This list of military aircraft of the United States includes prototype, pre-production, and operational types. Prototypes are normally prefixed with "X" and often unnamed (note that these are not the same as the experimental X-planes, which are never expected to go into production), while pre-production models are usually prefixed "Y".


USAF A10 Thunderbolt.

Table of contents
1 Attack
2 Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW)
3 Bomber
4 Cargo/Transport
5 Cargo Helicopter
6 Electronic
7 Fighter
8 Tanker
9 Observation
10 Orbiter Vehicle
11 Patrol
12 Pursuit
13 Drone
14 Reconnaissance
15 Trainer
16 Utility
17 Vertical Take off and Landing
18 Experimental

Attack

Old system, Army Air Corps/Army Air Force/Air Force:

  • A-3 Falcon - Curtiss
  • A-8 Shrike - Curtiss
  • YA-10 - Curtiss
  • A-12 Shrike - Curtiss
  • YA-13 - Northrop
  • XA-16 - Northrop
  • A-17 - Northrop
  • A-20 Havoc - Douglas
  • A-26 Invader - Douglas
  • A-33 - Northrop
  • A-31/A-35 Vengeance - Vultee

Navy:

  • AF-2 Guardian - Grumman
  • AJ-2 Savage - North American
  • AM-1 Mauler - Martin

Unified system, after 1962:


A-1 Skyraider, USA 2003.


P-3 Orion of the US Navy.

Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW)

Bomber

Old system, Army Air Corps/Army Air Force/Air Force:


USAF B52.

  • B-32 Dominator - Consolidated
  • B-36 - Convair
  • B-45 Tornado - North American
  • B-47 Stratojet - Boeing
  • B-50 - Boeing
  • B-52 Stratofortress - Boeing
  • B-57 - (Canberra) Martin/English Electric
  • B-58 Hustler - Convair
  • B-66 Destroyer - Douglas
  • XB-70 Valkyrie - (semi-operational) North American

Navy:

  • BT-1 - Northrop
  • BTD-1 Destroyer - Douglas
  • MB-1 - Martin
  • Curtiss SBC-4 - Curtiss
  • SB2C - Curtiss
  • SBD Dauntless - Douglas
  • SB2U Vindicator - Vought
  • TBD Devastator - Grumman
  • TBF Avenger - Grumman
  • TBY-2 Sea Wolf - Consolidated
  • T2D - Douglas

Unified system, after 1962:

United States Air Force B-2 Spirit

Cargo/Transport

Old system, Army Air Corps/Force; Air Force

  • C-46 Commando - Curtiss
  • C-47 Skytrain - (DC-3) Douglas
  • C-54 Skymaster - (DC-4) Douglas
  • C-74 Globemaster - Douglas
  • C-82 Packet - Fairchild
  • C-97 Stratofreighter - Boeing
  • C-117 Super Dakota - Douglas
  • C-118 Liftmaster - (DC-6) Douglas
  • C-119 Flying Boxcar - Fairchild
  • C-120 Packplane - Fairchild
  • C-123 Provider - Fairchild
  • C-130 Hercules - Lockheed
  • C-131 Samaritan - Convair
  • C-133 Cargomaster - Douglas
  • C-135 - Boeing 707
  • C-137 - Boeing 707 including "Air Force One"
  • C-140 Jetstar - Lockheed
  • C-141 Starlifter - Lockheed

Navy:

  • R3Y Tradewind - Convair

Unified system, after 1962:

Cargo Helicopter


U.S. Army Chinook loads a howitzer gun.

  • H-3 Sea King - Sikorsky
  • CH-19 Chickasaw - Sikorsky
  • CH-21 Shawnee - Piasecki
  • CH-34 Chocktaw - Sikorsky
  • CH-37 Mojave - Sikorsky
  • CH-46 Sea Knight - Boeing
  • CH-47 Chinook - Boeing
  • CH-53 Sea Stallion - Sikorsky nicknamed "Jolly Green Giant"
  • CH-54 Skycrane - Sikorsky

Electronic


United States Air Force E-3 Sentry
  • ES-3 Shadow - Lockheed
  • EP-3 Aries - Lockheed
  • EA-1 Skyraider - Douglas
  • EA-3 Skywarrior - Douglas
  • EA-6B Prowler - Grumman
  • EC-18 Aria - Boeing
  • EC-24 - McDonnell Douglas
  • EC-121 Warning Star - Lockheed
  • EC-130 Compass Call - Lockheed
  • EC-135 Looking Glass - Boeing
  • EF-111 Raven - General Dynamics

Fighter

Navy, from 1922 (alpha by Navy-assigned mfgr letter)

