After WW2, "buzz numbers" were introduced to identify USAF aircraft. This number was a combination of a two-letter code indicating the aircraft type and the last three digits of the aircraft serial number. * Double-type designations were removed in 1948 from all trainers, except B and P retained to distinguish between BT-13 and PT-13 models still in service.

AA - Douglas A-24 > F-24, FA
AB - Curtiss A-25
AC - Douglas A-26 > B-26, BC
AD - Vultee A-31
AE - Convair XA-41
BA - Boeing B-17, Boeing B-57
BB - Douglas XB-19A, Douglas B-66
BC - Consolidated B-24, Douglas B-26 < A-26
BD - North American B-25
BE - North American B-45 > BH
BF - Boeing B-29
BG - Consolidated B-32, Northrop B-35
BH - Lockheed B-37, North American B-45 < BE
BJ - Boeing XB-39
BK - Douglas XB-42, Boeing B-50
BL - Boeing XB-44
BM - Convair B-36
BTE - Vultee BT-13*
CA - Beech CQ-3
CB - Beech C-43
CC - Beech C-45
CD - Curtiss C-46
CE - Douglas C-47
CF - Douglas C-48
CG - Douglas C-49
CH - Douglas C-53
CJ - Douglas C-54
CK - Lockheed C-60
CL - Noorduyn C-64
CM - Lockheed C-69
CN - Douglas C-74
CP - Cessna C-78, Convair C-131
CQ - Fairchild C-82, Fairchild C-119
CR - Consolidated C-87
CS - Boeing C-97
CT - Convair XC-99
CU - Douglas C-117
CV - Douglas C-118
CW - Lockheed C-121
CY - Chase C-122
CZ - Fairchild C-123
  (F- "Photographic" designation in the next 8 discontinued in 1948):
FA - Beech F-2
FB - Lockheed F-5
FC - North American F-6 > F-51, FF
FD - Consolidated F-7
FE - Boeing F-9 > B-17, BA
FF - North American F-10 > B-25, BD
FG - Boeing F-13 > B-29, BF
FH - Northrop F-15 > F-61, FK
  (P- "Pursuit" ended in 1948, became F- "Fighter"):
FA - Lockheed P-38, Douglas F-24 < A-24, Lockheed F-94
FB - Bell P-39, McDonnell F-101
FC - Curtiss P-40, Convair F-102
FD - Curtiss XP-42, Republic F-103
FE - Republic P-47, Convair F-106
FF - North American P-51
FG - Curtiss XP-55, Lockheed F-104
FH - Lockheed XP-58, Republic F-105
FJ - Bell P-59
FK - Northrop P-61
FL - Bell P-63
FM - Fisher P-75
FN - Lockheed P-80 > FT
FP - Convair XP-81
FQ - North American P-82
FR - Bell XP-83
FS - Republic F-84
FT - Lockheed F-80 < FN
FU - North American F-86
FV - Northrop F-89
FW - North American F-100
FY - North American YF-93A, North American YF-95A < YF-86D
GA - Waco PG-2
GB - Waco PG-3
GC - Waco CG-4
GD - Laister-Kaufman XCG-10
GE - Waco CG-13
GF - Chase XCG-14
GG - Waco CG-15
GH - Chase XCG-18
GJ - Chase XG-20 > XC-123A, CZ
LA - Taylorcraft L-2, Piper L-4
LB - Aeronca L-3, Stinson L-5
LC - Piper L-4 (original), Aeronca L-16
LD - Stinson L-5 (original), North American L-17
LE - Interstate L-6, Boeing L-15, Piper L-18 < L-4J
LF - Piper L-14, Cessna L-19
LG - Convair L-13, de Havilland L-20
LH - Aeronca L-16 (original), Piper L-21
LJ - North American L-17 (original), Beech L-23
LK - Aero Commander L-26
OA - Grumman OA-9
OB - Consolidated OA-10
OC - North American O-47
OD - Kellett YO-60
OE - Boeing PB2B-1
PN - Lockheed P-80
PS - Republic P-84
TA - North American AT-/T-6
TB - AT-/T-7
TC - Beech AT-/T-11, MiG-15 (USSR)
TD - Beech AT-/T-21, Beech T-34
PTF - Stearman-Boeing PT-13*
TG - Stearman-Boeing PT-/T-17
TH - Fairchild PT-/T-19
TJ - Culver PQ-/Q-8
TK - Culver PQ-/Q-14
TL - North American T-28
TP - Convair T-29
TQ - Fairchild T-31
TR - Lockheed T-33

Current and superannuated USAF tail codes indicate the Wing or Group, generally chosen to signify their base, but parts of a Wing discretely based often adopted their own tail codes. Air Mobility Command planes had no tail codes.

