Tail Numbers

[GpaAirForce]

I've been trying to do research on my Grandpa's plane while in the Air Force. He's passed away and all I have to go on right now is a photograph that shows the tail number : 299613

Now the main reason for the research is I'm going to get a tattoo involving his plane and would really like to know exactly what kind of plane it is. I've been searching the internet (currently my only possible mode of research) and cannot find any way to lookup a specific tail number. Any help would be fantastic

[vikingBerserker]

I've been trying to do research on my Grandpa's plane while in the Air Force. He's passed away and all I have to go on right now is a photograph that shows the tail number : 299613

Now the main reason for the research is I'm going to get a tattoo involving his plane and would really like to know exactly what kind of plane it is. I've been searching the internet (currently my only possible mode of research) and cannot find any way to lookup a specific tail number. Any help would be fantastic

Which Airforce and the time period??? Can you post a copy of the pic?

[GpaAirForce]

Army Airforce, stationed in Burma, enlisted in 1942, and i'll try to upload the picture shortly

[evangilder]

Standard marking for the time would be the first digit is the last number of the year. I am guessing is is most likely 42-99613. If that is the case, then it was a Stinson L-5B Sentinel.

Here is what one looks like:

[N4521U]

I agree. I did a serial number search, 42-99613 and it came up with L-5B. When searched, the number does Not appear. So I wonder if it is still around????? Bill

Aircraft Serial Number Search

[vikingBerserker]

Nicely done, that had me a tad confused as well.

[T Bolt]

Couldn't fint that exact plane but Serial numbers 42-99574/99735 belong to Stinson L-5B Sentinel

[vikingBerserker]

It's interesting that that the numbers around this one were transfered to the RAF, but returned to the USAAF at the end of the war.

[T Bolt]

Yes I saw that too. Looks like were all looking at the same place!

[N4521U]

Yes, it is interesting. What a great little Mystery............. Keep us posted. Good luck in the search. Bill

[GpaAirForce]

Thank you all so much. The only other plane around the time frame that I could find that looks similar is the Piper L-4 Grasshopper. Is there any reason it deffinately could not be that type of plane as well?

[evangilder]

The USAAF at the time allocated serial numbers in lots to specific types. So that tail number fails in the middle of a bunch of other L-5Bs. There is also a chance that he flew the L-4 as the L-birds were used everywhere and some got pretty shot up from ground fire. But that serial is definitely a Stinson L-5B Sentinel

[GpaAirForce]

Okay, thanks so much!

[kjl419]

I am also looking to identify my grandfahers plane, I found a pic of him sitting on the plane with the tail numbers on it:

B
2100765

Another picture showed the nose, the plane was called 'PiCK-A-DiLLY'
My grandfather was the navigator, and as a child I remember one of his war buddies would call up and tell me stories of how brave my grandpa was when the got shot down, so I would like to know a little something about the plane, and since his army air corps files got burned in the 1973 fire I am having trouble figuring some stuff out. Any help would be great.

[vikingBerserker]

I show that belonging to a C-47. Anyway you could post the pic?