United Kingdom aircraft test serials are used to externally identify aircraft flown within the United Kingdom without a full Certificate of Airworthiness. They can be used for testing experimental and prototype aircraft or modifications, pre-delivery flights for foreign customers and are sometimes referred to as "B" class markings.

1930s An initial set of markings was introduced in 1929, each company was allocated a letter to which would follow a number, sometimes with a hyphen or a gap between. For example, A was allocated to the Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft and A 1 was used in March 1930 on an Armstrong Whitworth Starling. Sometimes Hawker and Vickers would also add the letters PV to the markings to indicate a private venture (that is a type in development not paid for by the Air Ministry).

1940s

The presentation was changed to look like a military serial for security reasons during the Second World War. For example, the prototype de Havilland Mosquito was allocated test markings E-0234.

1948 Following a change back to the original system in 1946 a new system was introduced on 1 January 1948. Each company was allocated a number which followed the British nationality marking G and then followed by an individual identity number. For example, Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company were allocated G-2 and the first allocation G-2-1 was used on a Miles Messenger used as an engine testbed for the Cirrus Bombardier. Companies could allocate and re-use the identities as they liked, some ran in sequence from 1 and others used the aircraft manufacturers serial number as part of the marking, for example G-51-200 was a Britten Norman Islander with a manufacturers serial number of 200. Allocations of codes from defunct companies have been reallocated.

Letter sequence 1929–1947

AllocationCompanyNotesAArmstrong Whitworth AircraftReplaced by G-1 in 1948BBlackburn Aeroplane & Motor CompanyReplaced by G-2 in 1948CBoulton PaulReplaced by G-3 in 1948DPortsmouth AviationReplaced by G-4 in 1948Ede HavillandReplaced by G-5 in 1948FFairey AviationReplaced by G-6 in 1948GGloster AircraftReplaced by G-7 in 1948HHandley PageReplaced by G-8 in 1948IHawker AircraftReplaced by G-9 in 1948JParnall AircraftOut of use by 1946JReid & SigristFrom 1947, replaced by G-10 in 1948KAvroReplaced by G-11 in 1948LSaunders-RoeReplaced by G-12 in 1948MShort BrothersReplaced by G-14 in 1948NSupermarineReplaced by G-15 in 1948OVickers ArmstrongsReplaced by G-16 in 1948PWestland AircraftReplaced by G-17 in 1948RBristol AeroplaneReplaced by G-18 in 1948SSpartan AircraftOut of use by 1936SHeston AircraftReplaced by G-19 in 1948TGeneral AircraftReplaced by G-20 in 1948UPhillips & Powis later Miles AircraftReplaced by G-21 in 1948VAirspeedReplaced by G-22 in 1948WG & J Weir1933–1946XPercival AircraftReplaced by G-23 in 1948YBritish Aircraft ManufacturingOut of use by 1938YCunliffe-Owen1940–1947, replaced by G-24 in 1948ZAuster AircraftReplaced by G-25 in 1948ABSlingsby SailplanesReplaced by G-26 in 1948

Numeric sequence since 1948

AllocationCompanyNotesG-1Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft later Hawker Siddeley Aviation1948–1967G-1Rolls-RoyceSince 1969G-2Blackburn Aircraft later Hawker Siddeley AviationUsed at BroughG-3Boulton PaulG-4Portsmouth Aviation1948–1949G-4Miles AviationSince 1969G-5de Havilland later Hawker Siddeley AviationUsed at Hatfield then ChesterG-6Fairey Aviation later Westland HelicoptersG-7Gloster Aircraft1948–1961G-7Slingsby SailplanesSince 1971G-8Handley Page1948-1970G-9Hawker Aircraft later Hawker Siddeley AviationMainly used on Hawker Hunters and Hawker Sea Fury'sG-10Reid & Sigrist1948–1953G-11Avro later Hawker Siddeley AviationUsed at WoodfordG-12Saunders-Roe later Westland Aircraft then British Hovercraft CorporationG-12-1 was used on the first practical hovercraft, the SR-N1; G-12-1 had been used previously on the Saro SR/A1G-13Not usedG-14Short BrothersG-15Supermarine1948–1968G-16Vickers-Armstrongs later British Aircraft CorporationG-17Westland Aircraft later Westland HelicoptersG-18Bristol Aeroplane later British Aircraft CorporationUsed at Filton (Bristol) and Oldmixon (Weston-super-Mare)G-19Heston Aircraft1948–1960G-20General Aircraft1948–1949G-21Miles Aircraft later Handley Page Reading1948–1963G-22Airspeed1948–1952G-23Percival Aircraft later British Aircraft Corporation1948–1966G-24Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft1948–1949G-25Auster Aircraft1948–1962G-26Slingsby Sailplanes1948–1949G-27English Electric later British Aircraft CorporationG-28British European Airways later British Airways HelicoptersG-29D. Napier & Son1948–1962G-30Pest Control Limited1952–1957G-31Scottish AviationG-32Cierva Autogiro Company1948–1951G-33Flight Refuelling Limited1948–1972G-34Chrislea Aircraft1948–1952G-35F.G Miles then Beagle Aircraft1951–1970G-36College of Aeronautics then Cranfield Institute of TechnologySince 1954G-37Rolls-RoyceUsed at Hucknall 1954–1971G-38de Havilland Propellers later Hawker Siddeley Dynamics1954–1975G-39Folland Aircraft1954–1965; G-39-1 was used on the prototype Folland MidgeG-40Wiltshire School of FlyingG-41Aviation Traders1956–1976G-42Armstrong Siddeley Motors1956–1959G-43Edgar Percival Aircraft1956–1959G-44Agricultural Aviation Limited1959G-45Bristol Siddeley Engines1959–1969G-46Saunders-Roe later Westland Aircraft1959–1962G-47Lancashire AircraftG-48Westland Aircraft later Westland Helicopters1960–1969G-49F G Miles Engineering1965–1969G-50AlvisG-51Britten NormanSince 1967G-52Marshall of CambridgeG-53NDN AircraftG-54Cameron BalloonsG-55W VintenG-56Edgley AircraftG-57Airship IndustriesG-65Solar WingsG-76Police Aviation Services LimitedG-77Thruster Air Services Ltd G-78Bristow Helicopters LimitedG-79Eurocopter OxfordG-80British Microlight Aircraft Association LtdG-89Cosmik Aviation Limited

See also British military aircraft designation systems List of RAF squadron codes Royal Air Force roundels United Kingdom aircraft registration United Kingdom military aircraft registration mark

References

Bibliography