RCAF 4 digits
Canadian
Military Aircraft
Serial Numbers
RCAF 1000 to 9999
Rapid growth early in WW II,
to early postwar procurement
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The serial numbers listed here are
aircraft owned and operated by the RCAF, mostly within North
America. The 400 series squadrons that operated in Europe, the
Mediterranean, and eventually in South-East Asia, used RAF owned, RAF
numbered aircraft. These are covered in their
own web page.
The early days of World
War II
In the early years
of World War Two, the RCAF expanded as fast as it could procure
aircraft and train aircrew, as did most of the Allies. New aircraft
came from the Canadian factories started in the 1920s and 30s, from
American factories, and from the UK. Civil aircraft were
impressed in Canada, and purchased second hand from the US. Many
less successful British operational aircraft, like the Battle and the
Anson, found their way to Canada, both new and second hand.
Similarly, less successful American types like the Douglas Digby (B-18
Bolo) and the Northrop Nomad (A-17) found a home in Canada. After
taking over ten years to assign the first 1,000 RCAF serial numbers, serial number 10,000 was reached almost
exactly 3 years later, when Bolingbroke number 10000 was delivered on
19 October 1942. Numbering continued with 5 digit serials from this point.
Starting
with 1001, the four digit serials were generally assigned in blocks by
aircraft types. Gaps were sometimes left to accommodate future
procurement, and some of these gaps would be filled in with other
aircraft types at later dates. Because of this, the relative age
of aircraft from this period can only be roughly determined from
relative serial numbers. There does not appear to have been any
deliberate attempt to mislead observers about procurement numbers by
using this numbering method, unlike RAF serial number allocation at the
same time.
The British
Commonwealth Air Training Plan and aircraft for export
The RCAF began to expand its own training facilities even before war
was declared, and this would lead into the massive multi-national
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan of 1940 to 1945. The BCATP
era is a gold mine for the serial number enthusiast. Because of
the multi-national funding, some aircraft were issued two or even three
serial numbers – RCAF, RAF and USAAF. Usually only one of these
numbers would be physically marked on the aircraft. RCAF schools
operated RCAF owned aircraft with RCAF serials and RAF serials, and
even a handful with USAAF serials. The RAF also funded and
operated schools in Canada, using RAF owned aircraft with RAF
serials. Outside of the BCATP, Canadian built aircraft were also
operated at schools in the US, with USAAF serials. Many Canadian
built operational aircraft from this era, bound for the US, USSR, UK,
Australia, and New Zealand, would also have multiple serial numbers
assigned. I hope to live long enough to sort this all out and
include the results in these pages.
Defense of Canada
The home defense squadrons also grew rapidly, but not to the dramatic
degree seen in the training schools. East coast squadrons
were in action over the North Atlantic from September 1939 to May 1945,
flying long hours in terrible weather, and scoring several
successes. On the west coast, bomber and fighter squadrons saw
action in the Aleutians after the Japanese invasion, and against
Japanese balloon bombs later in the war. Early in the war,
several home defense squadrons were moved to the UK, and would form the
first 400 series squadrons on 1 March 1941. The few Canadian
numbered aircraft they took with them were soon transferred to the RAF,
and for the rest of the war the RCAF overseas would use RAF owned aircraft. A few long range
transports and patrol aircraft were regular visitors to Europe, and one
Eastern Air Command squadron, No. 162, operated Cansos briefly from
Iceland and the UK, but otherwise most of the aircraft here never left
North America.
Post war era
A few of these 4 digit aircraft survived the war and the mass sell-offs
at the end of the war, and continued in RCAF service. No less
than 71 Dakotas and 53 Expeditors survived past February 1968, and were
allocated Canadian Armed Forces serial numbers.
Many of these were in storage at this time, and it is not known if all
these new numbers were physically marked on the aircraft. A few 4
digit aircraft would be transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in the
post war era, retaining their RCAF serial number. These are
listed here under the original RCAF number., with the date of the
change of ownership listed, when known.
Some blocks of numbers, in the 1000s,
3000s, 5000s, and the 9000s, were not completely used during the war.
