In the mid-1950s AAHS member Warren Bodie with the assistance of Ms. Jennie Reeves (custodian of the Wright Field still photo files), Peter M. Bowers, William T. Larkins and John Sloan compiled an index of the aircraft tail numbers (P-number) for McCook Field (and later Wright Field).  The period covered was 1918 through 1930.  P-numbers were assigned to aircraft used in engineering and research evaluations during this period. Even at this date no one is sure what the “P” represented – plane, project or procurement.  Aviation historians and photograph collectors have long noted these identifier numbers painted on the rudders of various aircraft. The original list was published in Vol. 1, No. 4, of the AAHS Journal (October-December 1956). This information has been updated using a number of published references including significant data provided by Drew Taylor derived directly from the airplane records by month for both engineering divisions at McCook and Wright Fields, and further supplemented by Robert Casari.

The following is an updated listing of the McCook Field P-numbers. It includes additional aircraft that were not in the original listing, as well as information regarding the engines installed (in many cases including their Air Service number).  A notes column has been added that contains additional information about the aircraft.

	P-No.	A.S. No.	Make	Model	Engine	H.P.	Eng. A.S. No.	Notes
	P-1	A.S. 2	Curtiss	JN-4B	Curtiss OX-5	90	1343	Shipped to Wright, OH 5/16/18
	P-2	1621	Curtiss	JN-4A	Curtiss OX-5	90	1825	Shipped to Wright, OH 5/16/18
	P-3	1555	Curtiss	JN-4A	Curtiss OXX-6	100	-	Salvaged at Wright, OH, sold to Mr Johnson
	P-4	12876	Curtiss	JN-4C	Curtiss OX-5	90	29447	Converted from JN-4B, shipped to Wright, OH 5/17/18
	P-5	1262	Curtiss	JN-4D	Hall Scott A7A	100	5949	AMTS, St. Paul, MN 5/17/18
	P-6	37935	Curtiss	JN-4H	Wright I	150	49082	With reversible pitch propeller. Wrecked Wright, OH by Art Smith 5/9/21, Salvaged
	P-7	38011	Curtiss	JN-4H	Wright I	150	46851	Crashed McCook, OH, by Lt. Banks 1/22/19, Survey 180
	P-8	2506	L.W.F.	G	Liberty 8	275	-	Condemned and burned 4/5/18
	P-9	B-503	RAE	SE-5	Hispano-Suiza	150	-	Shipped to Washington, DC 4/12/18
	P-10	2474	Nieuport	-	Le Rhone J	80	-	Wrecked 3/9/18
	P-11	2473	Nieuport	13	Le Rhone J	80	101032	Also reported as Nieuport 16, French s/n? Salvaged 9-Feb-1921, Salvage #138
	P-12	94074	SPAD	13	Hispano-Suiza	220	7153	Dismantled 10/25/20, Shipped to Wright, OH, ST 2361
	P-13	D-2096-16	Albatros	-	Mercedes	180	-	Aero Expo, NYC 2/12/19, ST 4983
	P-14	94077	Wright Martin	V	Wright E	180	3162	Storage Wright, OH 4/30/21, ST 1287
	P-15	39954	Curtiss	R-4L	Liberty 12	400	17435	To Langley Field 5/15/18
	P-16	32344	DH-4	DH-4	Liberty 12	400	17512	See P-49; surveyed 4/25/19
	P-17	C-6058	de Havilland	DH-9	Siddeley	220	5064	Transferred Wright, OH 4/30/21, ST 1267
	P-18	-	de Havilland	DH-9	Liberty 12	400	17810	Wrecked 11 Jun 1918, Surveyed 7/10/18, #4590
	P-19	1527	Curtiss	JN-4A	Hall Scott A7A	100	2353	AMTS, St. Paul, MN 5/17/18
