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Why so many "U"niforms?

goalstop

By goalstop
in Vintage Mooneys (pre-J models)

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goalstop Enthusiast

goalstop

Posted
Posted

It seems like a ton of the early Mooney (and Piper for that matter) tail numbers follow the format N####U.  Why is that? Is there any rhyme or reason to early tail numbers? Or am I just seeing trends that aren't there

takair Grand Master

takair

Posted
Posted

Best I can tell, they are sequential and OEMs often reserve blocks of registration numbers when they are doing high rates of production.  Some will even try to reserve vanity numbers, to include reference to the airframe.  Mooney 201s had a series of those, although I have flown a Cherokee with a 201 number…it was more of an anomaly.

carusoam Grand Master

carusoam

Posted
Posted
16 minutes ago, goalstop said:

It seems like a ton of the early Mooney (and Piper for that matter) tail numbers follow the format N####U.  Why is that? Is there any rhyme or reason to early tail numbers? Or am I just seeing trends that aren't there

In 65, they were all Quebecs… then Victors

The factory pulls a bunch of consecutive numbers from the pile at the FAA… then runs with them…

No more magic than that…

in the mid 70s… the magic was a bunch of numbers that started with N201…

 

See if you can reserve a tail number for your forever-plane…

Best regards,

-a-

Teddsgotwings Contributor

Teddsgotwings

Posted
Posted
On 10/22/2021 at 6:56 PM, takair said:

Best I can tell, they are sequential and OEMs often reserve blocks of registration numbers when they are doing high rates of production.  Some will even try to reserve vanity numbers, to include reference to the airframe.  Mooney 201s had a series of those, although I have flown a Cherokee with a 201 number…it was more of an anomaly.

N201XQ here...1978 M20j 201

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