North American Aviation facts for kids
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| Industry | Aerospace |
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| Fate | Merger |
| Successor | North American Rockwell |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Founders | Clement Melville Keys |
| Defunct | March 1967 |
| Headquarters |
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United States of America
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Key people
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| Parent | General Motors (1933–1948) |
North American Aviation (NAA) was a big American company that designed and built many famous aircraft and spacecraft. It was a leader in the aerospace industry.
Some of its well-known creations include the T-6 Texan trainer plane and the powerful P-51 Mustang fighter. They also built the B-25 Mitchell bomber and the F-86 Sabre jet fighter.
Later, NAA helped with space travel. They made the X-15 rocket plane and parts for the Apollo command and service module. They even built a stage of the giant Saturn V rocket and the Space Shuttle orbiter.
Over time, North American Aviation joined with other companies. It became part of North American Rockwell, then Rockwell International, and is now part of Boeing.
Contents
History of North American Aviation
Early Days
Clement Melville Keys started North American on December 6, 1928. At first, it was a company that bought and sold parts of different airlines.
But a new law in 1934 changed things. North American had to stop being a holding company and become a company that built things. James H. "Dutch" Kindelberger took charge of the new manufacturing business.
In 1933, General Motors Corporation took control of NAA. They kept the name North American Aviation. Kindelberger moved the company to Los Angeles, California. This sunny location allowed planes to be flown and tested all year. The company decided to focus on making training aircraft first.
World War II Efforts
The BC-1 in 1937 was North American's first combat plane. As World War II approached, the company grew fast. They opened new factories in Columbus, Ohio, Dallas, Texas, and Kansas City, Kansas. North American became one of the top companies making war supplies for the United States.
One of their most famous planes was the T-6 Texan trainer. Over 17,000 of these were built, making it the most used trainer ever. The B-25 Mitchell bomber became famous for the Doolittle Raid. It was used in battles all over the world.
The P-51 Mustang was first made for Britain. It was a great fighter plane. A big change happened when the British suggested using a different engine, the Rolls-Royce Merlin. This made the P-51 even better. Many people think it was the best American fighter plane of the war.
After the War
After World War II ended, North American's workforce shrank a lot. In 1946, only 5,000 people worked there, down from 91,000. Many orders for new planes were canceled.
In 1948, General Motors sold its share of NAA. But the company kept designing new aircraft. They made the T-28 Trojan trainer, the F-82 Twin Mustang fighter, and the B-45 Tornado jet bomber. Other planes included the FJ Fury and the amazing XB-70 Valkyrie strategic bomber.
The Columbus, Ohio, division made special planes like the A-5 Vigilante. This fast bomber was used for scouting during the Vietnam War. They also built the OV-10 Bronco, designed for air control and fighting rebels. The T-2 Buckeye was a naval trainer used by almost every Naval Aviator and Naval Flight Officer for decades.
The North American F-86 Sabre jet fighter became very famous. It shot down many enemy planes in the Korean War. Over 9,000 F-86s were built. Its follow-up, the North American F-100 Super Sabre, was also very popular.
Space Program Work
In 1955, the company's rocket engine part became a separate division called Rocketdyne. Rocketdyne made engines for many missiles and for NASA's Saturn family of rockets.
North American also designed and built the X-15 rocket-powered aircraft. It first flew in 1959. In 1960, the new CEO, Lee Atwood, decided to focus on the space program.
The company became the main builder for the Apollo command and service module. This was the spacecraft that carried astronauts to the Moon. They also built the S-II second stage of the giant Saturn V rocket.
Merger and New Companies
In January 1967, a tragic fire happened during a test for the Apollo 1 mission. North American Aviation was partly blamed. In September 1967, the company joined with Rockwell-Standard. The new company was called North American Rockwell.
This new company continued working on the Apollo program. They built the Command and Service modules for all eleven Apollo missions. They also started working on ideas for the Space Shuttle. In 1972, they won the contract to build the orbiter.
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In 1973, the company changed its name again to Rockwell International. Later, in December 1996, Rockwell International's defense and space parts were sold to Boeing. These groups became part of Boeing's Defense division.
Rocketdyne was later sold by Boeing to UTC Pratt & Whitney in 2005. Then, in 2013, UTC sold Rocketdyne to Aerojet (GenCorp).
