# ICAO Type Description

In addition to the familiar ICAO Type Designator such as A320, B738, C172, ICAO Document 8643 - Aircraft Type Designators also contains the ICAO Type Description. This is a code that describes the characteristics of an aircraft, such as L2J, H1T, S1P.  
   
Euroscope already displays this description in the flight strip.

*[![Flightstrip.png](https://knowledgebase.vatsim-germany.org/uploads/images/gallery/2024-01/scaled-1680-/flightstrip.png)](https://knowledgebase.vatsim-germany.org/uploads/images/gallery/2024-01/flightstrip.png)*

But how exactly is the code actually composed?

The ICAO type description consists of three characters. These are explained in the following table.

<table border="1" class="align-center" id="bkmrk-1.-zeichen-flugzeugk" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 99.9391%; height: 236.375px; border: 1px solid rgb(126, 140, 141);"><colgroup><col style="width: 6.55373%;"></col><col style="width: 21.145%;"></col><col style="width: 42.0428%;"></col><col style="width: 5.19352%;"></col><col style="width: 24.9784%;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 57.5938px;"><td colspan="2" style="background-color: rgb(194, 224, 244); border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 57.5938px; vertical-align: middle;">**1. Character**

**Aircraft category**

</td><td class="align-center" style="background-color: rgb(194, 224, 244); border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 57.5938px; vertical-align: middle;">**2. Character**

**Number of engines**

</td><td class="align-center" colspan="2" style="background-color: rgb(194, 224, 244); border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 57.5938px; vertical-align: middle;">**3. Character**

**Type of engine**

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td class="align-center" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 29.7969px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">**L**</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 29.7969px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Landplane</td><td rowspan="6" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 178.781px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">**1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8** - Number of engines

**C** - if the engines are coupled and powered through a propeller system

</td><td rowspan="2" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 59.5938px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">**P**</td><td rowspan="2" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 59.5938px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Piston engine

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td class="align-center" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 29.7969px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">**S**</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 29.7969px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Seaplane</td></tr><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td class="align-center" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 29.7969px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">**A**</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 29.7969px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Amphibian</td><td rowspan="2" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 59.5938px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">**T**</td><td rowspan="2" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 59.5938px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Turboprop engine

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td class="align-center" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 29.7969px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">**H**</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 29.7969px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Helicopter</td></tr><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td class="align-center" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 29.7969px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">**G**</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 29.7969px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Gyrocopter</td><td rowspan="2" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 59.5938px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">**J**</td><td rowspan="2" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 59.5938px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Jet engine

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29.7969px;"><td class="align-center" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 29.7969px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">**T**</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); height: 29.7969px; vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Tilt-wing aircraft</td></tr></tbody></table>

##### Examples

<table border="1" class="align-center" id="bkmrk-aircraft-type-design" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; border: 1px solid rgb(126, 140, 141);"><colgroup><col style="width: 33.3333%;"></col><col style="width: 33.3333%;"></col><col style="width: 33.3333%;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr><td class="align-center" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(194, 224, 244);">**Aircraft Type Designator**</td><td class="align-center" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(194, 224, 244);">**Aircraft Type Description**</td><td class="align-center" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(194, 224, 244);">**Description**</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">B748</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">L4J</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Landplane with 4 jet engines</td></tr><tr><td class="align-center" style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">A320</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">L2J</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Landplane with 2 jet engines</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">DH8D</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">L2T</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Landplane with 2 turboprop engines</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">EC35</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">H2T</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Helicopter with 2 turboprop engines</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">C172</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">L1P</td><td style="border-color: rgb(126, 140, 141); background-color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">Landplane with 1 piston engine</td></tr></tbody></table>