Hello X
I am glad you are overall pleased with the database.
By the way DC10 is the correct ICAO designator for a KC-10 and E3TF is the correct designator for the Boeing E-3A Sentry, Boeing E-3B Sentry and Boeing E-3C Sentry
Thank you
Andrew
The main reason for designators is to identify different performance to Air Traffic Controllers (climb times/max altitude/Range etc). Hence some aircraft like F18, which have roughly similar performance across all models, have one cover-all designation. Whilst other types have multiple desigs.
In the case of Sentry
-E3TF means it has older generation TF33 engine.
-For E3CF it performs better with the CFM56 engine.
This is especially relevant in your region, as although the RSAF use the same E-3A designation as the USAF (E3TF) ones, the saudi E-3A's have CFM56, so are E3CF instead.
On the Boeing front the C-40 will perform similarly to its civil 737 counterparts, so retains the same code as the civil machines. P-8 Posiedons based on the same airframe will perform differently, so have been given the P8 code. Similarly, E737 is used for the new Australian/Korean/Turkish AWACS variants. Finally, the Japanese AWACS are E767 rather than the B762 designation that the airframe was based on.
Regards
ACW367
