WARBIRD FACTORY 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 1 15/7/15 1:56 pm 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 1 15/7/15 1:55 pm ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0077--6611228833 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- WWaarrbbiirrdd FFaaccttoorryy (Text) DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::11 John Fredrickson 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 2 29/7/15 1:42 pm 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 2 15/7/15 1:55 pm ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0077--6611228833 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- WWaarrbbiirrdd FFaaccttoorryy 0 7 - C 7 4 1 4 7 DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::22 N O RT H A M E R I C A N AV I AT I O N I N W O R L D WA R I I WA R B I R D FAC TORY John Fredrickson 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 3 15/7/15 1:56 pm 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 3 15/7/15 1:55 pm ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0077--6611228833 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- WWaarrbbiirrdd FFaaccttoorryy (Text) DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::33 This book is dedicated to the memory of 1st Lt. Winton R. Wey, a twenty-four-year-old flight-test engineer who © 2015 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. perished in the wreck Text © 2015 John Frederickson of an experimental B-25 First published in 2015 by Zenith Press, an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc., 400 First Avenue Mitchell attack bomber, North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA. Telephone: (612) 344-8100 Fax: (612) 344-8692 known as NA-98X, at quartoknows.com the Inglewood warbird Visit our blogs at quartoknows.com factory on the evening All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the of April 24, 1944. artists concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book. Zenith Press titles are also available at discounts in bulk quantity for industrial or sales-promotional use. For details contact the Special Sales Manager at Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc., 400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Front cover: B-25 Mitchells move ISBN: 978-0-7603-4816-1 along the final assembly line at a Digital edition: 978-1-62788-808-0 North American Aviation’s massive plant in the Fairfax industrial Hardcover edition: 978-0-76034-816-1 district of Kansas City. This plant first augmented the original Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Inglewood production line before becoming the world’s sole source Fredrickson, John. Warbird factory : North American Aviation in World War II / John Fredrickson. of the iconic medium bombers in pages cm the summer of 1944.  Production Includes bibliographical references and index. continued for another year at the ISBN 978-0-7603-4816-1 (hbk.) dizzying but sustained pace of about 1. North American Aviation--History. 2. Airplane factories--California--Inglewood--History--20th three hundred airplanes per month. century. 3. Kindelberger, James Howard, 1895-1962. 4. Mitchell (Bomber)--Design and construction-- Title pages: A B-25 in navy or History. 5. Aircraft industry--California--Inglewood--History--20th century. 6. Aircraft industry--United States--History--20th century. 7. World War, 1939-1945--Economic aspects--United States. 8. World War, marine service was designated 1939-1945--California--Inglewood. 9. Inglewood (Calif.)--Economic conditions. I. Title. II. Title: North PBJ-1 (for Patrol Bomber, with the American Aviation in World War II. letter “J” being assigned to North UG1242.B6F726 2015 American Aviation). This PBJ-1H at 338.7›623746097309044--dc23 Inglewood was built with an optional 2015018018 75mm cannon in the nose. Acquiring Editor: Dennis Pernu Back cover: A young woman Project Manager: Madeleine Vasaly perches precariously on the top of a Art Director: James Kegley stepladder as she polishes the four- Layout: Diana Boger bladed propeller of this Mustang. Back flap: The 1934 vintage design Printed in China of the North American trainer was Unless otherwise indicated, all images are official North American Aviation Inc. photographs and graphics durable, and after considerable and are used with permission. Copyright resides with the Boeing Company. This publication has not been updating, was still viable a decade prepared, approved, or licensed by the Boeing Company. later. 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 4 29/7/15 1:42 pm 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 4 29/7/15 12:54 pm ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0077--6611228833 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- WWaarrbbiirrdd FFaaccttoorryy (Text) 0077--CC7744114477 DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::44 CONTENTS Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1 The Genesis of North American Aviation . . . . 10 2 Dutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 3 War at Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 4 Trainers and Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 5 B-25 Mitchell Medium Bomber . . . . . . . . . . . 