Re: Newbee: what does "Mk" stand for ?

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Jan Gelbrich" > wrote in message
...
>
> Hello, just as a non-native English speaker,
> I would like to know what the abbreviation "Mk" stands for,
>
> e.g. in "Supermarine Spitfire Mk I" or "~ Mk II" and so forth,
> which can be found on many other British and American airframe types, too.
> Is is "mark", "making" or what else ?
>

It's mark.

[Ron Natalie]

"Jan Gelbrich" > wrote in message ...
> Hello, just as a non-native English speaker,
> I would like to know what the abbreviation "Mk" stands for,
>
> e.g. in "Supermarine Spitfire Mk I" or "~ Mk II" and so forth,
> which can be found on many other British and American airframe types, too.
> Is is "mark", "making" or what else ?

Mark.

Down in the list of definitions of "mark" is
A particular mode, brand, size, or quality of a product, expecially a
weapon or machine.

[Corrie]

"Jan Gelbrich" > wrote in message >...
> Hello, just as a non-native English speaker,
> I would like to know what the abbreviation "Mk" stands for,
>
> e.g. in "Supermarine Spitfire Mk I" or "~ Mk II" and so forth,
> which can be found on many other British and American airframe types, too.
> Is is "mark", "making" or what else ?


Mk = Mark, as in version, example: "Mk I eyeball." Some countries
(Russia, in particular) use the term "bis" to indicate a follow-on,
improved version of a type. For example, the Soviet SST Tu-144bis had
small retractable canards just aft of the cockpit.

[COUGARNFW]

Having just read this last night...

The P-51's in america were P-51A, P-51B, P-51D, and so on whereas the same
plane for the brits would have been name, Mustang Mk I, MkII and so on.

The brits used roman numerals for their spitfires to denote different models
such as Mk VI and Mk VIII, but when they got to 20, they gave up and went to 20
and and so on.

Nothing was "pure" so the P-51C was exactly the same as the B, but built in a
different factory and, although the americans used the B or C, the brits called
them the same "mark".

Neal

[NATrainer]

I always thought the difference between the B and C was the propeller. Aero
Products and Ham Standard
The North American Trainer Association is a (501)[c]3 association dedicated to
the restoration, preservation and safe flying of all North American Aviation
built trainer aircraft (AT-6, SNJ, Harvard, NA-64, T-28, TF-51, TB-25). Dues
are $45.00 per year US

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"NATrainer" > wrote in message
...
>
> I always thought the difference between the B and C was the propeller.
> Aero Products and Ham Standard
>

The only real difference between the P-51B and the P-51C is the factories in
which they were produced. The P-51B was made in Inglewood, California,
and the P-51C was made in Dallas, Texas.

I believe you're thinking of the P-51D/K. The P-51D was produced with a
Hamilton Standard propeller and the essentially identical P-51K was built
with an Aeroproducts propeller.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"COUGARNFW" > wrote in message
...
>
> Having just read this last night...
>
> The P-51's in america were P-51A, P-51B, P-51D, and so on whereas the same
> plane for the brits would have been name, Mustang Mk I, MkII and so on.
>

Don't forget the P-51 itself. In the Army system at that time, the first
version of a basic design had no series letter, just the mission letter and
design number separated by a dash. Later versions had series letters after
the design number. P-51 was the first version, P-51A was the second.

The Mustang Mk.I in RAF service were North American Models NA-73 and NA-83,
there was no corresponding US Army designation.

The Mustang Mk.IA was the P-51.

The Mustang Mk.II was the P-51A.

The Mustang MK.III was the P-51B or P-51C, the British saw no reason to
distinguish between them.

The Mustang MK.IV was the P-51D.

The Mustang Mk.IVA was the P-51K.


>
> The brits used roman numerals for their spitfires to denote different
> models such as Mk VI and Mk VIII, but when they got to 20, they
> gave up and went to 20 and and so on.
>

You're one off, the Spitfire Mk.XX was followed by the Spitfire 21.


