World Air Forces

    Austrian Designations



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                 Austria
    A = Aircraft with a maximum weight up to 1000kg or landing distance of 450m
    B = Aircraft with a maximum weight up to 2600kg
    C = Aircraft with fixed armament or prepared to carry weapons
        (as far as they are not used as trainers)
    Cj = Fighter
    Ca = Reconnaissance
    Cb = bomber
    S = All other aircraft
    ----------------------
    I   = Normal conditions
    II  = High Duty conditions
    III = Very High Duty Conditions
    Aircraft classifications (March 28, 1935)
    AI = Hopfner HS 8/29, HS 9/32, Hs 10/33
         Phonix L2c
         Pintsch "Schwalbe"
         DH. Moth, Moth Major, Puss Moth
         Lampich NL 22
    AII = DH. Tiger Moth
          Caproni 100
          Hopfner HS 9/35
          Udet U 12a,s
    AIII = Fw 44
    BI = Fw 58
         Ju A35
         Ju F13
         DH. 84 Dragon
         Bf 108
    BII = Fiat Cr 20 biposto
          Hopfner HM 13/34
          Tigerschwalbe
          Gotha Go 145
    BIII = Fw 56
           Breda 28
           Fiat Cr 30
           Avro 626
    Ca II = Ro 37
            Fiat A120
            Fiat A120R
    Cb II = Junkers Ju 52
            Caproni Ca 133
    Cb III = Junkers Ju 86
    Cj = Fiat Cr 20
         Fiat Cr 32
    S = Cierva C30
    Rules for civil / military registration from 1935 to 1938:
    
    Civil registration:
    
    OE-A.. / OE-D.. Sports aircraft
    OE-L..  commercial aircraft
    OE-P..  police aircraft
    OE-S..  aircraft of a flying school
    
    
    Military registration:
    
    1935:
    
    the three-letter registration decodes as follows:
    
    first: 
            class A:   T without / M with radio equipment
            class B:   F    "    / N     "
    second:
            K  .. cabin
    third:
            Type of aircraft,
            i.e.: F / L .. Udet 'FL'amingo
                  H / O .. 'HO'pfner
                  M / E .. 'M'ott'E' (german for Moth)
            (there are no more examples in this book, but I think
             you can figure out more from the designations
             themselves.)
    
    Another quite funny thing which appeared to me:
    
    When you look at some registrations they follow the vocals AEIOU in second 
    place: TAF TEF TIF TOF TUF for instance. AEIOU was a sequence used by the 
    Monarchs of Austria and is often translated as 'Austria Est In Orbe Ultima' 
    (Austria is the highest in the world, or something like that, latin was not 
    my strongest side at school...) or in german 'Alles Erdreich Ist Oesterreich 
    Untertan' which means the same as above. funny, isn't it ? but it becomes 
    more clear when you know that the first commander (and the one who built it 
    up in secrecy) of the austrian airforce after WWI was a decorated WWI pilot, 
    Alexander Loehr.
    
    More designations:
    
    the service number is decoded as follows:
    
    first digit:
            1 .. fighters
            2 .. reconnaissance
            3 .. bombers
            4 .. trainers of class A
            5 .. trainers of class B
            6 .. everything else
            9 .. gliders (was added later)
    
    the other digits represent the serial number of the plane.
    
    In 1936 the letter registrations changed their meaning:
    
    first letter:
    
    F .. class B aircraft
    M .. fighters (dropped when the cockade was introduced later)
    N .. reconnaissance ( dropped, used only for the Ju F13 )
    T .. class A aircraft
    
    R
    H
    I
    V
    X
    Z
    were reserved orally for future use with the Ministry
    for trade and traffic (Aerial department).
    Austrian Registrations since 1955
    
    weight class A (single engine aircraft up to 2000 kg) 
            up to 3 persons:        OE-A.. OE-C..
            more than 3 persons:    OE-D.. OE-K.. OE-MZ
                                    OE-PZ. OE-RZ. OE-OX.
    
    weight class B (single engine, 2000kg up to 5700kg)  OE-E..
    weight class C (multiple engines, up to 5700 kg)     OE-F..
    weight class D (multiple engines, 5700 to 14000 kg)  OE-G..
    weight class E (multiple engines, 14000 to 20000 kg) OE-H..
    weight class F (multiple engines, over 20000 kg)     OE-I..
    federal aircraft     OE-B..
    commercial aircraft  OE-L..
    aircraft with time-limited license   OE-U..
    
    aircraft with operational-limited license  OE-V..
    (i.e. prototypes, presentation of aircraft,..)
    
    Water- or Amphibian aircraft OE-.W.
    rotarywing aircraft (Helicopters, gyrocopters)  OE-.X.
    Hot-air balloons   OE-.Z.
    Gliders         OE-0001 to OE-0999
                    OE-5001 ->
    Ultralights     OE-7001 ->
    motorgliders    OE-9001 ->
    
    
    cancelled registrations can be re-assigned to new aircraft.
    Page Contributed by Edgar
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