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[USRailFan]

Don't think you're right about the planes, they used both the designations and names in the USA, but only the names in the UK (e.g. to the Yanks it was the P-51D Mustang, to the Brits it was the Mustang Mk. IV).

[briyeo1950]

Don't think you're right about the planes, they used both the designations and names in the USA, but only the names in the UK (e.g. to the Yanks it was the P-51D Mustang, to the Brits it was the Mustang Mk. IV).

I am right for certain in the case of the P51. Most now well known names were the result of early war British orders for US equipment.

Version History
The initial prototype was designated the NA-73X by the manufacturer, North American Aviation. The first production contract was awarded by the British for 320 NA-73 fighters. This aircraft was name Mustang I by the British. Two aircraft of this lot delivered to the U.S. Army Air Corps were designated XP-51. A second British contract for 300 more Mustang Is was assigned a model number of NA-83 by North American.

[FoggyMorning]

That's interesting Brian, I didn't know that

[USRailFan]

Yes, in the case of the Mustang the Americans adopted the British name as the official name. Although in other cases a plane already had an established US service name when the UK purchased them. And in some cases the RAF even adopted a different service name than the one used in the USA (e.g. the Lockheed Ventura, which in the USA was called the Lockheed B-34 Lexington).