AC - 177 Ftr Wing, Atlantic City Intl AP, NJ
AD - - Eglin AFB, FL
AF - - USAF Academy, CO
AK - 343 Wing, Eielson AFB, AK
AK - 354 Ftr Wing, Eielson AFB, AK
AK - 3 Wing, Elmendorf AFB, AK
AL - 187 Ftr Group/Wing, Dannelly Field, AL
AN - 176 Wing, Kulis ANGB, AK
AR - - RAF Alconbury, UK
AU - Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL
AV - 31 Ftr Wing, Aviano AB, Italy
AZ - - Tucson Airport, Arizona
BA - - Bergstrom AFB, Texas
BB - - RAF Alconbury, UK
BB - 9 Rescue/Recon Wing, Beale AFB, AZ
BC - 110 Ftr Group/Wing, Kellogg AP, MI
BD - 917 Wing, Barksdale AFB, LA
BH - 117 RW, Birmingham MAP, AL
BT - 36 Ftr Wing, Bitburg AB, Germany
CA - 93 Bomb Wing, Castle AFB, CA
CA - 129 Rescue Wing, Moffett Field, CA
CB - 14 Ftr Tng Wing, Columbus AFB, MS
CC - 27 Ftr Wing, Cannon AFB, NM
CI - 146 Airlift Wing, Channel Islands ANGB, CA
CM - - Columbus AFB, MS
CO - 140 Ftr Wing, Buckley ANGB, CO
CR - 32 Ftr Group, Soesterberg AB, Netherlands
CR - 302 Air Wing, Peterson AFB, CO
CS - 21 Space Wing, Peterson AFB, CO
CT - 103 Ftr Group, Bradley Intl AP, CT
D - 100 Air Refeuling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, England
DB - 94 Airlift Wing, Dobbins AFB, GA
DC - 113 Ftr Wing, Andrews AFB, MD
DE - 166 Air Wing, New Castle AP, DE
DM - 355 Ftr Wing, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
DO - 906 Ftr Group, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
DR - 305 Rescue Sqn, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
DY - 7 Bomb Wing, Dyess AFB, TX
ED - 46 Test/Tng Wing, Edwards AFB, CA
EF - 147 Ftr Wing, Ellington Field, TX
EG - 33 Ftr Wing, Eglin AFB, FL
EL - 28 Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, SD
EL - 44 Missile Wing, Ellsworth AFB, SD
EN - 80 Ftr Tng Wing, Shepard AFB, TX
ET - 46 Tng Wing, Eglin AFB, FL
FC - 336 Tng Group, Fairchild AFB, WA
FC - 92 Bomb Wing, Fairchild AFB, WA
FE - 90 Space Wing, F E Warren AFB, WY
FF - 1 Ftr Wing, Langley AFB, VA
FL - 939 (>920) Rescue Wing, Patrick AFB, FL
FL - 125 Ftr Group, Jacksonville Intl AP, FL
FM - 482 Ftr Wing, Homestead AFB, FL
FS - 188 Ftr Group, Fort Smith AP, AR
FT - 23 Ftr Wing, Pope AFB, NC
FW - 122 Ftr Wing, Fort Wayne Intl AP, IN
GA - - George AFB, CA
GF - 319 Bomb Group, Grand Forks, ND
GF - 91 Missile Wing, Grand Forks, ND
GR - 416 Bomb Group/Wing, Griffiss AFB, NY
GU - - Taegu AB, Korea
HA - 185 Ftr Wing, Sioux City AP, IA
HAFB - Ogden Air Logistics Ctr, Hill AFB, UT
HD - 82 Aerial Targets Sqn, Holloman AFB, NM
HH - 154 Wing, Hickam AFB, HI
HF - 181 Ftr Wing, Terre Haute AP, IN
HI - 419 Ftr Wing, Hill AFB, UT
HL - 366 (>388) Wing, Hill AFB, UT
HM - - Holloman AFB, NM
HO - 49 Ftr Wing, Holloman AFB, NM
HR - - Hahn AB, Germany
