North American

North American Aviation was the first manufacturer of military aeronautics American by the number, during the period of 1935 with 1967. Only during the Second world war, it produced 41.208 planes. Starting from the beginning of the year 1960, the company was focused on the programs of missiles and space, taking part inter alia in the Programme Apollo. In March 1967, North American Aviation and Rockwell Standard Corporation amalgamated within North American Rockwell , which became in 1973, Rockwell International and ends up being absorbed by Boeing in 1996.

History

North American Aviation is rested by Clement Keys, like a company of Holding in the Delaware, the December 6th 1928, and in March 1930, it is with dimensions with the New York Stock Exchange. It then gathers at the same time airline companies and factories of production of planes, of which the General Aviation Manufacturing Corporation with the Curtis-Caproni factory with Dunwalk, acquired in 1933. The new legislation of the New Deal included/understood the Air Email Act December 31st 1934 which prohibited at the companies implied in the aeronautical construction industry to sign contracts of airmail, and North American' S airline separates from its production activity. General Aviation, delivered to it even, recruiting a new president James Howard " Dutch" Kindelberger, old of 39 years, but former vice-president of the studies of Douglas Aircraft Company, this one brings moreover two engineers of talent from Douglas, Lee Atwood and J.S. " Stan" Smithson, and takes the name of North American aviation.

The situation of the company is not brilliant since it never yet sold plane, it was satisfied with modification on Berliner-Joyce P-16 and its only models original the GA-43 Pilgrim, a single-engined aircraft with low wing of ten passengers is unsaleable. A first governmental order makes it possible to improve finances, but it is not at all of plane, but about Ponton S for the observation aircrafts of the US Navy. However, the first drawings for a new plane are ready, a plane of instruction three places, the NA-16, which steals on April 1st 1935 and which the US Army will test in May. The plane modified NA-19 is ordered at the same time by Army (BT-9) and Navy (NJ-1), the Argentine becomes purchaser of the NA-18. The plane will be an immense business success, with more than 17.000 exeplaires produced by North American in 25 years and 4.500 pennies license in four other countries.

Meanwhile, before launching the series production, Kindelberger made move its factory on a ground and its 75 employees, on a ground of 20 acre S which it rents for 600 Dollar S per annum, at the edge of the Los Angeles Municipal Airport in California. In January 1936, the new factory opens with 250 employees. Beside the production of derived from the NA-16, the company builds its first twin-engine, the NA-21 Dragon, that Army tests under the designation of XB-21. In 1940, the production continuing to increase with the war, two new factories are opened, with Kansas City and another with Dallas with the Texas. Two new exceptional planes will join the T-6, to ensure the success of the company, the B-25 Mitchel and P-51 Mustang. On the whole, North American, will produce 1938 with 1945, 43 208 planes, at the end of the war with the Japan, it employs 91 000 paid and has 8 000 planes in order.

With peace, the orders are cancelled, the number of planes to be built falling to 24, very quickly manpower of the company decrease in a drastic way, so that in 1946, they are nothing any more but 5000. But the company reacts by proposing modern planes which go succiter the interest of the any news USAF and the US Navy, thus are to create the B-45 in 1947 and FJ 1 Fury in 1946, this last will evolve/move to give place to a new great success, the F 86 Saber whose 6656 specimens will be produced by North American, to which are added 2 500 pennies license. In June 1948, Kindelberger leaves the presidency to Lee Atwood. With the beginning of the year fifty appears the F-100 Super Sabers who continues the success of his predecessor, but it will be the last great contract in the milittaire field. At the end of the years 1950, three successive cancellations for F-107, F-108 and the cruise missile Navajo, carries a fatal blow to the company on the military market.

On the other hand the company is distinguished in the field from space research with the program from the X-15 and following the decision from its president to focus itself on the space program. Obtaining the design and the manufacture of the modules of command and service and a good part of the launcher Saturn V of the Program Apollo. Following the accident of January 1967 of Apollo 1, the company, very criticized, joins Rockwell Standard Corporation within a new group North American Rockwell, which becomes Rockwell International in 1973 following its diversification. This new group amongst other things obtains the contract of the B-1 in 1970, but in front of the climbing of the costs, in 1977, the president Jimmy Carter cancels the program. It is started again under the administration Reagan, with a program of cruise missile which are associated for him. Division Space Transportation Systems Division (STSD) of Rockwell is also selected for construction of the space shuttles and at the end of the years 1980 for the program X-31 Enhanced Fighter Maneuverability demonstrator . Finally, space divisions and aviation of the group, are sold with the group Boeing in December 1996, of which North American Aviation and Rocketdyne.

Subsidiary companies and divisions

Eastern Airlines until in 1938
Rocketdyne creates in 1955

Productions of North American Aviation

Planes

North American T-6 Texan

BT-9
Harvard
O-47
NJ-1

XB-21
B-25 Mitchell
XB-28 Dragon
F/P-51 Mustang

A-36A Invader
F-6 Mustang
F/P-82 Twin Mustang

AJ Savage
B-45 Tornado
F-86 Saber

FJ Fury

T-28 Trojan
YF-93A
F-100 Super Sabers
YF-107
Vigilant XF-108 Rapier
T-2 Buckeye
A-5

Vigilant A3J-1
Vigilant RA-5C

T-39 Sabreliner
XB-70 Valkyrie
OV-10 Bronco
North American B-1
X-31A
AC-130U Gunship

Missiles produced by North American Aviation

North American X-10
North American SM-64 Navaho
North American AGM-28 Hound Dog
North American AGM-114 Hell Fire

Program space

rocket motor X-15
rocket motor F-1
rocket motor J-2
Redstone
modules of order and service
HiMAT
American Space shuttle

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