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As strange as it seems, no-one has ever started a topic here on the designations in use with the Canadian military since the introduction of a standardized system in 1968. Since there a quite a few very interesting things to say about this system, and also quite a few designations that are not very well known, here is my contribution to the subject, which will also include cancelled programs, reused designations, unofficial designations and names, etc.
Things to know before getting started:
Things to know before getting started:
- The designations consist of a two-letter prefix followed by a three-digit number. The first letter is always C (for Canada) and the second letter indicates the type's mission/role: transport (C), electronic warfare (E), fighter (F), helicopter (H), observation (O*), patrol (P), search & rescue (SR*), trainer (T), unmanned (U) and experimental (X*). The letter codes marked by an asterisk (*) are no longer in use. The three-digit number was initially meant to be allocated within the 100-199 range (hence the skip in Canadair's CL- list from CL-99 to CL-200, to avoid confusion), but recent history has shown that new allocations no longer follow the rule, and just as in the U.S. DoD system, the choice is often to simply keep the commercial designator of the type, even if it's in the higher numbers (CC-295, CC-330).
- The designations are not allocated in sequential order. They are often adapted from the aircraft type's already established operational designation (usually American), and can therefore seem quite random.
- The cancelled designations are rarely reallocated, but it happens. Cancelled programs such as the Avro CF-105 or the Canadair CX-131 were sufficiently advanced at the time of cancellation to justify not reallocating the numbers 105 and 131. However, when procurement never even started, the reserved numbers have often been reallocated (102, 111, 113, 140, 141, 148, 149, 156).
- Official names are often those given by the manufacturer, but sometimes local names are prefered. For example, the Hiller Nomad, the Boeing Labrador/Voyageur, tyhe Lockheed Aurora/Acturus, the Bell Griffon/Outlaw, the Sikorsky Cyclone, the Airbus Polaris and Husky.
- Serial numbers typically consist of six digits, and usually appear on the aircraft's tail. The first three digits are those of the official designation, the next three indicate the aircraft's number (and also appear prominently on the aircraft's nose). The latter often begin at 001, but sometimes they start at 101, 201, 301, etc. instead, and there are also instances of series beginning at 000 instead of 001. In some rare cases, a batch of aircraft procured from another country will keep the last three digits of their original serials, therefore resulting in gaps. It is also to be noted that when the system was introduced in 1968, many of the existing aircraft received those standardized six-digit numbers instead of their previous sequential five-digit ones, but some aircraft types somehow retained their old serials (such as the CF-100, the first batch of CF-101, the CF-104D, the CC-108, the CSR-110, etc.). It is important to note, however, that many of the earlier aircraft retained their five digit serial numbers, which were sequential blocks, while others had those changed to six-digit versions (the last three digits usually remaining the same).
- Leased aircraft usually retain their civilian registrations. Sometimes, proper serial numbers are allocated for record purposes, but do not appear on the aircraft themselves.
- Different types get different numbers, but there are a few exceptions. For instance, the Vertol 42 (H-21) and Vertol 44 (commercial version) were very similar, but received different designations (CH-125 and CH-127). Conversely, the Beechcraft King Air C90A/C90B, King Air B200 and King Air 350 are very different planes, but they were all designated CT-145.
- Some nearly retired types got designations, while others didn't. Most prominent example is the Canadair CL-13 Sabre series, retired in 1970 without receiving a designation. Another example is the Boeing Bomarc missile, which retained its US designation (CIM-10B) until its retirement in 1972.
