Warbird Information Exchange

In the April 2007 issue of Air Classics magazine, there is a story entitled "Last Flight of SC-47 3689" by Steven Whitby. This aircraft carried a USAF investigation team to the crash site of the B-24D "Lady Be Good" in May of 1959.

Cleary visible in two photos is the tail number O-3689. I am trying to determine the full USAAF serial number for this aircraft.

Assuming that "3689" are the last four digits of the serial, this plane would have to be either 42-23689 or 42-93689. According to the new Air-Britain DC-1/2/3 book, the first aircraft went to Indonesia and most likely still exists and the second crashed in India in September of 1944.

Assuming that "689" are the last three digits of the serial, this aircraft could be one of these 12, excluding the two mentioned above: 41-7689, 41-18689, 41-38689, 42-5689, 42-68689, 42-92689, 42-100689, 43-15689, 43-30689, 43-48689, 43-49689 or 44-76689. The only one that appears to be a possibility is 43-15689 which was noted as USAF "O-5689" in January 1958.

Can anyone confirm the serial number of this SC-47?

Thanks,
Todd

Seems I read somewhere that at some point after the war was over
the tailnumbers of aircraft in the new "U.S. Air Force" inventory manufactured before a certain date were altered by prefixing by an "O" re-designating the aircraft "Obsolete".

The "0-" prefix indicates that the aircraft is more than 10 years old. The first digit of the serial number that's painted on the airplane is the second digit of the year the contract for the aircraft was let. For example, Chuckie's serial number is 44-8543, and the number painted on the tail is "48543". If she was still in active service in 1954, ten years after the contract was let, they would have added the "0-" to the tail, which would then read "0-448543". I've seen photos of really old aircraft with the prefix "00-" on their tails!

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

When we were discussing that Alaska Air Guard C-47 wreck a while back, it was noted that at the time, some tail numbers were abbreviated using the 0- , then the second digit of the year, then the last three digits of the sequential number. This could narrow it down to: 43-15689, 43-30689, 43-48689, or 43-49689. If the other three don't work, then 43-15689 must be the one. (And the way I've heard it, the zero - not a letter O - meant the plane had been in service for ten years or more, not that the plane was obsolete.)

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Thanks for the info. I knew had to do with age...older than ten years...0
Tom

The definitive discussion on the "0" vs. "O" controversy is contained in Dave Menard's and Pete Bowers' new book Buzz Numbers (see at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Buzz-Numbers-Explanations-Regulations-Identification/dp/1580071031/ref=sr_1_1/104-5753544-3755920?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173383856&sr=1-1).

The material in this book provides the best explanation I've seen on this subject and many other similar post-war USAF designations and serial number questions.

An excellent reference for any USAF library.

Todd

43-15689 was an SC-47A that was lost 07 June 1959. It was with 7272nd ABW, which went into Mediterranean 60 Miles off the coast of Libya, with 7 crew rescued.

Source US Military Aircraft Mishaps 1950-2004 published by Scramble

Paul

So, do I have an Observation or obsolete aircraft?

Probably both!

According to the article in Air Classics, 0-3689 crashed into the Med on June 7, 1959. So I guess Mr. McMillan has it correct: 43-15689.

it was an interesting article with a twist!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

I want to thank everyone who responded to this question. Paul McMillan was indeed correct; the SC-47 mentioned in the Air Classics article is 43-15689 which was built as C-47A-90-DL, c/n 20155. The new Air-Britain DC-1/DC-2/DC-3 book confirms that this aircraft crashed into the Mediterranean on 07 June 1959.

According to Dave Menard's and the late Pete Bowers' new book "Buzz Numbers", the prefix for USAF aircraft over ten years old was the letter O (oh) and not the number 0 (zero). The "O" stood for "Over 10".

Thanks again,

Todd