THE ORIGINS OF THE TERMS

CONSTRUCTOR'S NUMBER
&
MANUFACTURER'S SERIAL NUMBER

WHICH IS CORRECT?

by Ron Cuskelly and Trevor Boughton

 

 

Data Plate from Hudson Mk V AM681
Data Plate from C-121C VH-EAG
Data Plate from B707-138 VH-EBA

 

 

Compiler's Introduction

When I first became aware that "aeroplanes ain't aeroplanes" and that they each have their own unique identity, I was confronted by that now familiar term "c/n". But what did it mean? I was aware that aircraft had "serial numbers", so did users of the term really mean "s/n" or did they not know how to spell "serial"? One thing was immediately clear, it wasn't intended to represent "cereal number" which might have been some sort of roughage quotient. Thanks to my mentors I was soon acquainted with the term "Constructor's Number" which is usually abbreviated to "c/n" and presented in lower case separated by an oblique.

Sometime in 2018, I posed the question; Who invented c/n? If anyone would know the answer it would be Trevor W. Boughton, one of Australia's foremost aviation historians and renowned stickler for detail and accuracy. There ensued many weeks of correspondence between us. We never reached a definitive answer but we did establish to our mutual satisfaction that it was a British invention, it was totally legitimate and it went "way back". To support this conclusion, much evidence was collected but for various reasons it never saw the light of day. Sadly, Trevor Boughton passed away unexpectedly on 6th October 2019. This page is based on the latest of several draft documents which summarised our investigations to Trevor's satisfaction.

This page is dedicated to Trevor's memory.


Who Invented c/n?


A random review of images of aircraft data plates reveals that the following descriptors were in use at various times:

NUMBER
NO.
SERIAL
SERIAL NO.
MACHINE NUMBER
MAKER'S NO.
FACTORY NO.
MANUFACTURER'S SERIAL NO.
MFG. SERIAL NO.
MANUFACTURER'S NO.
MFG. NO.

A Douglas data plate for an R4D-8 delivered in 1952 records a "Manufacturers Serial No." and a "Customers Serial No." in acknowledgement of the fact that the aircraft had a serial number issued by the manufacturer as well as a serial number issued by the customer, in this case the U.S. Navy. Modern convention suggests that "Serial Number" is a purely military identifier although this was clearly not the intention when many aircraft were built. Military serial numbers of aircraft built in the USA are alternatively known as "Tail Numbers" even though the number physically painted on the tail can be a truncated form of the actual serial number. Aircraft of the United States Navy carry serial numbers allocated by the USN Bureau of Aeronautics and these are usually described as Bureau Numbers often abbreviated to BuNo.

Given the wide variety of terms used on data plates, it is clear that a central registration authority would have been faced with either adopting one of these terms or coining a new term which was devoid of any ambiguity arising from the use of the common descriptor "Serial Number". While the manufacturers continued to operate in splendid isolation, the registration authorities in the UK and the USA did achieve some degree of standardisation, although each chose a different standard terminology. It would appear that the UK opted for "Constructor's Number" and the USA adopted "Manufacturer's Serial Number".

The significant difference between "Constructor's Number" or "Manufacturer's Serial Number" and "Serial Number" is that a C/N or MSN does not change during the lifetime of a particular airframe. On the other hand, a "Serial Number" issued by the military can change if the aircraft continues in military service after being sold to another nation with a different numbering system.

As far back as 1910, the Paris International Convention on Air Navigation recognised the need for all civil aircraft to be registered. International implementation was delayed by WWI but in 1911 a Draft Air Navigation Bill was introduced in the UK stating that with effect from 20 April 1919 all British civilian aircraft must carry registration markings. As an interim measure, British civil aircraft would use a continuation of the RAF serial system beginning at K-100. A listing of these registrations published as recently as 1986 uses the term "C/N" (Constructor's Number) to define individual aircraft. It is not known if this term was used in the original document or if it was applied retrospectively by the compiler.

As an indication of what requirements had prevailed, an Australian document titled "Application for Registration of an Aircraft" issued under Aerial Navigation Regulations 1915, requires the applicant to describe the aircraft but not define the aircraft. It makes no provision for a serial number of the airframe or the engine, requiring only the year built and approximate number of miles flown.

A provisional form for "Certificate of Registration" was issued by ICAN sometime prior to 1922 and this document has provision for a "Maker's No."