>
> Nothing was "pure" so the P-51C was exactly the same as the B, but built
> in a different factory and, although the americans used the B or C, the
brits
> called them the same "mark".
>

This is probably the best known example of a somewhat rare occurrence. Many
other aircraft in USAAF service were built in multiple factories by the same
manufacturer and even by other companies, but they usually didn't assign
other series letters to them. They just designated the factory/manufacturer
with a two letter code after the block number.

At least one aircraft had it both ways. Republic built the P-47D in
Farmingdale, NY, and in Evansville, IN. Farmingdale airplanes had -RE
following the block number while those built in Evansville used -RA.
Curtiss built Thunderbolts in Buffalo identical to the P-47D were designated
P-47G.

Interestingly, it was almost done again with the Mustang. P-51Ds built in
Dallas were initially to be designated P-51E, and P-51Hs built in Dallas
were to be designated P-51L or P-51M depending upon what version of the
V-1650 was installed. The P-51L was cancelled before any aircraft were
built, but one P-51M was built before the order was cancelled.

[Papa]

And then there is the twin Mustangs. There were a few stationed at the old
Mitchell AFB, Long Island, New York during 1949-50. I was a very young
"weekend warrior" at the time, assigned to a troop carrier squadron there.

"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
> "COUGARNFW" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > Having just read this last night...
> >
> > The P-51's in america were P-51A, P-51B, P-51D, and so on whereas the
same
> > plane for the brits would have been name, Mustang Mk I, MkII and so on.
> >
>
> Don't forget the P-51 itself. In the Army system at that time, the first
> version of a basic design had no series letter, just the mission letter
and
> design number separated by a dash. Later versions had series letters
after
> the design number. P-51 was the first version, P-51A was the second.
>
> The Mustang Mk.I in RAF service were North American Models NA-73 and
NA-83,
> there was no corresponding US Army designation.
>
> The Mustang Mk.IA was the P-51.
>
> The Mustang Mk.II was the P-51A.
>
> The Mustang MK.III was the P-51B or P-51C, the British saw no reason to
> distinguish between them.
>
> The Mustang MK.IV was the P-51D.
>
> The Mustang Mk.IVA was the P-51K.
>
>
> >
> > The brits used roman numerals for their spitfires to denote different
> > models such as Mk VI and Mk VIII, but when they got to 20, they
> > gave up and went to 20 and and so on.
> >
>
> You're one off, the Spitfire Mk.XX was followed by the Spitfire 21.
>
>
> >
> > Nothing was "pure" so the P-51C was exactly the same as the B, but built
> > in a different factory and, although the americans used the B or C, the
> brits
> > called them the same "mark".
> >
>
> This is probably the best known example of a somewhat rare occurrence.
Many
> other aircraft in USAAF service were built in multiple factories by the
same
> manufacturer and even by other companies, but they usually didn't assign
> other series letters to them. They just designated the
factory/manufacturer
> with a two letter code after the block number.
>
> At least one aircraft had it both ways. Republic built the P-47D in
> Farmingdale, NY, and in Evansville, IN. Farmingdale airplanes had -RE
> following the block number while those built in Evansville used -RA.
> Curtiss built Thunderbolts in Buffalo identical to the P-47D were
designated
> P-47G.
>
> Interestingly, it was almost done again with the Mustang. P-51Ds built in
> Dallas were initially to be designated P-51E, and P-51Hs built in Dallas
> were to be designated P-51L or P-51M depending upon what version of the
> V-1650 was installed. The P-51L was cancelled before any aircraft were
> built, but one P-51M was built before the order was cancelled.
>
>

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Papa" > wrote in message
k.net...
>
> And then there is the twin Mustangs. There were a few stationed at the old
> Mitchell AFB, Long Island, New York during 1949-50.
>

Well, yes, there were Twin Mustangs, but they were not P-51s, they were
P-82s.

And it was Mitchel AFB, not Mitchell AFB.

[Papa]

Just as you say.

"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
> "Papa" > wrote in message
> k.net...
> >
> > And then there is the twin Mustangs. There were a few stationed at the
old
> > Mitchell AFB, Long Island, New York during 1949-50.
> >
>
> Well, yes, there were Twin Mustangs, but they were not P-51s, they were
> P-82s.
>
> And it was Mitchel AFB, not Mitchell AFB.
>
>