Tail Numbers

[GpaAirForce]

I've been trying to do research on my Grandpa's plane while in the Air Force. He's passed away and all I have to go on right now is a photograph that shows the tail number : 299613

Now the main reason for the research is I'm going to get a tattoo involving his plane and would really like to know exactly what kind of plane it is. I've been searching the internet (currently my only possible mode of research) and cannot find any way to lookup a specific tail number. Any help would be fantastic

 

[vikingBerserker]

I've been trying to do research on my Grandpa's plane while in the Air Force. He's passed away and all I have to go on right now is a photograph that shows the tail number : 299613

Now the main reason for the research is I'm going to get a tattoo involving his plane and would really like to know exactly what kind of plane it is. I've been searching the internet (currently my only possible mode of research) and cannot find any way to lookup a specific tail number. Any help would be fantastic

Which Airforce and the time period??? Can you post a copy of the pic?

 

[GpaAirForce]

Army Airforce, stationed in Burma, enlisted in 1942, and i'll try to upload the picture shortly

 

[evangilder]

Standard marking for the time would be the first digit is the last number of the year. I am guessing is is most likely 42-99613. If that is the case, then it was a Stinson L-5B Sentinel.

Here is what one looks like:

 

[N4521U]

I agree. I did a serial number search, 42-99613 and it came up with L-5B. When searched, the number does Not appear. So I wonder if it is still around????? Bill

Aircraft Serial Number Search

 

[vikingBerserker]

Nicely done, that had me a tad confused as well.

 

[T Bolt]

Couldn't fint that exact plane but Serial numbers 42-99574/99735 belong to Stinson L-5B Sentinel

 

[vikingBerserker]

It's interesting that that the numbers around this one were transfered to the RAF, but returned to the USAAF at the end of the war.

 

[T Bolt]

Yes I saw that too. Looks like were all looking at the same place!

 

[N4521U]

Yes, it is interesting. What a great little Mystery............. Keep us posted. Good luck in the search. Bill

 

[GpaAirForce]

Thank you all so much. The only other plane around the time frame that I could find that looks similar is the Piper L-4 Grasshopper. Is there any reason it deffinately could not be that type of plane as well?

 

[evangilder]

The USAAF at the time allocated serial numbers in lots to specific types. So that tail number fails in the middle of a bunch of other L-5Bs. There is also a chance that he flew the L-4 as the L-birds were used everywhere and some got pretty shot up from ground fire. But that serial is definitely a Stinson L-5B Sentinel

 

[GpaAirForce]

Okay, thanks so much!

 

[kjl419]

I am also looking to identify my grandfahers plane, I found a pic of him sitting on the plane with the tail numbers on it:

B
2100765

Another picture showed the nose, the plane was called 'PiCK-A-DiLLY'
My grandfather was the navigator, and as a child I remember one of his war buddies would call up and tell me stories of how brave my grandpa was when the got shot down, so I would like to know a little something about the plane, and since his army air corps files got burned in the 1973 fire I am having trouble figuring some stuff out. Any help would be great.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I show that belonging to a C-47. Anyway you could post the pic?

 

[kjl419]

 

[vikingBerserker]

Thank lou. Yup, that's a C-47. It was tranfered to Turkey later on. It was probably in the ETO and the code on the nose would have ment:

Troop Carrier Squadron:

4A - 310th
4C - 36th or 44th
4J - 305th
4U - 89th

With only the 4 showing it's a little more challenging, but I'll keep looking. Hopefully somebody else here can bet me to the draw.

 

[kjl419]

4U - 89th I believe, thanks alot. When I find some more pics I will post 'em, might as well share them intead of letting them collect dust!

 

[evangilder]

Yep, a C-47A with the construction number 19228. According to the records search, that plane survived the war and was later transferred to Turkey (Dec 27, 1948).

 

[evangilder]

VB, the one in the background has a 4U, so I would guess they kept the squadron aircraft in the same area.