HS - - Homestead AFB, FL
HT - 46 Test Group, Holloman AFB, NM

HV - 30 Space Wing, Vandenberg AFB, CA
HW - 24 Wing, Howard AFB, Panama
IA - 132 Ftr Wing, Des Moines AP, IA
ID - - Grissom AFB, IN
ID - 124 Wing, Boise, ID
IL - 182 Ftr Group, Peoria AP, IL
IN - 930 Ftr Group, Grissom AFB, IN
IN - 434 Wing, Grissom AFB, IN
IS - 35 Wing, NAF Keflavik, Iceland
IS - 85 Group, NAF Keflavik, Iceland
JZ - 159 Ftr Wing, NAS New Orleans, LA
KC - 442 Ftr Wing, Richards Gebaur AFB, MO
KC - 442 Ftr Wing, Whiteman AFB, MT
KE - - Key Field, Meridian, MS
KI - 410 Bomb Wing, Sawyer AFB, MI
KS - 552 ACW, Keesler AFB, MS
KS - 81 Tng Wing, Keesler AFB, MS
KS - 45 Airlift Flight, Keesler AFB, MS
KT - 403 Wing, Keesler AFB, MS
KY - - Standiford Field, KY
LA - - Luke AFB, AZ
LA - 2 Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, LA
LB - 64 Ftr Tng Wing, Reese AFB, TX
LD - AIIF Academy, Lackland AFB, TX
LF - 58 (>56) Ftr Wing, Luke AFB, AZ
LH - - Luke/Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
LI - 106 Rescue Wing, Gabreski AP, NY
LK - 314 Airlift Wing, Little Rock, AR
LN - 48 Tac Ftr Wing, RAF Lakenheath, England
LR - 944 Ftr Group/Wing, Luke AFB, AZ
LV - 440 Tng Group, Nellis AFB, NV
LY - - Langley AFB, VA
LZ - 42nd Bomb Wing, Loring AFB, ME
MA - 102 Ftr Wing, Otis ANGB, MA
MA - 104 Ftr Group/Wing, Barnes Muni AP, Westfield MA
MB - 354 Ftr Wing, Myrtle Beach AFB, SC
MC - - McDill AFB, FL
MD - 175 Ftr Group/Wing, Warfield ANGB, MD
MD - 366 Wing, Castle AFB, CA
MI - 127 Ftr Wing, Selfridge ANGB, MI
MK - 440 Air Wing, Mitchell Intl AP, WI
MJ - 432 Ftr Wing, Misawa AB, Japan
MM - 341 Space Wing, Malmstrom AFB, MT
MO - 366 Wing, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
MS - 934 Airlift Group, Mpls-St Paul Intl AP, MN
MT - 5 Bomb Wing, Minot AFB, MT
MT - 90 (>91) Space Wing, Minot AFB, ND
MX - 908 Airlift Group, Maxwell AFB, AL
MY - 347 Rescue Wing, Moody AFB, GA
MY - 479 Tng Group, Moody AFB, GA
NA - - Nellis AFB, NV
NC - 145 Airlift Group, Charlotte Intl AP, NC
NF - 355 Ftr Wing, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
NF - 914 Airlift Group, Niagara Falls Intl AP, NY
NJ - - McGuire AFB, NJ
NM - 150 Ftr Group, Kirtland AFB, NM
NO - 926 Ftr Group, NAS New Orleans, LA
NT - - Mather AFB, CA
NV - 152 Air Wing, Reno NV
NY - 174 Ftr Wing, Hancock Intl AP, Syracuse, NY
OF - 55 Wing, Offutt AFB, NB
OG - 2 Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, LA
OH - - Rickenbacker ANGB, OH
OH - 178 Ftr Group, Springfield-Beckley AP, OK
OH - 179 Air Group, Mansfield-Lahm AP, OH
OH - 180 Ftr Group, Toledo Express AP, OH
OK - 137 Wing, Will Rogers AP, OK
OK - 138 Ftr Group/Wing, Tulsa AP, OK