When the first formal British Register came into effect on 22 July 1919, all aircraft previously registered with K series registrations were re-registered beginning at G-EAAA. A listing of these registrations published in 1986 again uses the term "C/N".

In October 1938, the British Air Registration Board printed a form titled "Nationality and Registration Marks". This appears to mark a transition from a ledger to a card system for maintaining the Register. This form has a heading "Constructor's No." The card for G-EAAA (and many others) is stamped;

"THIS ENTRY COPIED on 1st JANUARY, 1939, From FORMER REGISTER".

About 1928, Australia changed its Certificate of Airworthiness (Form C.A. 14) from a burgundy coloured card to a new four page paper CofA document while retaining the same form number. The burgundy card made provision for "Name of Constructor" and "Description of Aircraft" but made no provision for an identifying number. The revised four-page document made provision for a "Constructor's Number". This new form layout was almost identical to the UK CofA (Form 59) used in 1932 and possibly earlier.

An "Application for Certificate of Airworthiness" issued under Australian Air Navigation Regulations 1921 has a heading "Constructor's No. or Late Service No." This would appear to provide for aircraft that had a military serial number but no serial number issued by the manufacturer. In some instances, applications were submitted (and accepted!) quoting a military serial number when it should not have been too difficult for the applicant to determine that the aircraft did indeed have a "Constructor's Number". Although issued under 1921 legislation, this form does not reveal a printing date so the term "Constructor's Number" could have been introduced anytime after 1921.

Although it is suspected that Australia used the term as early as 1921, the earliest documented Australian use of the term "Constructor's Number" is 1928, although without access to the original UK Register of 1919, it remains highly likely that the term was in use in the UK as early as 1919.

Australian practice is believed to have followed British practice with the use of "C/N" until approximately 1936 when Australian documents began to use the term "Manufacturer's Serial Number". At this time there were widespread changes to Australian air navigation legislation resulting from legal action brought against the Commonwealth by the private pilot Henry Goya Henry (1901-1974).

By the fifties, data plates issued by Lockheed, Douglas and Boeing were using the term "Manufacturer's Serial Number" but this probably commenced much earlier.

To add to the mix, a Certificate of Registration of Aircraft (CA Form 71) issued by the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority on 27 February 1976 for Cameron Balloon G-BDSE registered to British Airways, provides a column headed "Aircraft Serial Number".

Therefore, it is concluded that the terms "Constructor's Number" and "Manufacturer's Serial Number" are both well established and equally valid methods of defining the same numerical descriptor used to identify an individual airframe. Today, "Manufacturer's Serial Number" (MSN) is the descriptor of choice for Airbus and Boeing.

The abbreviations for "Constructor's Number" and "Manufacturer's Serial Number" can be presented in upper case or lower case but upper case has been adopted here for consistency. Traditionally, the abbreviation for "Constructor's Number" is presented in lower case letters separated by an oblique. Some writers have used the term "Construction Number" but this variation does not appear on any official documentation sighted by the compilers. For the full expression, most official documents show the possessive apostrophe but this is sometimes omitted (notably on data plates) presumably for simplicity.

The compilers' review of readily available aircraft data plates initially revealed only one which used the term "Constructor's No." and this was for a Vampire built in Australia in 1952 (shown below). Subsequently other examples have emerged e.g. Hindustan Aeronautics. An abbreviated form, "CONS. NO." is used on some Auster fuselage frame assembly plate
s (see Note 7 below). Despite a wider search, the compilers were unable to find any use of the term "Constructor's Number" by an American manufacturer or agency.

 

 

The Data Plate from Vampire Mk. 31 A79-609 (later A79-409) which, by definition, had a Constructor's Number of 4055. (Source: Eric Allen Collection)

 

 

THE ORIGINS OF THE TERM CONSTRUCTOR'S NUMBER

 