Products
Aircraft
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| North American NA-16 | 1935 | 1,935 | Single piston engine trainer |
| North American O-47 | 1935 | 239 | Single piston engine observation airplane |
| North American BT-9 | 1936 | 149 | Single piston engine trainer |
| North American XB-21 | 1936 | 1 | Prototype twin piston engine medium bomber |
| North American BC-1 | 1937 | 270 | Single piston engine trainer |
| North American Harvard | 1938 | 1,463 | Single piston engine trainer |
| North American BT-14 | 1939 | 251 | Single piston engine trainer |
| North American T-6 Texan | 1939 | 15,495 | Single piston engine trainer |
| North American SNJ | 1939 | 3,867 | Single piston engine trainer |
| North American P-64 | 1939/1940 | 13 | Single piston engine fighter |
| North American NA-35 | 1940 | 1 | Prototype single piston engine trainer |
| North American NA-64 Yale | 1940 | 230 | Single piston engine trainer |
| North American A-27 | 1940 | 10 | Single piston engine attack airplane |
| North American B-25 Mitchell | 1940 | 9,890 | Twin piston engine medium bomber |
| North American P-51 Mustang | 1940 | 15,000+ | Single piston engine fighter |
| North American XB-28 | 1942 | 2 | Prototype twin piston engine medium bomber |
| North American A-36 | 1942 | 500 | Single piston engine attack airplane |
| North American F-82 Twin Mustang | 1945 | 272 | Twin piston engine escort fighter |
| North American Navion | 1946 | 1,109 | Single piston engine civilian airplane |
| North American FJ-1 Fury | 1946 | 33 | Single jet engine naval fighter |
| North American XSN2J | 1947 | 2 | Prototype single piston engine trainer |
| North American B-45 Tornado | 1947 | 143 | Quad jet engine bomber |
| North American F-86 Sabre | 1947 | 9,860 | Single jet engine fighter |
| North American AJ Savage | 1948 | 143 | Twin piston engine naval attack airplane |
| North American T-28 Trojan | 1949 | 1,948 | Single piston engine trainer |
| North American F-86D Sabre | 1949 | 2,847 | Single jet engine interceptor fighter |
| North American YF-93 | 1950 | 2 | Prototype single jet engine fighter |
| North American FJ-2 Fury | 1951 | 203 | Single jet engine naval fighter |
| North American XA2J Super Savage | 1952 | 1 | Prototype twin turboprop engine naval attack airplane |
| North American F-100 Super Sabre | 1953 | 2,294 | Single jet engine fighter |
| North American FJ-3 Fury | 1953 | 538 | Single jet engine naval fighter |
| North American X-10 | 1953 | 13 | Experimental twin jet engine uncrewed airplane |
| North American FJ-4 Fury | 1954 | 374 | Single jet engine naval fighter |
| North American F-107 | 1956 | 3 | Prototype single jet engine fighter |
| North American T-2 Buckeye | 1958 | 529 | Twin jet engine trainer |
| North American A-5 Vigilante | 1958 | 167 | Twin jet engine naval attack airplane |
| North American Sabreliner | 1958 | 800+ | Twin jet engine business airplane |
| North American X-15 | 1959 | 3 | Experimental single rocket engine aircraft |
| North American XB-70 Valkyrie | 1964 | 2 | Prototype six jet engine strategic bomber |
| North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco | 1965 | 360 | Twin turboprop engine observation airplane |
Crewed Spacecraft
- Apollo command and service module
- North American DC-3
- Skylab Rescue
- Space Shuttle
Missiles and Rockets
- AGM-28 Hound Dog
- AGM-64 Hornet
- RTV-A-3 NATIV
- SM-64 Navaho
- S-II second stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle
- Little Joe (rocket)
- Little Joe II
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
- North American MQM-42 Redhead-Roadrunner
Projects
- North American NA-116 (long-range bomber project)
- North American NA-148 (commercial transport project)
- North American NA-237 (fighter bomber project)
- North American NA-323 (project for F-14 program)
- North American NA-365 (carrier delivery project)
- North American NA-400 (naval strike attack project)
- North American NA-420 (V/STOL support aircraft project)
- North American XF-108 Rapier
See also
In Spanish: North American Aviation para niños