  • Brewster F2A
  • Brewster F3A - Brewster version of Corsair
  • FB - Boeing
  • F2B-1 - Boeing
  • F3B Seahawk - Boeing
  • F4B - Boeing
  • F5B naval designation of Boeing XP-15
  • F6B - Boeing
  • F7B - Boeing
  • F8B - Boeing
  • FC, F2C, F3C paper designation of racers
  • F4C - Curtiss
  • F5C skipped
  • F6C Hawk - Curtiss
  • F7C Seahawk - Curtiss
  • F8C Falcon - Curtiss
  • F8C-2 Helldiver - Curtiss, different from F8C-1 and F8C-3
  • F9C Sparrowhawk - Curtiss
  • F10C Helldiver - Curtiss, modified F8C-2
  • F11C Goshawk - Curtiss Hawk II or Goshawk, redesig BFC
  • Curtiss F12C - Curtiss, became SBC
  • F13C - Curtiss
  • F14C - Curtiss contra-rotating propellors
  • F15C - Curtiss jet + turboprop
  • FD - Douglas
  • F2D Banshee - Douglas, later redesignated F2H
  • F3D Skyknight - Douglas
  • F4D Skyray - Douglas
  • F5D Skylancer - Douglas, semi-operational
  • F6D Missileer - Douglas
  • FF Fifi - biplane, first Navy fighter by Grumman
  • F2F - Grumman
  • F3F - Grumman
  • F4F Wildcat - Grumman
  • XF5F Skyrocket - Grumman twin-engine carrier-based fighter prototype
  • F6F Hellcat - Grumman
  • F7F Tigercat - Grumman
  • F8F Bearcat - Grumman
  • F9F Cougar - (Panther variant) Grumman
  • F9F Panther - Grumman
  • XF10F Jaguar - Grumman variable-wing prototype
  • F11F Tiger - Grumman, first supersonic aircraft in Navy
  • F12F - Grumman, proposed all-weather interceptor
  • Eberhart FG, F2G
  • Goodyear FG - Goodyear version of Corsair with fixed wings
  • Goodyear F2G - proposed low-altitude Corsair
  • Hall FH
  • FH Phantom - McDonnell
  • F2H Banshee - McDonnell, later F-2
  • F3H Demon - McDonnell, later F-3
  • F4H Phantom II - McDonnell, later F-4
  • FJ - Berliner-Joyce
  • F2J - Berliner-Joyce, P-16 in AAC
  • FJ-1 Fury - North American
  • FL - Loening
  • FL Airabonita - Bell, USN version of P-39
  • F2L Kingcobra - Bell, USN version of P-63
  • General Motors FM - GM version of Wildcat
  • FM Wildcat - General Motors built version of F4F
  • F2M Wildcat - General Motors built version of F4F, different engine to FM
  • F3M - General Motors built version of F8F
  • Seversky FN
  • FO Lightning - Lockheed, USN version of P-38
  • FR1 Fireball - Ryan
  • F2R Dark Shark - Ryan
  • FT - Northrop, USN A-17 derived design
  • F2T Black Widow - Northrop, USN trainer version of P-61
  • FU, F2U, F3U
  • F4U Corsair - Chance Vought
  • XF5U - Chance Vought's "flying pancake", built but never flown
  • F6U Pirate - Chance Vought
  • F7U Cutlass - Chance Vought
  • F8U Crusader - Chance Vought
  • Lockheed FV
  • F2W - Wright
  • F3W Apache - Wright
  • FY Pogo - Convair
  • F2Y Sea Dart - Convair

Air Force, from 1948

Unified system, from 1962

Tanker

Observation

  • O-1 - Curtiss Falcon
  • O-2 - Douglas
  • O-31/O-43/O-46 - Douglas
  • O-47 - North American
  • OS2U Kingfisher - Vought
  • OH-6A Cayuse

  • OH-55 Kiowa - Bell
  • OV-1 Mohawk - Grumman
  • OV-10 Bronco - North American
  • SOC Seagull - Curtiss
  • SO3C - Curtiss

Orbiter Vehicle

Patrol

Pursuit

Pursuit Aircraft of the US Army Air Service/Corps/Force, 1918-1948. After formation of US Air Force (USAF), all "P" designations were changed to "F" while retaining number.

Initially, "PW" was used to indicate "Pursuit, Water-cooled engine".

List in numerical order of designations:

Drone

  • QF-102 Firebee

Reconnaissance

Trainer

Utility

Vertical Take off and Landing

Experimental

  • X-1 - Bell, first supersonic aircraft
  • X-2 - Bell
  • X-3 Stiletto - Douglas
  • X-4 - Northrop
  • X-5 - Bell
  • X-6 - Convair
  • X-7 - Lockheed
  • X-8 to X-12 were missiles
  • X-13 - Ryan VATOL
  • X-14 - Bell VTOL
  • X-15 - North American rocket plane
  • X-16 - Bell, cancelled U-2 competitor
  • X-17 experimental rocket
  • X-18 - Hiller tilt-wing
  • X-19, X-20, X-21?
  • X-22 - Bell
  • X-24 - Martin Marietta lifting body
  • X-29A - Grumman forward-swept wing jet
  • X-31 - Hypersonic jet or Orient Express
  • X-45 - pilotless combat aircraft