Some of these available numbers would be used for new procurement of
transports, assault gliders, and helicopters from 1945 up to the 1960s.
They are included in these lists for now. Post war
procurement is shown in italics in the table below. Some postwar
procurement recycled a few of the war time 4 and 5 digit serial
numbers, and these are listed separately.
It should be noted that several aircraft orders were canceled at
the end of the war, particularly for Bolingbrokes and Cornells.
As a result, some of the serial numbers listed below were never
actually marked on aircraft. The last 4 digit serial numbers
issued by the RCAF appear to be those of the de Havilland Canada Buffalos
procured in the late 1960s.
The table below will connect you to two
types of listings of these aircraft. The “Brief lists” present a
minimum amount of information about as many aircraft as I can fit on a
reasonably sized page. Use these lists to identify individual aircraft,
or to quickly scan a large range of serials. The “Detailed lists”
contain all the information currently in my database, and are broken
into many more pages to keep the data manageable.
Brief lists
Detailed
lists
Typical
aircraft
1001 to 4999
3954
records
updated 30 September 2005
1001 to 1049
49
records
updated 13 May 2005
1050 to 1099
50
records
updated 13 May 2005
1100 to 1149
50
records
updated 20 May 2005
1150 to 1199
50
records
updated 27 May 2005
Finch, Kittyhawk, Tiger
Moth
1200 to 1249
50
records
updated 27 May 2005
1250 to 1299
50
records
updated 3 June 2005
1300 to 1349
50
records
updated 11 April 2010
1350 to 1399
50
records
updated 18 April 2010
Tiger Moth, Crane,
Battle, Harvard, Hurricane, Expeditor
1400 to 1449
50
records
updated 20 August 2005
1450 to 1499
50
records
updated 18 June 2005
1500 to 1549
50
records
updated 24 September 2011
1550 to 1599
50
records
updated 3 July 2005
Expeditor, Oxford, Electra,
Lysander
1600 to 1649
50
records
updated 15 July 2005
1650 to 1699
50
records
updated 17 July 2005
1700 to 1749
50
records
updated 24 July 2005
1750 to 1799
50
records
updated 24 July 2005
Expeditor, Battle
1800 to 1849
50
records
updated 29 July 2005
1850 to 1899
50
records
updated 5 August 2005
1900 to 1949
50
records
updated 12 August 2005
1950 to 1999
50
records
updated 12 August 2005
Battle
2000 to 2049
50
records
updated 12 August 2005
2050 to 2099
50
records
updated 31 August 2005
2100 to 2149
50
records
updated 31 August 2005
2150 to 2199
50
records
updated 4 September 2005
Battle, Ventura
2200 to 2249
50
records
updated 11 September 2005
2250 to 2299
50
records
updated 11 September 2005
2300 to 2349
50
records
updated 16 September 2005
2350 to 2399
51
records
updated 16 September 2005
Ventura, Expeditor,
Lysander
2400 to 2449
50
records
updated 23 September 2005
2450 to 2499
47
records
updated 23 September 2005
2500 to 2549
49
records
updated 30 September 2005
2550 to 2599
50
records
updated 30 September 2005
Lysander, Norseman,
Harvard
2600 to 2649
50
records
updated 8 October 2005
2650 to 2699
50
records
updated 22 October 2005
2700 to 2749
50
records
updated 4 November 2005
2750 to 2799
50
records
updated 11 November 2005
Harvard
2800 to 2849
50
records
updated 11 November 2005
2850 to 2899
50
records
updated 11 November 2005
2900 to 2949
50
records
updated 25 November 2005
2950
to 2999
50 records
updated 25 November 2005
Harvard
3000 to 3049
50
records
updated 25 November 2005
3050 to 3099
50
records
updated 16 December 2005
3100 to 3149
50
records
updated 16 December 2005
3150 to 3199
