U.S. Navy Seaplane Name and Acronym Primer, “Goose” “Kingfisher”, “Duck” “Albatross”,

U.S. Navy Seaplane Name and Acronym Primer:

If you have ever wondered why the Navy gave their seaplanes so many confusing model numbers this might help translate some of it:

Seaplanes with "OS" mean "observation", while "J" were "utility"

seaplanes that could do a variety of tasks, including pilot rescues.

An "OSU" was a scout seaplane made by Vought. A "JF" was a

utility seaplane made by Grumman (which made carrier fighters).

It remained a fairly confusing naming system to most observers

and the reason why most Navy observation and utility seaplanes

usually were referred to by their more popular sea bird names, like "Goose" "Kingfisher", "Duck" "Albatross", etc. (Most Navy carrier fighters usually had cat names like "Hellcat", "Bearcat", etc.)

Seaplanes were also

operated by the U.S. Army

Air Corps and Air Force.

And even the U.S. Air Force once had their own seaplanes. Pre-war colors were

usually silver with yellow-orange trim. Most Pacific War colors were flat dark

blue with flat white underneath. Post-war and Korea

Era seaplanes were a royal

blue with white or red trim.

U.S. Navy Seaplane Name and Acronym Primer:

If you have ever wondered why the Navy gave their seaplanes so many confusing model numbers this might help translate some of it:

Seaplanes with "OS" mean "observation", while "J" were "utility"seaplanes that could do a variety of tasks, including pilot rescues.

An "OSU" was a scout seaplane made by Vought. A "JF" was a utility seaplane made by Grumman (which made carrier fighters).

It remained a fairly confusing naming system to most observers and the reason why most Navy observation and utility seaplanes

usually were referred to by their more popular sea bird names, like "Goose" "Kingfisher", "Duck" "Albatross", etc. (Most Navy carrier fighters usually had cat names like "Hellcat", "Bearcat", etc.) Seaplanes were also operated by the U.S. Army Air Corps and Air Force.

And even the U.S. Air Force once had their own seaplanes. Pre-war colors were usually silver with yellow-orange trim. Most Pacific War colors were flat dark blue with flat white underneath. Post-war and Korea Era seaplanes were a royal blue with white or red trim.