Introduction:

The major part of this book is a listing by registration of
all the aircraft which have been allocated Norwegian civil
markings since 1919. This in turn is split into two sections.
The first covers the period up to 1931 when the prefix
letter N- followed by a number was in use - although
not all aircraft in service in fact carried any marks. The
same registration numbers were re-allotted in certain
instances, sometimes to aircraft of identical type to the
original.
The second section of the register covers the present
registration series, which uses the LN- prefix with three
letter following, which was introduced in 1932 by which
time the N prefix was reserved for the United States of
America. Some letter combinations have been used
several times; when a particular registration is cancelled,
it normally becomes available for re-allocation, though
this may not happen within a year of the cancellation.
Aircraft registration began quite regularly with pro
gressive allocations in the LN-ABx and LN-BAx blocks,
and this sequence was followed until the early 1950s.
Since that time however, more random allocations
have been issued. It should be noted that initially the
letters C, J, Q, X, Y, Z, ÆE, Ø and A were not used, but
currently all except the latter three are allowed. Certain
combinations are reserved for particular aircraft types;
for example LN-Gxx for gliders and sailplanes (plus
LN-HAA, HAE and SCA), and LN-Oxx for helicopters
also LN-FOH). Others are normally used by major oper-
ators, as Is the case with LN-FOx for Fred Olsens
FIyselskap A/S.
When the Germans invaded Norway on 9 April, 1940,
some of the civil aircraft were destroyed, some flew with
the Norwegian Army Air Force for a time until they
were either abandoned or destroyed, whilst others
escaped to Britain or Finland. Most aircraft, however,
were stored or seized by the Germans. Hirdens Flykorps
(the pro-German National Union Flying Corps) took
over all airworthy gliders and used them during the war.
At least one glider, LN-SCA, was imported from Germány.
No official register was kept during the 1940-45 period.
In the late 1930s aircraft were imported for the Army
and Navy Air Forces from Germany and Italy; these
were allocated LN- registration marks for the actual
delivery flights, primarily for use as radio call-signs
Similarly, at the cessation of hostilities in Norway In
1940, some of the aircraft remaining in Northern Norway
were flown to England or Finland and these too were
roughly painted with LN-xxx marks. More details of
these aircraft are included in Appendix C. Unlike
various other countries, Norway does not allocate
separate series for gliders or balloons, and these are
included in the main registers.
Whlist we have tried to make the registers as clearly
understood as possible, there has naturally been some
need to abbreviate, and to adopt other conventions.