50
records
updated 16 December 2005
Harvard
3200 to 3249
50
records
updated 20 January 2006
3250 to 3299
50
records
updated 29 January 2006
3300 to 3349
50
records
updated 29 January 2006
3350 to 3399
50
records
updated 10 February 2006
Harvard, NA-44, NA-26,
Yale
3400 to 3449
50
records
updated 10 February 2006
3450 to 3499
50
records
updated 18 February 2006
3500 to 3549
43
records
updated 26 February 2006
3550 to 3599
50
records
updated 26 February 2006
Yale, Voyager, Nomad,
Norseman, Fort, Anson, Harvard
3600 to 3649
50
records
updated 3 March 2006
3650 to 3699
50
records
updated 14 March 2006
3700 to 3749
45
records
updated 8 April 2006
3750 to 3799
39
records
updated 15 April 2006
Fort, Otter,
Liberator, Harvard
3800 to 3849
50
records
updated 22 April 2006
3850 to 3899
50
records
updated 5 May 2006
3900 to 3949
50
records
updated 5 May 2006
3950 to 3999
42
records
updated 21 May 2006
Harvard, Tiger Moth
4000 to 4049
50
records
updated 21 May 2006
4050 to 4099
50
records
updated 27 May 2006
4100 to 4149
50
records
updated 27 May 2006
4150 to 4199
50
records
updated 2 June 2006
Crane, Tiger Moth
4200 to 4249
50
records
updated 2 June 2006
4250
to 4299
50
records
updated 11 June 2006
4300 to 4349
50
records
updated 16 June 2006
4350 to 4399
50
records
updated 15 August 2007
Tiger Moth
4400 to 4449
50
records
updated 15 August 2007
4450 to 4499
50
records
updated 23 June 2006
4500 to 4549
50
records
updated 30 June 2006
4550 to 4599
50
records
updated 30 June 2006
Tiger Moth, Finch
4600 to 4649
50
records
updated 7 July 2006
4650 to 4699
50
records
updated 7 July 2006
4700 to 4749
50
records
updated 14 July 2006
4750 to 4799
50
records
updated 14 July 2006
Finch
4800
to 4849
50
records
updated 22 July 2006
4850 to 4899
50
records
updated 22 July 2006
4900 to 4949
50
records
updated 15 September 2006
4950 to 4999
50
records
updated 15 September 2006
Finch, F-24R, Menasco
Moth, Tiger Moth
5000 to 9999
4637
records
updated 9 October 2007
5000 to 5049
50
records
updated 14 November 2007
5050 to 5099
50
records
updated 16 November 2007
5100 to 5149
50
records
updated 6 January 2008
5150 to 5199
26
records
updated 6 January 2008
Tiger Moth
5200 to 5249
50
records
updated 4 February 2008
5250 to 5299
34
records
updated 12 February 2008
5300 to 5349
11
records
updated 25 March 2008
5350 to 5399
24
records
updated 13 January 2007
Mitchell, Comet, Caribou, Hurricane
5400 to 5449
50
records
updated 20 January 2007
5450 to 5499
50
records
updated 10 February 2007
5500 to 5549
50
records
updated 17 February 2007
5550 to 5599
50
records
updated 10 March 2007
Hurricane
5600 to 5649
51
records
updated 15 May 2007
5650 to 5699
50
records
updated 15 May 2007
5700 to 5799
76
records
updated 1 August 2007
Hurricane
5800 to 5849
50
records
updated 1 May 2008
5850 to 5899
50
records
updated 28 June 2008
5900 to 5949
50 records
updated 15 August 2008
5950 to 5999
50
records
updated 20 November 2008
Tiger Moth
6000 to 6049
49
records
updated 7 December 2008
6050 to 6099
50
records
updated 3 February 2009
6100 to 6149
50
records
updated 5 April 2009
6150 to 6199
50
records
updated 26 June 2009
Anson Mk. I
6200
to 6249
50
records
updated 21 November 2009
6250 to 6299
50
records
updated 29 November 2009
6300 to 6349
50
records
updated 2 May 2010
6350 to 6399
50
records
updated 22 August 2010
Anson Mk. I
6400 to 6449
50
records
updated 18 December 2010
6450
to 6499
50
records
updated 15 November 2011
6500
to 6549
50
records
updated 25 May 2012
6550
to 6599
50
records
updated 19 August 2012