	P-20	39957	Curtiss	R-4	Liberty 12	400	18212	Ellington, TX, Lt. Thynnes 2/2/19
	P-21	32071	de Havilland	DH-4	Liberty 12	400	-	Wrecked Erie, PA, Lt. Wilcox 1/20/19
	P-22	19898	Vought	VE-7	Wright I	150	3269	Shipped to Wright, OH 10/11/18, ST 3756
	P-23	19897	Vought	VE-7	Wright I	150	2348	Shipped to Wright, OH 9/7/18, ST 1441
	P-24	41358	Curtiss	JN-4H	Wright E	180	42734	Wrecked Mt Shelby, OH, Capt. Fleet 8/18/20
	P-25	C-4312	Avro	504K	Gnome	160	-	Dayton Wright for British Mission 1918
	P-26	4355	Thomas-Morse	MB-4	Gnome	160	-	Wilbur Wright Field 4/8/18
	P-27	39958	Curtiss	R-4L	Liberty 12	400	18193	Ellington Field, flown 2/5/19, Shipped to Detroit, MI 10/8/1920, ST 417
	P-28	40045	Engineering Division (LePere)	USAC-1	Liberty 12	400	-	Shipped to Wright, OH 6/27/18, ST 318
	P-29	37936	Curtiss	JN-4H	Wright I	150	46829	Wrecked, Lt. Fastenau, night flying 4/6/22
	P-30	2175 (c/n)	Bristol	F.2B	Wright H	300	-	Surveyed 2/19/19
	P-31	32083	de Havilland	DH-4	Liberty 12	400	18179	Crashed Selfridge, MI, Lt. Foulk 9/10/19
	P-32	B763 (UK)	Bristol	Scout D	LeRhone	80	34611	Transferred Wright, OH 4/30/21, ST 1287
	P-33	94075	SPAD	11	Wright E	180	94761	Also as s/n 3079 (F). Surveyed 1/2/23, ST 321
	P-34	32341	de Havilland	DH-4	Liberty 12	400	28499	Salvaged 4/1/21, #99
	P-35	32321	de Havilland	DH-4	Liberty 12	400	-	Salvaged 10/21/20, #312
	P-36	40026	Engineering Division	USD-9	Liberty 12	400	-	Surveyed 8/16/18
	P-37	-	Engineering Div / Bristol	USB-2 (F.2B)	Liberty 8	275	-	Wright Field 9/16/18
	P-38	N-6298 (F?)	Nieuport	28	Gnome N	180	55128	Wrecked Dayton, OH, Lt. Meister 5/30/20, salvaged
	P-39	19900	Vought	VE-7	Wright I	150	43199	Wrecked Dayton, OH, Lt. Price 7/19/22, Salvaged 104, Hangars IA 295.81
	P-40	40042	Engineering Division	USD-9	Liberty 12	400	30402	Burned 11/30/20, surveyed 1/21/21 #538
	P-41	33765	Orenco	B or C	LeRhone	80	34539	Salvaged 147
	P-42	C1119 (UK)	RAE	SE-5	Hispano-Suiza	150	-	Wrecked and surveyed Wright, OH, 10/x/18
	P-43	40060	Engineering Division	USD-9A	Liberty 12	400	17702	Shipped to Wright, OH, 9/23/20, Hangar 271.71
	P-44	42129	LePere	USAC-11	Liberty 12	400	19498	Shipped to Wright, OH 10/9/18, ST 16
	P-45	40043	Engineering Division	USD-9	Liberty 12	400	5055	Wrecked Rochester, OH, Lt. Wade 12/30/20
	P-46	19901	Vought	VE-7	Wright I	150	3149	Wrecked Wright, OH, Lt. Meister 3/25/20 Surveyed 38
	P-47	40061	Engineering Division	USD-9A	Liberty 12	400	23629	Shipped Curtiss Corp 10/27/18, ST 376
	P-48	33763	Orenco	B or C	Gnome	160	52205	Surveyed 5/16/24 #4952
	P-49	32344	DH-4B	DH-4B	Liberty 12	400	31355	Wrecked Wright, OH, Lt. Fairchild 4/4/21
	P-50	40062	Engineering Division	USD-9A	Liberty 12	400	19004	Shipped overseas 11/4/18
	P-51	40063	Engineering Division	USD-9A	Liberty 12	400	17700	Shipped overseas via, NY 11/7/18
	P-52	C-8740 / 94078	RAE	SE-5A	Wright E	180	49008	Wrecked Camp Perry, Capt. Ecker 8/12/20
	P-53	40013	Packard-LePere	LUSAO-11	Liberty 12	400	4672	Museum 11/11/24
	P-54	42138	Packard-LePere	LUSAO-11	Liberty 12	400	31005	Wrecked Yellow Springs, OH, Lt. Biggs 10/23/2?