DATE
DOCUMENT
NATION
SOURCE
REMARKS
1910
International Convention on Air Navigation held in Paris France 2 Recognised the need for the registration of civil aircraft but WWI intervened.
1911
Draft Air Navigation Bill UK 2 Stated that with effect from 20APR1919 all British civilian aircraft must carry registration markings. As an interim measure British civil aircraft would use a continuation of the RAF serial system beginning at K-100. A listing of these registrations in Source: 2 (published 1986) uses the term "c/n".
28AUG1916
Application for Registration of an Aircraft Aust MaAM 17/216 Document issued under Aerial Navigation Regulations 1915. Makes no provision for a serial number of airframe or engine. Requires year built and approx. number of miles flown.
04OCT1916
Certificate of Registration of an Aircraft Aust MaAM 17/218 Document issued under Aerial Navigation Regulations 1915. Makes no provision for a serial number of airframe or engine. Requires year built.
22JUL1919
First British Register UK 2 Under the International Convention in Paris, the new British Register came into effect. All aircraft previously registered with K series registrations were re-registered beginning at G-EAAA. A listing of these registrations in Source: 2 (published 1986) uses the term "c/n".
1922
Convention relating to the regulation of Aerial Navigation, signed at Paris, October 13, 1919, with Additional Protocol, signed at Paris, May 1, 1920 [1922] League of Nations 1 A provisional form for Certificate of Registration has a heading; "Maker's No." This term, or other alternatives, may appear in earlier ICAN documents.
07MAY1929
Application for Registration of Aircraft (C.A. Form 11) Aust NAA/TWB Has a heading; "Constructor's Number". Issued under Air Navigation Regulations 1921. For Westland Widgeon VH UKS.
16MAY1929
Application for Certificate of Airworthiness (C.A. Form 12) Aust NAA/TWB Has a heading; "Constructor's No. or Late Service No.". Issued under Air Navigation Regulations 1921. For Westland Widgeon VH-UKS.
38DEC1936
(sic)
Application for Certificate of Airworthiness for Export (Form 11-10431) USA NAA/TWB Issued by Department of Commerce, Aeronautics Branch. Has heading; "Manufacturer's serial No.". Issued for Sikorsky S.38B VH-UZE
26FEB1937
Application for Certificate of Airworthiness (C.A. Form 12) Aust NAA/TWB Issued by Department of Defence, Civil Aviation Branch under Air Navigation Regulations 1921. Has a heading; "Constructor's No.". Issued for Sikorsky S.38B VH-UZE.
12MAR1937
Certificate of Airworthiness (C.A. Form 14) Aust NAA/TWB Issued by Department of Defence, Civil Aviation Board. Has heading "Constructor's No.". Issued for Sikorsky S.38B VH UZE.
OCT1938
Nationality and Registration Marks UK WWW This form was printed by the British Air Registration Board. This form has a heading "Constructor's No." The card for G-EAAA (and many others) is stamped; "THIS ENTRY COPIED on 1st JANUARY, 1939, From FORMER REGISTER".
JUL1946
Douglas Service Bulletin USA Douglas Lists Oklahoma-built C-47s that were issued with an incorrect block of "factory serial numbers".
21APR1947
Application for Registration of Aircraft (C.A. Form 11) Aust NAA/TWB Form has a heading "Manufacturer's Serial Number". Form appears to have been printed in 1941. Issued for DC-4 VH ANF.
27FEB1976 Certificate of Registration of Aircraft (CA Form 71) UK 9 The CofR for Cameron Balloon G-BDSE registered to British Airways provides a column for "Aircraft Serial Number".
2006
Regulations and Procedures for the International Registry (2006 first edition) ICAO Doc 9864 Uses the term "manufacturer's serial number"
current
Civil Aviation Authority UK G-INFO website Serial No
This is the unique identification number of the aircraft. This may be the aircraft constructors serial number, a military serial number or a PFA project number.
current
Civil Aviation Safety Authority Aust CASA website Uses the heading Serial Number.

 

DATA PLATES

As will be seen from the following selection of manufacturers' data plates, many terms were used to describe the individual identity of an airframe. No doubt it was this variety of descriptors that led registration agencies to adopt a uniform unambiguous term such as Constructor's Number although, significantly, only a few plates have been found bearing the term Constructor's Number. Although this list was originally intended as a random selection, it has been expanded to include all known CAC data plates because of their local significance.