Anson Mk. I
6600
to 6649
50
records
updated 30 October 2012
6650
to 6699
50
records
updated 4 January 2013
6700
to 6749
50
records
updated 27 January 2013
6750
to 6799
50
records
updated 19 February 2013
Anson Mk. I
6800
to 6849
50
records
updated 20 June 2013
6850
to 6899
50
records
updated 15 July 2013
6900
to 6949
50
records
updated 17 August 2013
6950
to 6999
50
records
updated 31 August 2013
Anson Mk. I
7000
to 7049
50
records
updated 20 September 2013
7050
to 7099
50
records
updated 27 October 2013
7100
to 7149
50
records
updated 13 November 2013
7150
to 7199
Anson Mk. I and Mk. II
7200
to 7249
7250
to 7299
7300
to 7349
7350
to 7399
Anson Mk. II
7400
to 7449
7450
to 7499
7500
to 7549
7550
to 7599
Anson Mk. II
7600
to 7649
7650 to 7699
50
records
updated 30 August 2010
7700 to 7749
50
records
updated 30 August 2010
7750 to 7799
50
records
updated 6 September 2010
Anson Mk. II, second-hand
civil aircraft, Crane Mk. I
7800 to 7849
50
records
updated 25 January 2011
7850 to 7899
50
records
updated 25 January 2011
7900 to 7949
50
records
updated 15 March 2011
7950 to 7999
50
records
updated 4 April 2011
Crane, second-hand civil
aircraft
8000 to 8049
50
records
updated 1 May 2011
8050 to 8099
50
records
updated 26 June 2011
8100 to 8149
50
records
updated 26 July 2011
8150 to 8199
50
records
updated 26 July 2011
Crane
8200
to 8249
50
records
updated 30 August 2011
8250
to 8299
8300
to 8349
8350
to 8399
Crane, Anson Mk. II
8400
to 8449
8450
to 8499
8500
to 8549
8550
to 8599
Anson
8600
to 8649
8650
to 8699
50
records
updated 29 October 2011
8700
to 8749
50
records
updated 22 November 2011
8750
to 8799
50
records
updated 28 December 2011
Anson, Expeditor, Crane
8800
to 8849
50
records
updated 26 January 2012
8850
to 8899
50
records
updated 11 February 2012
8900
to 8949
50
records
updated 7 June 2012
8950
to 8999
50
records
updated 5 October 2013
Crane, Tiger Moth
9000 to 9049
50
records
updated 10 February 2009
9050 to 9099
50
records
updated 10 April 2009
9100 to 9149
50
records
updated 5 July 2009
9150 to 9201
53
records
updated 11 December 2009
Crane, Bolingbroke
9202 to 9207
6
records
updated 12 August 2005
9221 to 9250
30
records
updated 28 July 2006
9251 to 9300
50
records
updated 5 August 2006
9301 to 9310
10
records
updated 13 October 2006
Flying Fortress, Mustang,
Albatross
9401
to 9427
9451 to 9465
15
records
updated 4 February 2005
9500
to 9530
9551 to 9600
50
records
updated 19 August 2006
Otter, Buffalo, Crane and gliders,
Mustangs
9601
to 9644
9645
to 9700
9701 to 9750
50
records
updated 21 September 2006
9751 to 9800
50
records
updated 10 October 2006
Helicopters, Tiger Moth and Freighter,
Canso
Note: additional RCAF helicopters can be found on the post war RCAF serials page
9801 to 9844
44
records
updated 20 October 2006
9850
to 9899
9900
to 9949
9950
to 10000
Canso, Bolingbroke
This data has come from a
variety of sources, and may contain all sorts of errors. In the future,
I will add a complete list of references. For now, some recent Internet
references can be found at the links below. I would welcome any
corrections or additions you may have. Contact me using the link below.
To main page
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contact me
Canadian Military Aircraft links
Serial Number Links
About the Author
The Project
© 2004-2013 by R. W. R. Walker All rights
reserved under the copyright laws.
This is an amateur site – please don’t rely on any of this data for
anything important!
Created 27 April 2004. Updated 13 November 2013.