	P-55	44556	Standard	E-1	LeRhone	80	94778	Surveyed 1/14/26, #17056
	P-56	31108	DH-4	DH-4 Blue Bird	Liberty 12	400	31966	Wrecked Detroit, MI, Lt. Moriarty 4/24/20
	P-57	39349	Curtiss	JN-4C	Curtiss OX-5	50	3836	Shipped Wright, OH 5/23/21
	P-58	19898	Vought	VE-7	Wright E	180	48665	Wilbur Wright Field Overhaul 157.54, sold Johnson
	P-59	40121	Loening	M-8	Wright H	300	13465	Surveyed 10/20/26, #24333, museum
	P-60	40119	Engineering Division	USD-9A	Liberty 12	400	37545	Wrecked Toledo, OH, Lt. Macready 4/9/19
	P-61	E-8449	Airco	DH-9A	Liberty 12	400	30953	Surveyed 4/14/24, Museum
	P-62	40070	Caproni	Ca-5	3 x Liberty 12	400 400 400	20746 20732 20769	Langley, VA, Project E 6/4/21
	P-63	44219	Curtiss	JN-6HG-2	Wright I	150	-	Wrecked, Lexington, KY, Lt. Miller 5/15/19
	P-64	40044	Engineering Division	USD-9A	Liberty 12	400	31110	Surveyed #4951
	P-65	40012	Packard-LePere	LUSAO-11	2 x Liberty 12	400 400	22817 22830	Surveyed 3/19/20 Reported to Museum 1/24
	P-66	40093	Thomas-Morse	MB-3	Wright H	300	-	Shipped Wright, OH 5/17/21
	P-67	40108	Orenco	D	Wright H	300	13443	Used to rebuild P-121, Museum 9/30/22, ST 1013
	P-68	40087	Pomilio	BVL.12	Liberty 12	400	5361	Dismantled, Surveyed 3/19/20
	P-69	40081	Pomilio	FVL.8	Liberty 8	275	94785	Museum 9/30/22, ST 1013
	P-70	40115	Packard-LePere	LUSAC-11	Liberty 12	400	37657	Transferred to Selfridge, MI 6/19/24, ST 8526
	P-71	40067	Engineering Division	USD-9A	Liberty 12	400	4537	Flown Wash., D.C. 6/1/19, Transferred to Wright, OH 5/24/24, ST 8388
	P-72	39057	Martin	NBS-1	2 x Liberty 12	400 400	71615 71568	Transferred to Wright, OH 6/15/22, ST 7955, Hangar TA 869.22
	P-73	19902	Vought	VE-7	Wright I	150	3426	Shipped Carlstrom, FL, 11/3/20
	P-74	40060	Engineering Division	USD-9A	Liberty 12	400	5171x	I & I Report 4551 11/5/23, Hangar TA Equipment 123.36
	P-75	F-6533 / 94072	Sopwith	Salamander	Daimler BR-2	200	94072	Surveyed 10/20/26, #24333
	P-76	23432	DH-4 Honeymoon	DH-4 Honeymoon	Liberty 12	400	40127	Flown Washington, DC, Lt. McCready 7/8/19
	P-77	62945	de Havilland	DH-4L	Liberty 12	400	23423	Shipped Hazelhurst FL 6/3/19
	P-78	30130	DH-4	DH-4	Liberty 12	400	-	Flown Washington, DC, Capt. White 4/18/19
	P-79	62946	DH-4L	DH-4L	Liberty 12	400	-	Wrecked Ft Wayne IN, Lt. Morse 7/4/20
	P-80	40118	Engineering Division	USD-9A	Liberty 12	400	28813	Surveyed 3/18/27, Hanger TA Power Plant 216.09
	P-81	30894	DH-4	DH-4	Liberty 12	400	31241	Shipped Langley, VA 8/22/19, ST 5566