| military designation | manufacturer / model | quantity | years active | serial numbers | remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF-100 Canuck | Avro Can. C.100 | 692 ex | 1951-1984 | 18101/18792 | several variants |
| CF-101B/F Voodoo | M.Donnell F-101B/F | 132 ex | 1963-1987 | from 17391/411, 433/483 (1st batch); 101001/067 (2nd) | 19 were CF-101F |
| EF-101B "Electric Voodoo" | M.Donnell F-101B | [1 ex] | 19??-1987 | 101067 | electronic jammer |
| 102 | initially | skipped | because of | possible confusion with | Avro C.102 Jetliner |
| CT-102 Astra° | Grob G.120A | 11 ex | 2013+ | 85026/85034 | retain civilian regs. |
| CF-103 | Avro Canada | 0 ex | never built | none | reserved, not used |
| CF-104 Starfighter | Canadair CL-90 | 200 ex | 1961-1988 | 12700/900, later 104700/900 | licensed 683-04-12 |
| CF-104A Starfighter | Lockh. 183-92-02 | 1 ex | 1962-1986 | serial not found | single-seat F-104 |
| CF-104D Dual Starfighter | Lockh. 583-04-15 | 39 ex | 1962-1986 | 12631/668 (one missing) | two-seat RF-104G |
| CF-105 Arrow | Avro Canada | 5 ex | 1958-1959 | 25201/205 | never operational |
| CC-106 Yukon | Canadair CL-44-6 | 12 ex | 1959-1971 | 15921/932, then 106921/932 | |
| CP-107 Argus | Canadair CL-28-1/-2 | 33 ex | 1957-1988 | 20710/742 then 10710/42 | |
| CC-108 Caribou | De Hav. DHC-4/A | 9 ex | 1960-1971 | from 5303/5327 | or 11 ? |
| CC-109 Cosmopolitan | Convair CL-66C | 3 ex | 1959-1966 | 11151/11153 | modified CV-440 |
| " " | Canadair CL-66B | 10 ex | 1960-1995 | 11154/163, to 109151/160 | modified CV-440 |
| CSR-110 Albatross | Grumman G-231 | 10 ex | 1960-1971 | 9301/9310 | similar to UH-16B |
| CF-111 Starfighter | never used | — | — | — | became CF-104A |
| CT-111 Firefly | Slingsby T.67C3 | 12 ex | 1992-2006 | from C-GSTB/GSTZ range | leased aircraft |
| CH-112 Nomad | Hiller UH-12E | 27 ex | 1961-1973 | 10261/287, then 112263/285 | similar to OH-23D |
| CF-113 Dual Starfighter | never used | — | — | — | became CF-104D |
| CH-113 Labrador | B.-Vertol 107.II-9 | 18 ex | 1963-2001 | 11301/11318 | SAR version of H-46 |
| CH-113A Voyageur | B.-Vertol 107.II-28 | [...] | 1963-2001 | from above batch | became Labradors |
| CT-114 Tutor | Canadair CL-41A | 191 ex | 1963+ | 114000*, 114001/114190 | * not in all records |
| CC-115 Buffalo | De Hav. DHC-5A | 15 ex | 1967-2022 | 115451/115465 | |
| CF-116A 'CF-5' | Can. CL-219-1A10 | 89 ex | 1968-1995 | 116701/116789 | initially "Freedom Fighter" |
| CF-116D 'CF-5D' | Can. CL-219-1A17 | 46 ex | 1968-1995 | 116701/116789 | |
| CC-/CE-117 Falcon | Dass. Falcon 20C | 8 ex | 1967-1989 | 20501/508, then 117501/508 | CE- first as EW-117 |
| CH-118 Iroquois° | Bell 205 (CUH-1H) | 10 ex | 1968-1997 | 118101/118110 | |
| CC-119 Flying Boxcar | Fairchild C-119 | 35 ex | 1952-1967 | 22101/22135 | likely apocryphal |
| CO-119 Bird Dog° | Cessna 305 | 25 ex | 1954-1983 | 16701/725, then 119701/725 | like L-19/O-1 |
| CO-119 Skylane° | Cessna 182 | 10 ex | 1961-1973 | 19726/735, then 119727/730 | same designation |
| CT-120 Chipmunk | D.H. DHC-1A-1/B-2 | 100 ex | 1948-1972 | 18001/066 + civil registrations | |
| CP-121 Tracker | Grumman G-103 | 101 ex* | 1968-1994* | 1500/1600 (built by DHC) | * vary widely |
| CP-122 Neptune | Lockh. 826-45-14 | 25 ex | 1955-1970 | 24101/24125 | similar to P2V-7 |
| CC-123 Otter | De Hav. DHC-3 | 69 ex | 1953-1984 | 3661/3745, 9401/9427 | initially as CSR-123 |
| CH-124 Sea King | Sikorsky S-61A | 41 ex | 1968-2018 | 4001/4041, then 124401/441 | SAR, like SH-3A |
| CH-124A Sea King | Sikorsky S-61A | [32 ex] | 19??-2018 | from above batch | ASW variant |
| CH-124B Sea King | Sikorsky S-61A | [7 ex] | 19??-2018 | from above batch | troop transport |
| CH-124B-2 Sea King | Sikorsky S-61A | [...] | not known | from above batch | HELTAS towed-array sonar |
| CH-124C Sea King | Sikorsky S-61A | [1ex] | not known | 124421 | elec./avionics test-bed |
| CH-124U Sea King | Sikorsky S-61A | [...] | not known | from above batch | transp. conv. (unofficial) |
| CH-125 Workhorse° | Vertol 42 | 15 ex | 1954-1973 | 9610/9615, 9636/9644 | similar to H-21A |
| CH-126 Chocktaw° | Sikorsky S-58 | 6 ex | 1955-1973 | 9630/9635 | similar to H-34A |
| CH-127 Shawnee° | Vertol 44A | 5 ex | 1960-1972 | 9591/9592, 9594/9596 | three H-21B conv. |
| CT-128 Expeditor | Beech C18S/D18S | 394 ex | 1941-1972 | too many to mention | |
| CC-/CT-129 Dakota | Douglas DC-3 | 169 ex | 1943-1988 | too many to mention |
° names found in some sources but may not be official
NOTE: all dates are approximate, as they vary from source to source
(to be continued)
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