 

YEAR
MANUFACTURER
DESCRIPTOR #1
NUMBER
DESCRIPTOR #2
NUMBER
AIRCRAFT
SOURCE
REMARKS
LOCKHEED
1933
Lockheed NUMBER
194
-
-
Vega 5C Special MaAM 52/92.  
1935
Lockheed SERIAL
1051
-
-
10B NC14992 8 (Note: 1)
1936
Lockheed SERIAL
1054
-
-
10E NC14994 8 (Note: 1)
1937
Lockheed SERIAL
1107
-
-
10A VH-UZO MaAM 45/94 (Note: 1)
1937
Lockheed SERIAL
1222
-
-
12A NC18125 8 (Note: 1)
1941
Lockheed SERIAL
2763
-
-
Hudson AM681 7 (Note: 1)
1943
Lockheed SERIAL
18-2598
-
-
Lodestar 43-16438 8 (Note: 1)
1955
Lockheed MANUFACTURER'S SERIAL NO.
4175
-
-
C-121C VH-EAG MaAM 45/96. (Note: 1)
1957
Lockheed MANUFACTURER'S SERIAL NO.
182A-3227
-
-
EC-130A-55-LM 8 (Note: 1)
1965
Lockheed (Fiat) MANUFACTURER'S SERIAL NO.
6699
-
-
F-104-G 8 (Note: 1)
DOUGLAS
1937
Douglas SERIAL NO.
1908
-
-
DC-3 MaAM 52/90 (Note: 1)
1939
Douglas FACTORY NO.
2643
-
-
B-18A MaAM 45/96  
1942
Douglas FACTORY NO.
6108
-
-
C47-R1830-92 MaAM 45/94 (Note: 1)
1942
Douglas FACTORY NO.
10828
-
-
C54D MaAM 52/90 (Note: 1)
1943
Douglas NO.
26536
-
-
DC3C MaAM 52/91 (Note: 1)
1944
Douglas FACTORY NO.
27376
SERIAL NO.
AAF44-9150
C54-E MaAM 52/91 (Note: 1)
1952
Douglas MANUFACTURER'S SERIAL NO.
43363
CUSTOMERS SERIAL NO.
50826
R4D-8 MaAM 52/91 (Note: 1)
1957
Douglas SERIAL NO.
45162
-
-
DC-7C MaAM 52/91 (Note: 1)
COMMONWEALTH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
1941
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
06-D11
SERIAL NO.
265
CA-6 Wackett 16 (A3-31)
1941
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
06-F6
SERIAL NO.
300
CA-6 Wackett 15 (A3-66)
1941
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
06-G5
SERIAL NO.
319
CA-6 Wackett 13 (A3-85)
1940
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
05-N5 (?)
SERIAL NO.
P03
CA-5 Wirraway 11 (A20-108)
1940
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
07-G6
SERIAL NO.
200
CA-7 Wirraway 11 (A20-200)
1941
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
08-A6
SERIAL NO.
441
CA-8 Wirraway 11 (A20-240)
1941
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
08-L4
SERIAL NO.
539
CA-8 Wirraway 12 (A20-337)
1942
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
09-L2 (?)
SERIAL NO.
737
CA-9 Wirraway 11 (A20-536)
1943
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
16-A7
SERIAL NO.
1081
CA-16 Wirraway 11 (A20-629)
1942
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
CA-C10
SERIAL NO.
848
CA-12 Boomerang 10 (A46-25)
1943
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
CA-E1
SERIAL NO.
869
CA-12 Boomerang 11 (A46-46)
1944
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
CA-L20
SERIAL NO.
1008
CA-13 Boomerang 11 (A46-185)
1945
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
CA-T9
SERIAL NO.
1073
CA-19 Boomerang 11 (A46-249)
1946
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
1396
SERIAL NO.
A68-71
CA-17 Mustang 13  
1947
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
1430
SERIAL NO.
A68-105
CA-18 Mustang 11 (VH-JUC)
1948
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
1444
SERIAL NO.
A68-119
CA-18 Mustang 11  
1951
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
1518
SERIAL NO.
A68-193
CA-18 Mustang 11  
1956
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
39
SERIAL NO.
A85-439
CA-25 Winjeel 11 (VH-FTS)
1956
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
40
SERIAL NO.
A85-440
CA-25 Winjeel 17  
1956
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
43
SERIAL NO.
A85-443
CA-25 Winjeel 18  
1956
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
46
SERIAL NO.
A85-446
CA-25 Winjeel 17  
1957
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
50
SERIAL NO.
A85-450
CA-25 Winjeel 11 (VH-HOY)
1956
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
64
SERIAL NO.
A94-964
CA-27 Sabre 11  
1961
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
VH-CEU
SERIAL NO.
28-19
CA-28 Ceres 14 (Note: 6)
1970
CAC MANUFACTURER'S NO.
H00-06?
SERIAL NO.
A7-072
CA-30 MB-326H 14 (Note: 5)
MISCELLANEOUS
1938
A.V. Roe SERIAL NO.
R3LW15684
MAKER'S No.
M166
Anson 10  
1941
D.H.A. NO.
501
-
-
DH.82A Tiger Moth 20 (ZK-BSN)
1941
North American SERIAL NO.
2995
-
-
Harvard II 13  
1942
Noorduyn SERIAL NO.
14-480
-
-
AT-16 13  
1942
Bristol SERIAL NO.
T9604
-
-
Beaufort T9604/A9-52 MaAM 53/104. (Note: 4)
1943
Bristol SERIAL NO.
418
-
-
Beaufort A9-418 10 (Note: 4)
1942
Northrop SERIAL
476
-
-
Vengeance A27-1 MaAM 52/92 (Note: 1)
1943
Curtiss Wright SER. No.
AC43-23340
MFG'R SER. NO.
31279
P-40N-20CU A29-677 10 (Note: 3)
1944
Vultee SERIAL
31422
-
-
Vengeance A27-519 MaAM 52/92 (Note: 1)
1944
Chance Vought

