produced by the 471 plant.
Plant number 464. The full serial number of the aircraft is 640549. Number decoding: 64 is a constant, unchanging number indicating that the aircraft was manufactured by the plant 464, 05 is the series, 49 is the number of the aircraft in the series.
12. Airplane # S2.
- Produced by the plant 494. Full serial number 940906. Number decoding: 94 - constant, unchanging number indicating that the aircraft was manufactured by plant 494, 09 - aircraft series, 06 - aircraft number in this series.
13. Plane # Yak7V / training /.
- Produced by the 153 plant. Full serial number 0615396. Number decoding: 06 - series, 153 - manufacturer, 96 - aircraft number in this series.
14. Plane # UT2.
- Aircraft UT-2 are produced by plants 116 and 168 and were previously produced by plant 47. Let's analyze the numbering of the UT-2 aircraft by factories.
Plant number 116. Full serial number 01715116. Number decoding: 017 - aircraft number in this series, 15 - series, 116 - manufacturer. Each series produces 100 aircraft. Aircraft numbers of this series up to 10 have two zeros in front, from 10 to 99 - one zero. When recording and transmitting a full number, the zeros in front of the number must be indicated.
Factory number 168. Full serial number 1600324. Number decoding: 160 <sic!> manufacturer, 03 - series, 24 aircraft number in this series.
Plant number 47. Full serial number 112147. Number decoding: 11 series, 21 - aircraft number in this series, 47 manufacturer. The production of UT-2 aircraft by plant No. 47 was discontinued in November 1942.
15. Aircraft # U2
- The U-2 aircraft are currently produced by plant 387. The complete serial number is four-digit. For example: 5523, where 55 is the series, 23 is the aircraft number in this series.
Previously aircrafts U-2 were produced by plant 23. The numbering of the U-2 aircraft manufactured by the plant 23 coincides with the numbering of the U-2 aircraft manufactured by the plant 387, therefore, the manufacturer should be indicated in the reports on the arrival or departure of U-2 aircraft with four-digit numbers.
16. The IPe-2 and UIL-2 aircraft have the same numbering order as the Pe-2 and Il-2 aircraft.
II Motors.
The numbers of domestically produced motors are also set by the manufacturers. This guide only gives the numbering order of the newest motors currently produced by factories.
1. Motor # M105PF
- The M-105 PF motor is produced by factories 16, 26, 466. Let's analyze the numbering of the M-105 PF motors by factories.
Plant number 16. The full serial number of the motor is 34-3168, 32-2941. Here, the first digit 3 in both cases indicates the year of manufacture of the motor. In this case, 1943. Numbers 4, 2 denote the quarter in which the motor was manufactured.
The numbers 3168, 2941 denote the serial number of the motor produced in this quarter. A certain number of motors were produced in each quarter.
In each block, the engine numbers start with the first number.
Plant number 26. The complete serial number of the motor is 345-177, 315-2096.
Here the number 3 in both cases denotes the year of manufacture of the motor, in this case 1943. Numbers 4, 1 denote the quarter in which the motor was manufactured.
The number 5 in both cases indicates that the motor belonged to the M-105 family of motors. Numbers 177, 2096 - denote the serial number of the motor produced in this quarter. In each block, the numbering of motors starts from the first number.
Factory number 466. The complete serial number of the motor is 405-33, 524-32.
Here, the numbers 485, 524 denote the serial number of the motor produced in this quarter, the number 3 in both cases denotes the year of manufacture of the motor, in this case 1943. Numbers 3, 2 designate the quarter in which the motor is manufactured.
In each block, the engine numbers start with the first number.
2. Motor # M82.
- Manufactured by plant 19.
The full serial number of the motor is 65031953, 6511316. Here, the numbers 65 in both cases are a symbol for the type of motor M -82. The number "0" in the first number is a conventional designation of the gear ratio of the motor 11:15. The number 1 in the second number is a conventional designation of the degree of reduction of the motor 9:16. The next 3, 1 numbers in both numbers indicate the motor series. Numbers 1953, 316 - designate the serial number of the motor in this series.
3. Motor # М82FN.
- Produced by plant 19. The complete serial number of the motor is 82111809.
Here the number 82 is a symbol for the type of the M-82-FN motor. Number 1 is a conventional designation of the gear ratio of the motor 11:16, the next number 1 indicates the series of the motor. The number 809 denotes the serial number of the motor in this series.
4. Motor # AM38F.
- Produced by factories 24, 45.
The AM-38F motor produced by the plant 24 has a full serial number 253369.
Number decoding: 25 - motor series, 3369 - serial number of the motor in this series.
The AM-38-F motor, produced by the 45th plant, has a full serial number 4591224.
Number decoding: 45 is the manufacturer, 91 is the motor series, 244 is the serial number of the motor in this series.
5. Motor # M11.
- Currently produced by factories 41 and 154.
The complete serial number of the motor manufactured by the factory 41 is 411595.
Number decoding: 41 - manufacturer 1 - motor series, 595 is the serial number of the motor in this series.
The complete serial number of the motor produced by the factory 154 is - 09335.
Plant 154 has established the numbering of motors from the beginning of production from the first number and further goes in ascending order."
In the UT-2 serials, I suppose that the number 160 is a typo for 168.
Regards
Daniele