	P-82	30723	DH-4	DH-4	Liberty 12	400	32103	Shipped Kelly, TX 6/5/20, ST 6335
	P-83	-	Stout	Cootie	WBB Hispano 4	-	-	Shipped to Lewis & Vought Corp 6/17/19
	P-84	40071	Caproni	Ca.5	3 x Liberty 12	400 400 400	22966 22855 22972	Flown Ellington, TX 6/23/19, ST 5336
	P-85	40128	DH-4 Honeymoon	DH-4 Honeymoon	Liberty 12	400	29759	Wrecked Circleville IN, Lt. Van Veghten 1/19/23, Surveyed 338
	P-86	40058	Curtiss	18-B	Kirkham K-12	400	-	Wrecked McCook Field, Surveyed #65
	P-87	62949	Martin	NBS-1	2 x Liberty 12	400 400	32207 31118	Shipped Hazel Field, NY 7/23/19
	P-88	39056	Martin	NBS-1	2 x Liberty 12	400 400	38271 44184	Shipped Bolling, DC 6/29/19, ST 5442, Wrecked Aberdeen, Md.
	P-89	40021	Packard-LePere	LUSAGH-11	Liberty 12	400	32209	Surveyed 10/20/26 #24333
	P-90	40125	Engineering Division	XB-1A	Wright H	300	13903	I & I Report 8/17/23, Hangar TA 166.43
	P-91	30727	DH-4	DH-4	Liberty 12	400	32099	Wrecked Dayton, OH, 8/20/19
	P-92	30590	DH-4	DH-4	Liberty 12	400	31881	Shipped Kelly, TX 9/5/20, ST 6335
	P-93	30855	Atlantic	DH-4M-2	Wright H	300	13867	Wrecked, Mr Meister 12/x/20, Survey #611, 1/12/21
	P-94	30913	DH-4	DH-4	Liberty 12	400	38231	Shipped Langley, VA 10/25/19
	P-95	40024	Packard-LePere	“LUSAGH-21	Bugatti	400	40675	Shipped Wright, OH 4/30/21
	P-96	42119	Caproni	Ca.5	3 x Liberty 12	400 400 400	77843 77845 77644	Flown Ellington, TX, Lt. Harris 7/18/19
	P-97	40126	Engineering Division	VCP-1	Packard 2025	630	94559	Storage museum
	P-98	40072	Vought	VE-7	Wright E	180	48932	Wrecked Dayton, OH, Survey 1672
	P-99	94069	Sopwith	Camel	Clerget-Blin	130	52614	Crashed McCook, OH, Sgt. Maden killed 10/4/20
	P-100	47816	Curtiss	JN-4D-2	Curtiss OX-5	90	7500	Survey 4952, 5/16/24
	P-101	40109	Orenco/Curtiss	D	Wright H	300	13657	Curtiss Co. 6/22/20

[Download complete listing (PDF)]

References

• “McCook Field P-Numbers,” AAHS Journal, Vol. 1, No. 4, 1956, pp. 147-157.
• Aerofiles.com, Aircraft A-Z.
• “1908-1921 USAAS Serial Numbers” and “1922-1929 USAAS Serial Numbers,” JoeBaugher.com.
• “McCook Field – Airplane Records, February 1, 1922,” Skyways, No. 3, July 1987, pp. 14-23.
• “McCook Field P-Numbers, Part II,” Skyways, No. 5, January 1988, pp. 45-51.
• Unpublished data from Drew Taylor derived from the McCook Field aircraft record cards.
• Unpublished data from Robert Casari derived from the McCook Field aircraft record cards.