MFG. NO.

6296
-
-
Corsair NZ5485 MaAM 53/104 (Note: 1)
1951
Auster
SERIAL NO.
33142
CONS. NO.
2683
J5/B
19
(VH-KBG) (Note: 7)
1952
DHA CONSTRUCTOR'S NO.
4055
-
-
D.H. 100 Vampire 10 (A79-609/409)
1956
Convair MFG. SERIAL NO.
320
-
-
Convair 440 LN-KLB MaAM 53/104  
1957
Cessna SERIAL
35537
-
-
310 VH-UAL/AER MaAM 53/104 (Note: 1)
1959
Fokker SER. NR.
10134
-
-
F27.202 VH-TFI 6  
1959
Boeing MANUFACTURER'S SERIAL NO.
17696
-
-
707-138 VH-EBA 3  
1960
Bell MANUFACTURERS SERIAL NO
1801
-
-
47J MaAM 45/95 (Note: 1)
1961
Hindustan CONSTRUCTORS NO AMD/748/500 REGISTERATION (sic)
B.H.572
HS.748/103 Series 1 21 (Note: 8)
1962
Piaggio MANUFACTURER'S NUMBER
409
-
-
P.166 VH-ASA MaAM 45/95  
1965
Piaggio SERIAL NUMBER
414
-
-
P.166C VH-FSC MaAM 45/95  
1965
Victa SERIAL NO.
F81
-
-
Airtourer VH-BWI MaAM 53/105  
1966
Grumman MANUFACTURER SERIAL NO.
281C
-
-
S-2E 152812 MaAM 53/105  
1971
Pilatus Fabr No
731
-
-
PC-6 Turbo-Porter 5  
1981
Aerospatiale AVION No.
252
-
-
Rallye TB.10 MaAM 45/95  
1982
Hughes Helicopter SERIAL No.
280269D
-
-
369D P2-PHL MaAM 53/105  
1995
Piper SERIAL NO.
36-7760076
-
-
PA36-300 MaAM 53/105  

 

CAC DATA PLATES EXPLAINED

CAC data plates consistently record two numbers, a "Manufacturer's No." and a "Serial No.". With the Wackett and Wirraway, the Manufacturer's No is prefixed by two digits indicating the CAC type number followed by a letter indicating the production batch and a number indicating the sequence within that batch. The Serial No. is what might today be considered a Line Number. This system continued with the Boomerang although the two digit prefix was dropped in favour of "CA". RAAF serial numbers did not appear on the data plates until after the war. (Subsequent identities shown in brackets did not appear on the data plate). With postwar Mustang production, the Manufacturer's No. became a four digit number which was not directly related to the RAAF serial which appeared on the plate as the Serial No. With the Winjeel and Sabre, the Manufacturer's No. bore a direct relationship to the RAAF serial.

