BuAer numbers

The US Navy’s Bureau of Aeronautics, which was established on 10 August 1921, issued specifications for a number of aircraft which were built by contractors. In the late 1920s and early 1930 a number of these specifications were identified as BuAer designs.
I have listed numbers that I know, gathered from a variety of sources, along with the designations of the contractors’ aircraft (if known).

BuAer 35 Boeing TB
BuAer 77 NAF T2N, Martin T5M
BuAer 86 Berliner Joyce OJ
BuAer 96 Atlantic FA, Curtiss F9C, Berliner Joyce FJ
BuAer 106 Great Lakes SG, Loening S2L, Sikorsky SS
BuAer 107 Martin FM
BuAer 110 Great Lakes BG, Consolidated B2Y
BuAer 111 Two seat bi-plane fighter (F12C)
BuAer 113 Vought F3U, Douglas FD
BuAer 120 Berliner Joyce F3J, Loening FL, Grumman F2F
BuAer 124 ‘Hook-up’ fighter for airships, to replace F9C (not built)
BuAer 145 Replacement of Douglas TBD (not built)

Can readers fill in gaps?


Jos Heyman

Aerofiles lists the Keystone XOK-1 as being "Based on BuAero design #86."

Martin MO and M2O have been designed by BuAer and awarded to Martin company for manufacturing. No BuAer numbers known (if exists). Source - Swanborough & Bowers "United States navy aircraft since 1911"

BuAer Design No.60 was related to non-rigid airship. http://books.google.com/books?id=aB9UAAAAMAAJ&q=BuAer+Design+No.60+airships&dq=BuAer+Design+No.60+airships&hl=en&ei=9x2LTJzQPIiaOL-9nIkL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA

No Martin model numbers are known to have existed before the MO-1, which was Model 57.

This has led me to wonder if it was not simply initially the BuAer number, used inhouse by Martin to designate the plane. Considering Martin was then one of the Navy's main contractors (alongside Curtiss and Boeing), it is likely that, whatever specifications BuAer came up with for numbers 58, 59 etc., Martin may have had a proposal for each and perhaps they decided to continue (at least at the beginning) their own numbering from there? This is just a hypothesis but it sounds very logical and likely given that "57" seems in the right timeframe for BuAer's system AND that Martin only produced about fifteen designs in twenty-five separate versions before Model 57, not fifty-six...

For me Model 57 sounds more reliable for for proposition of production contract, then "Model 1".
Larger number - better experience

Perhaps Jos Heyman could edit the list, with above mentioned additions?

A more up-to-date list:

Prel. Des. 25 Hulls Nos. 1 and 2 - Report of Experiments with Model #2497 (May 1923)
BuAer 28 Modified - Experiments with Model of (Feb 1927)
BuAer 30 Amphibian Floats - Experiments with Model of (Feb 1927)
BuAer 31 Hull - Report on Experiments with Model No. 2588 (Jan 1925)
BuAer 35 Boeing TB [http://www.history.navy.mil/download/app1-3.pdf]
BuAer 38 Class VF Seaplane Float - Experiments with Model No. 2665 (Jun 1926)
BuAer 42 Experiments with a Model of the Hull (Dec 1926)
BuAer 47 Hull - PI. No. 3944 - Project No. 1403 - Experiments with a Model of (Jul 1926)
BuAer 50 Class VP Flying Boat Hull - Experiments with a Model of (Jul 1926)
BuAer 51 Class VT Seaplane Floats - Experiments with a Model of (Jul 1926)
" " " Seaplane Floats - Stability Tests with Damaged Compartments (Dec 1927)
BuAer 58 Class VF Seaplane - Mark I and II Floats - Experiments with a Model of (Oct 1926)
BuAer 59 Flying Boat Hull - Experiments with a Model of (Apr 1927)
BuAer 60 Goodyear-Zeppelin ZRS-4 Akron and ZRS-5 Macon
BuAer 63 Float - Class VF Seaplane - Experiments with a Model of (Aug 1927)
BuAer 67 Hull - Experiments with a Model of (Jul 1927)
" " " Hull - Modified Lines, Model Experiments (Jan 1929)
" " " Hull - Additional Model Tests (Aug 1929)
BuAer 70 Seaplane Float - Model Tests - Project No. 1770 (May 1928)
BuAer 71 Hull Lines, Class V.P. Plying Boat Hull (Project No. 1677) (Oct 1927)
" " " Hull Lines Modified - Project No. 1990 (Sep 1929)
" " " Mk III & Mk IV Hulls - Project No. 2007 (Nov 1929)
" " " Mark VIII Hull, Mark VII Outriggers - Model Experiments with C.G. Moved Forward - Project No. 3028 (Oct 1935)
BuAer 74 Brewster Floats for Model 74 - Experiments with a Model of (Aug 1927)
BuAer 77 NAF T2N, Martin T5M
BuAer 80 Hull - Experiments with Model of (Aug 1929)
BuAer 86 Berliner Joyce OJ, Keystone OK
BuAer 87 Class VS Airplane - Project No. 2152 (May 1930); Hull and Loening Proposed Alternative Hull (Mar 1930)
BuAer 91 Hull (Jan 1930)
BuAer 96 Atlantic FA, Curtiss F9C, Berliner Joyce FJ
BuAer 103 Class VO Airplane Float - Project No. 2287 (Feb 1931)
BuAer 106 Great Lakes SG, Loening S2L, Sikorsky SS; Hull and Wing Tip Floats - Project No. 2353 (Jun-Jul-Nov 1931)
BuAer 107 Martin FM
BuAer 108 Hull and Outrigger Floats - Project No. 2?51 (Jan 1932)
BuAer 110 Great Lakes BG, Consolidated B2Y
BuAer 111 Two seat bi-plane fighter (F12C)
BuAer 113 Vought F3U, Douglas FD
BuAer 120 Berliner Joyce F3J, Loening FL, Grumman F2F
BuAer 121 Mark I - Hull and Outrigger - Project No. 2574 (Oct 1932)
" " " Mark II Hull, Mark I Outriggers - Project No. 2591 (Dec 1932)
" " " Mark III Hull and Outriggers - Project No. 2607 (Jan 1933)
" " " Mark IV Hull and Outriggers - Project No. 2631 (Mar-May 1933)
" " " Mark V Hull and Outrigger Floats - Project No. 2676 (Sep 1933)
" " " Mark VI Hull and Outriggers - Project No. 2765 (Jan 1934)
" " " Mark VII Hull and Outriggers - Project No. 2870 (Oct 1934)
" " " Mark VIII Hull - Experiments with a Model of - Project No. 3007 (Nov 1935)
BuAer 124 ‘Hook-up’ fighter for airships, to replace F9C (not built)
BuAer 135 Class VN Airplane Float - Project No. 2891 (Jan 1935)
" " " Mk I - Class VN Airplane Float - Project No, 2991 (Jul 1935)
BuAer 137 Mark II Hull - Experiments with a Model of - Project No. 3025 (Oct 1935)
" " " Mark I Hull - Project No. 3007 (Nov 1935)
" " " Mark III Hull - Experiments with a Model of - Project No. 3057 (Nov 1935)
" " " Mark IV Hull - Experiments with a Model of - Project No. 3077 (Feb 1936)
BuAer 139 Class VSO Airplane Hull - Experiments with a Model of - Project No. 3037 (Jan 1936)
BuAer 140 Class VO Seaplane - Experiments with a Model of Mark XII Float - Project No. 3064 (Jan 1936)
" " " Experiments with a Model of Mark XIII Float
BuAer 145 Replacement of Douglas TBD (not built)