Possible JMN question...

[Mr.Creak]

For a long time I've been under the impression (from some forgotten book/ author I read up any time in the last 50 years) that the circled yellow "P" on British aircraft didn't actually mean "Prototype" so much as "no Pilots notes available currently".
Can some one please confirm (or refute) this?
If I'm mistaken could someone explain why captured German aircraft (sometimes) carried the P and why some aircraft carried them initially and then stopped (while still essentially being prototypes), for example the Gloster E28/39.
TIA.

[CANSO]

For a long time I've been under the impression (from some forgotten book/ author I read up any time in the last 50 years) that the circled yellow "P" on British aircraft didn't actually mean "Prototype" so much as "no Pilots notes available currently".
Can some one please confirm (or refute) this?
If I'm mistaken could someone explain why captured German aircraft (sometimes) carried the P and why some aircraft carried them initially and then stopped (while still essentially being prototypes), for example the Gloster E28/39.
TIA.

Below are two excerpts from original Air Ministry Orders (AMO) - they might help.

AMO A.664/42 (F.O.6. - 2.7.42) - see under 7

AMO A.864/44 (S.59966/IVOps. (A.D.)6.-7.9.44) - see under 14

Captured German aircraft when carrying the letter P were attached to experimental establishments, they were not prototypes. But many of the captured a/cs were not marked in this way though.

[PR19_Kit]

Ahah, useful information there.