Definition
A small metal plate permanently attached to an aircraft, engine, propeller, or other certified component, stamped or etched with identifying information such as the manufacturer's name, model designation, serial number, and date of manufacture. The data plate establishes the legal identity of the item and is the official reference used to verify it against its airworthiness and maintenance records.
Plain English
It's the small metal nameplate fixed to an aircraft or one of its major parts that shows what it is, who made it, and its serial number. It's how the item is officially identified.
Context Anchor
Seen during aircraft inspections, maintenance record checks, and when confirming the identity of an aircraft, engine, propeller, or installed part.
Derivation
From 'data' (information) and 'plate' (a flat piece of metal). The name describes exactly what it is: a plate carrying the identifying information for the item it's attached to.
Why Pilots Care
The data plate confirms the correct engine or component is installed, supports airworthiness verification, and provides the serial number needed for maintenance logs and parts ordering.
Analogy
It is like the VIN plate on a car: it does not make the vehicle work, but it proves exactly which vehicle or part you are dealing with.
Intuition Check
Do not read “data plate” as just any label with information on it. In aviation, it means an official identification plate tied to the legal identity of the aircraft or part.
Example Sentence 1
Before signing off the annual inspection, the mechanic checked the engine data plate to confirm the serial number matched the logbook.
Example Sentence 2
The mechanic copied the serial number from the propeller data plate before ordering a new hub.