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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

But how exactly is the code actually composed?

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

1. ZeichenCharacter

FlugzeugkategorieAircraft category

2. ZeichenCharacter

AnzahlNumber derof Triebwerkeengines

3. ZeichenCharacter

ArtType desof Triebwerksengine

L Landplane

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 - Number of engines

 

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

P

Piston engine

S Seaplane
A Amphibian T

Turboprop engine

H Helicopter
G Gyrocopter J

Jet engine

T Tilt-wing aircraft
Examples
Aircraft Type Designator Aircraft Type Description Description
B748 L4J Landplane with 4 jet engines
A320 L2J Landplane with 2 jet engines
DH8D L2T Landplane with 2 turboprop engines
EC35 H2T Helicopter with 2 turboprop engines
C172 L1P Landplane with 1 piston engine