OK - 552 Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB, OK
OS - 51 Ftr Wing, Osan AB, Korea
OT - 49 Ftr Wing, Holloman AFB, NM
OT - 53 Wing, 85 TES, Eglin AFB, FL
OT - 53 Wing, 422 TES, Nellis AFB, NV
OT - USAF Air Warfare Ctr, Eglin AFB, FL
OZ - 384 Bomb Wing, McConnell AFB, KS
PA - - Harrisburg AP, PA
PA - 111 Ftr Group, NAS Willow Grove, PA
PD - 939 Rescue Wing, Portland Intl AP, OR
PF - - Patrick AFB, FL
PI - 911 Airlift Group, Pittsburgh Intl AP, PA
PN - - Clark AFB, The Philippines
PP - 302 Airlift Wing, Peterson AFB, CO
PR - 156 Ftr Group, Puerto Rico Intl, San Juan
PT - - Pittsburgh AP, PA
RA - 12 Ftr Tng Wing, Randolph AFB, TX
RG - 339 TESTS, Robins AFB, GA
RI - 143 Wing, Quonset State AP, RI
RS - 86 (>96) Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany
SA - 149 Ftr Group, Kelly (>:Lackland) AFB, TX
SB - - Sembach AFB, Germany
SC - 169 Ftr Wing, McEntire ANGB, SC
SD - - Sioux Falls AP, SD
SD - 114 Ftr WIng, Joe Foss Field, SD
SH - 507 Ftr Group, Tinker AFB, OK
SI - 183 Ftr Group, Capital AP, Springfield IL
SJ - 4 Ftr Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
SL - 131 Ftr Wing, Lambert Field, St Louis MO
SM - 337 TESTS, McClellan AFB, CA
SP - 52 Ftr Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany
SW - 20 Ftr Wing, Shaw AFB, SC
SW - 363 Ftr Wing, Shaw AFB, SC
TC - 355 Wing, McChord AFB, WA
TD - 53 Wing, Tyndall AFB, FL
TH - 181 Ftr Group, Hulman Field, Terre Haute IN
TH - 301 Ftr Wing, Carswell AFB, TX
TJ - - Torrejon AB, Spain
TR - - Nellis AFB, NV
TX - - Bergstrom AFB, TX
TX - 301 Ftr Wing, Carswell Field, Ft Worth TX
TY - 325 Ftr Wing, Tyndall AFB, FL
UH - - RAF Upper Heyford, England
VA - 192 Ftr Group/Wing, Byrd Intl AP, Richmond VA
VN - 71 Ftr Tng Wing, Vance AFB, OK
VO - 928 Airlift Group, IL
VT - 158 Ftr Wing, Burlington Intl AP, VT
VV - - George AFB, CA
WA - 57 Ftr Wing, Nellis AFB, NV
WA - USAF Weapons School, Nellis AFB, NV
WE - 53 Wing, Tyndall AFB, FL
WF - - Shepard AFB, TXs
WG - 913 Airlift Group, NAS Willow Grove, PA
WI - 128 Ftr Wing, Truax Field, Madison WI
WL - - Williams AFB, AZ
WM - 351 Missile Wing, Whiteman AFB, MO
WP - 8 Ftr Wing, Kunsan AB, Korea
WR - 81 Ftr Wing, RAF Bentwaters, England
WR - 81 Ftr Wing, RAF Woodbridge, England
WR - 116 ACW, Robins AFB, GA
WT - 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, MO
WV - 167 Airlift Wing, Shepherd Muni AP, WV
WW - - George AFB, CA
WW - 35 Tac Ftr Wing, Misawa AB, Japan
WY - 153 Airlift Wing, Cheyenne Intl AP, WY
XL - 47 Ftr Tng Wing, Laughlin AFB, TX
XP - 139 Airlift Wing, Rosecrans Muni AP, MO
YJ - 374 Airlift Wing, Yokota AB, Japan
YO - 910 Airlift Group, Youngstown Muni AP, OH
ZR - - Zweibrucken, Germany
ZZ - 18 Wing, Kadena AB, Okinawa