80 6 Strike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 7 Working on the Sunshine Assembly Line . . . 104 8 The P-51 Mustang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 9 B-25 on Steroids: The Short Life of NA-98X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 10 Eisenhower’s B-25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176 11 Transition to Cold War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Appendixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210 Chapter Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 5 29/7/15 1:42 pm 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 5 15/7/15 1:55 pm ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0077--6611228833 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- WWaarrbbiirrdd FFaaccttoorryy (Text) 0 7 - C 7 4 1 4 7 DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::55 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The kind, sustained, and generous assistance of Michael Lombardi and Thomas Lubbesmeyer of the Boeing Historical Archives in Bellevue, Washington, was invaluable to the creation of this book. The first bits of North American history began to arrive at the Boeing Archives shortly after the aerospace units of Rockwell International were purchased in December 1996. Michael Lombardi is the senior corporate historian for the Boeing Company who had the wisdom and foresight to seek out, organize, and preserve the massive remaining collection of source documents and photographs that chronicle the history of North American Aviation Inc. from predecessor companies, the war years, the Cold War era, and the several space programs. I was granted unrestricted access over the past three and a half years to this vast col- lection. We believe fresh new information and insights have been discovered despite the many well-researched previous books that have probed the fascinating history of North American Aviation and its products. Rocky Ruckdaschel was the historian during the era of Rockwell International (circa 1965 to 1996) who assisted past authors with their research into the Mustang and other North American Aviation related topics. Rocky was very active with the group of North American retirees who called themselves the “Bald Eagles.” With the implementation of Social Security in the 1930s, most workers in the United States were required to retire on their sixty-fifth birthday. Some of the “Bald Eagles” may have felt they were pushed out of their beloved jobs prematurely. Mandatory retirement at age sixty-five was not mitigated until the presidency of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. Some of the “Eagles” remained intel- lectually active by seeking out and preserving the anecdotes and recollections from the early years at Dundalk, thus creating the oral legacy that enriches this book. Past issues of the retiree quarterly newsletter were an additional source of historic information. Norm Avery was hired by North American in 1940 and started his career as a draftsman on the B-25 project at Inglewood. He devoted his life to documenting the history of North American aircraft. His 1993 book, B-25 Mitchell: The Magnificent Medium, is considered by many historians to be the primary authority on that model. His notes and working papers are an invaluable research tool. Robert Hutton of Madison, Wisconsin, generously shared his personal experiences as a World War II instructor pilot and P-51 combat pilot during the Korean War. The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum of Abilene, Kansas, pointed the way to the wartime history of the General Eisenhower’s Fairfax-built B-25J transport that was assigned for his exclusive use from May 1944 to May 1945 and provided essential photo- graphic documentation. The Truman Presidential Library and Museum of Independence, Missouri, assisted with the research of Truman’s visit to Inglewood in August 1941. The Dayton, Ohio, public library provided newspaper clippings dated 1944, which detailed the life of Maj. Perry J. Ritchie. The National Museum of the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB was the source for the photographs of Major Ritchie. The historians at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, provided copies of the four accident reports that involved him plus the routing between Inglewood and Eighth Air Force in England for Eisenhower’s B-25 on its delivery flight in May 1944. The descendants of the Wey family were very supportive in seeking to preserve the memory of their uncle, Winton R. Wey. They knew he died in service to his country in a 1944 air- plane crash, but were uninformed as to the circumstances. Jim Graham, grandson of Dutch Kindelberger, assisted with fact checking while generously sharing family recollections. Other manuscript proofreaders included Michael Alexander, a Seattle-based aviation consultant with over forty years’ experience in airline training and commercial aircraft 6 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 6 29/7/15 1:42 pm 