B-52 Tail Number

ANTHONY F DUVA JR · 11-30-2004, 12:17 AM

Could anybody here help me determine what year a B-52 was built judging from the five-digit number 25734 on the tail fin; or, indeed, if USAF really used the particular number depicted ? From what I have seen on web sites, it's probably not the serial number. Thanks, Tony

ZX1100F1 · 11-30-2004, 11:51 AM

This is a bogus tail number, most are the last 4 digits of the BuNo #
Also, what is up with the tail boom? I have never seen this look on a B-52.

ANTHONY F DUVA JR · 11-30-2004, 10:07 PM

Looks like this plane is part B-47, as you say, it's not totally realistic. All the actual numbers I have seen listed are preceded by two numbers and a hyphen.

RC135U · 11-30-2004, 10:22 PM

Yeah Tony, like Buford pointed out - doesn't look like a BUFF tail at all,
although I don't see the boom that he mentions. Doesn't look much like
a 135 either, how about B-47?

Best,
Paul

ZX1100F1 · 12-01-2004, 11:34 AM

There is no tail boom (tapered end of fuselage) like a B-52 has, that was my point.
It's not like a B-47 either.
I think that the tail and number were conjured up by a Chinese toy builder.
Anthony,
How about posting some other photos of the model and who is the builder?

AlphaSigOU · 12-03-2004, 04:20 PM

Air Force tail numbers are five digits; the first digit is the last number of the fiscal year the aircraft serial number was assigned, followed by the individual serial number. If the serial is above 10,000 then the last four digits are displayed.

Example: Air Force B-52D 56-0629 would display as 60629.

For tactical aircraft, it's the distinctive two-letter unit tail code, followed below by AF(fiscal year) and the last three numbers of the serial number.

AlphaSigOU · 12-03-2004, 04:25 PM

The serial number 52-5734 is not assigned to a B-52. This particular block of serials were assigned to F-86H Sabrejets.

Source: http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/usafserials.html

ANTHONY F DUVA JR · 12-12-2004, 08:48 PM

ZX,
I don't know the name of the manufacturer but it was made in Japan, not China, making it earlier - possibly even the 1950s. I do have a photo showing the rest of the plane. This is NOT "my" photo; it was originally taken by the seller! I HOPE that you have no problem in my posting it.

I do have another version with "9231" on the tail, which was the correct number for the prototype.

11-30-2004, 12:17 AM	#1
ANTHONY F DUVA JR ^~.. Maximum R & B ..~^ Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Land of a thousand dances Posts: 3,064	B-52 Tail Number Could anybody here help me determine what year a B-52 was built judging from the five-digit number 25734 on the tail fin; or, indeed, if USAF really used the particular number depicted ? From what I have seen on web sites, it's probably not the serial number. Thanks, Tony __________________ FLY DUVA AIR's LUXURIOUS, DOUBLE-DECK BOEING "STRATO" CLIPPER ! Last edited by ANTHONY F DUVA JR; 08-10-2005 at 11:49 PM.

11-30-2004, 10:07 PM	#3
ANTHONY F DUVA JR ^~.. Maximum R & B ..~^ Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Land of a thousand dances Posts: 3,064	Looks like this plane is part B-47, as you say, it's not totally realistic. All the actual numbers I have seen listed are preceded by two numbers and a hyphen. __________________ FLY DUVA AIR's LUXURIOUS, DOUBLE-DECK BOEING "STRATO" CLIPPER !

11-30-2004, 10:22 PM	#4
RC135U Junior Collector Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Ewing, NJ USA Posts: 28	Yeah Tony, like Buford pointed out - doesn't look like a BUFF tail at all, although I don't see the boom that he mentions. Doesn't look much like a 135 either, how about B-47? Best, Paul __________________ In God we trust. All others we monitor.

12-03-2004, 04:20 PM	#6
AlphaSigOU Insane Collector Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: Wylie, Texas Age: 43 Posts: 1,419	Air Force tail numbers are five digits; the first digit is the last number of the fiscal year the aircraft serial number was assigned, followed by the individual serial number. If the serial is above 10,000 then the last four digits are displayed. Example: Air Force B-52D 56-0629 would display as 60629. For tactical aircraft, it's the distinctive two-letter unit tail code, followed below by AF(fiscal year) and the last three numbers of the serial number. __________________ *Chuck Corway (AlphaSigOU)* *Causa latet vis est notissima* -- the cause is hidden, the results are well known. James Bond: "I'll take the full odds on the ten, two hundred on the hard way, the limit on all the numbers, two hundred and fifty on the eleven, thank you very much." Plenty O'Toole: "Hey! You've played this game before!" James Bond: "Just once." *REMEMBER THE ALAMO!!! REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR!!! REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 11!!!!*

12-03-2004, 04:25 PM	#7
AlphaSigOU Insane Collector Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: Wylie, Texas Age: 43 Posts: 1,419	The serial number 52-5734 is not assigned to a B-52. This particular block of serials were assigned to F-86H Sabrejets. Source: http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/usafserials.html __________________ *Chuck Corway (AlphaSigOU)* *Causa latet vis est notissima* -- the cause is hidden, the results are well known. James Bond: "I'll take the full odds on the ten, two hundred on the hard way, the limit on all the numbers, two hundred and fifty on the eleven, thank you very much." Plenty O'Toole: "Hey! You've played this game before!" James Bond: "Just once." *REMEMBER THE ALAMO!!! REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR!!! REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 11!!!!*

11-30-2004, 11:51 AM	#2
ZX1100F1 Buford T. Justice Join Date: Sep 1999 Posts: 2,004	This is a bogus tail number, most are the last 4 digits of the BuNo # Also, what is up with the tail boom? I have never seen this look on a B-52.

12-01-2004, 11:34 AM	#5
ZX1100F1 Buford T. Justice Join Date: Sep 1999 Posts: 2,004	There is no tail boom (tapered end of fuselage) like a B-52 has, that was my point. It's not like a B-47 either. I think that the tail and number were conjured up by a Chinese toy builder. Anthony, How about posting some other photos of the model and who is the builder?

12-12-2004, 08:48 PM	#8
ANTHONY F DUVA JR ^~.. Maximum R & B ..~^ Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Land of a thousand dances Posts: 3,064	ZX, I don't know the name of the manufacturer but it was made in Japan, not China, making it earlier - possibly even the 1950s. I do have a photo showing the rest of the plane. This is NOT "my" photo; it was originally taken by the seller! I HOPE that you have no problem in my posting it. I do have another version with "9231" on the tail, which was the correct number for the prototype. __________________ FLY DUVA AIR's LUXURIOUS, DOUBLE-DECK BOEING "STRATO" CLIPPER ! Last edited by ANTHONY F DUVA JR; 08-10-2005 at 11:49 PM.

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