 

NOTES

1
Issued under the auspices of the Manufacturers Aircraft Association Inc.
2
Descriptors are presented verbatim including case and punctuation.
3
Issued by the Curtiss Aeroplane Division of Curtiss Wright Corporation.
4
Issued by the Aircraft Production Commission (Aust)
5
A question mark in the data plate table indicates legibility issues with the punched characters.
6
The numbers on the data plate for Ceres VH-CEU are positioned as shown i.e. reverse of the normal pattern.
7

Curiously, the data plate fixed to Auster VH-KBG (see below) shows the type as J5/B whereas the aircraft is actually a J1/B. It is believed that in this instance the plate has been punched incorrectly. Auster data plates are unusual in that many of them show a SERIAL NO. and a CONS. NO. This confusing situation is explained by UK Auster specialist Ian O'Neill.

An Auster airframe carries many sub-assembly identification plates. The principal plate is the fuselage frame assembly plate which carries a unique serial number (SERIAL NO.). No military Auster has a constructor's number (CONS. NO.) stamped on the fuselage frame assembly plate as it was not a military requirement. However, most but not all, military Austers were allotted a constructor's number by the manufacturer for internal company use only. Initially, post-war civilian Austers were treated similarly until circa 1951 when the constructor's number was added to the fuselage frame assembly plate. At the time of manufacture, the fuselage frame assembly plate was riveted to the square tube forming the upper part of the starboard door framework.

Fuselage Frame Plate of VH-KBG

(Picture: Ian McDonell)

8
The plate was issued by the Indian Air Force Aircraft Manufacturing Depot.

 

SOURCES

1
http://www.worldlii.org/int/other/LNTSer/1922/99.html
2
Appleton John, 1986, The Civil Aircraft Registers of Great Britain 1919-1985. TAHS, UK.
3
http://www.adastron.com/707/qantas/data-plate.htm
4
MaAM:
Man and Aerial Machines
No. 1, February 1989 to No. 19, February 1991 produced by John Hopton.
Man and Aerial Machines No. 21, April 1991 to No. 100b, November 2013 produced by Trevor Boughton.
(Issue No. 20 was intended to be an index but it was never produced.)
5
Exhibit at the Queensland Air Museum.
6
Photograph provided by David Thollar.
7
Plate in compiler's collection. See image at top of page.
8
Image of plate from unrecorded source on the Internet.
9
Jenkinson, Alec, 1999, BEA, BOAC & Balloons A Life in Aviation, self-published England.
10
Eric Allen Collection.
11
Dick Hourigan Collection.
12
Matthew Denning Collection.
13
Mark Pilkington Collection.
14
Queensland Air Museum
15
Mark Middleton via Mark Pilkington.
16
The Aviation Heritage Museum, Bull Creek.
17
Wayne Harder via Mark Pilkington.
18
Stuart Lee via Mark Pilkington.
19
Photograph provided by Ian McDonell.
20
Photograph provided by Graham Orphan.
21
Photograph provided by Bruce Leatherbarrow.

 

Issue
Date
Remarks
11
14JUL22
Added an example of the use of "Constructors No" on the data plate of a Hindustan built HS.748.
10
19JUN22
Added details from a DHA DH.82A Tiger Moth data plate thanks to Geoff Goodall.
9
24FEB22
Added an explanation of Auster data plates thanks to Ian O'Neill. Also added a photograph of an Auster data plate thanks to Ian McDonell.
8
06JAN21
Added examples of North American and Noorduyn data plates thanks to Mark Pilkington.
7
25DEC20
Added references to CAC data plates from sources 15 to 18.
6
24DEC20
Added a reference to the data plate from Ceres VH-CEU from the QAM Collection.
5
23DEC20
Added a reference to the data plate from Wirraway A20-337 thanks to Matthew Denning.
Added references to the data plates for Mustang A68-71 and Winjeel A85-446 thanks to Mark Pilkington.
4
21DEC20
Added a greater representation of CAC data plates thanks to Dick Hourigan and Matthew Denning.
3
20DEC20
Added an image of the Data Plate from Vampire A79-409. This is the only data plate located by the compilers to use the term "Constructor's No." Also added several examples of data plate nomenclature to the table above. All thanks to Eric Allen (Source: 10)
2
18JAN20
Added the term "Aircraft Serial Number" which appeared on a UK CofR dated 27FEB76 from Source: 9.
1
22NOV19
Original issue. Compiled by Ron Cuskelly and Trevor Boughton in August 2018.

 



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