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 6 29/7/15 12:54 pm ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0077--6611228833 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- WWaarrbbiirrdd FFaaccttoorryy (Text) 0077--CC7744114477 DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::66 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS marketing; and Carl Fredrickson, a stress engineer who specializes in the design of engine Wartime Inglewood worker pylons for forthcoming transport jets. Both men, as lifelong students of aviation history, Ben Chang seems to be happy pointed out not only my many errors of usage but also offered invaluable guidance regard- with his task—installing cockpit ing optimum portrayal of factual events as they intermix with human attitudes. window panes on a Mitchell B-25. The leaders of North American were extremely proud of their creations and consum- mate marketers. Many of the documents in the North American historical files ooze with praise of their own products and some of that perpetual salesmanship has, no doubt, found its way into this text. —John Fredrickson, 2015 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 7 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 7 29/7/15 1:42 pm 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 7 15/7/15 1:55 pm ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0077--6611228833 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- WWaarrbbiirrdd FFaaccttoorryy (Text) 0 7 - C 7 4 1 4 7 DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::77 PREFACE PREFACE The North American Aviation Inc. (NAA) campus at Inglewood, California, was a beehive of activity during the most challenging time in United States history: the war years from 1938 to 1945 when aircraft assembly lines hummed with activity as engineers, hunched over their drafting tables, conceived lethal new designs and made improvements to exist- ing models. The company was home to the warbirds that helped seal the most crushing dual victories in the history of warfare: the stunning defeats of 1945 when the German government, followed by the Japanese Empire, capitulated in unconditional surrender. The AT-6 trainers, B-25 medium bombers, and P-51 fighters that helped win the war are at the crux of the NAA legacy and mystique. NAA’s legendary airplanes resulted from the genius, labor, and tenacity of its people. The star performers in this story include James Howard “Dutch” Kindelberger and other executives who organized the business; engineers who had a passion for aviation and who envisioned and designed the aircraft; factory workers who fabricated then assembled the parts; managers who organized the workers; and brave airmen who took the airplanes into battle. The supporting cast includes field-service representatives, procurement specialists, service workers, mechan- ics, union organizers, and an occasional politician. When feasible, the story is told in the actual words of the protagonists. The upbeat central themes of engineering brilliance and manufacturing acumen are offset by occasional instances of tragedy, missed opportu- nities, and personal conflicts. The sudden collapse of airplane production at the end of the war was unsettling. A goat nibbling on a Nazi flag Employees were laid off by the tens of thousands as major plants were quickly cleared out spilling out of a garbage can is a and abandoned. Within weeks, previously invaluable combat airplanes, spare parts, and great way to symbolize disrespect tooling were consigned to the scrap heap. Life in postwar America also included the assim- for the fascist regimes that made ilation of returning veterans, who were focused on establishing families and fulfilling the a mess of Europe starting in the pent-up demand for material things that had been deferred, first by the Great Depression mid-1930s. and then by war. Suburbs sprouted as new homes were erected on former open spaces. Most families initially set aside their memories of war in the headlong quest for marriage, children, and a new home, automobile, and television set. A trickle of peacetime movies, magazine articles, and books celebrating the war began to appear. These tales often focused on the main battles without emphasis on how the industrial bounty was utilized to achieve victory. More recently, curiosity has shifted to the sources of the abundance resulting from President Franklin Roosevelt’s 1940 visionary appeal for the full-throttle production of war materiel. How did so much of everything needed for war get made? Our goal is to explore the genesis of the forty-thousand- plus airplanes that were the legacy of NAA between 1938 and 1945 and the resolve of the dedicated people who transformed industrial America from the doldrums of the Great Depression into sustained levels of aircraft production never previously envisioned. 8 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 8 29/7/15 1:42 pm 61283 - Warbird Factory_001-224.indd 8 15/7/15 1:55 pm ((FFooggrraa 3399))JJoobb::0077--6611228833 TTiittllee::MMBBII -- WWaarrbbiirrdd FFaaccttoorryy (Text) 0 7 - C 7 4 1 4 7 DDttpp::222255 PPaaggee::88