Inglewood, California Historic photos, documents, and people

A scale wind tunnel model of North American Aviation's P-51 fighter is prepared by two model shop employees before another test is made to determine its flight characteristics. All measurements on thes

Wood wheels are placed on fighters as they move down the assembly line and onto the flight ramp. When the ships are ready for flight, rubber wheels are attached, and the wood goes back to the assembly

A painter on the flight ramp marks off the transparent enclosure on a North American B-25 bomber before adding the camouflage paint of the United States Army Air Force. Windows covered with brown paper

Operating a hand drill at North American Aviation, Inc., a woman is working in the control surface department assembling a section of the leading edge for the horizontal stabilizer of a plane, Inglewoo

On North American's outdoor assembly line, a painter cleans the tail section of a P-51 fighter prior to spraying the olive-drab camouflage of the U.S. Army, North American Aviation, Inc., Inglewood, Ca

Two women "swing shift" employees at North American "talk over" the day's events as they eat lunch at their benches. The company broadcasts news and music throughout the plant during lunch periods

A clerk in the material preparation department receives orders over the phone for a number of parts. Every major part in plant has an index number and card which follows its progress to completion

P-51 "Mustang" fighter in flight, Inglewood, Calif. The "Mustang", built by North American Aviation, Incorporated, is the only American-built fighter used by the Royal Air Force of Great Britain

As fuselage center sections for B-25 bombers move down a long overhead conveyer, hundreds of North American women employees assemble the thousands of parts that go into a modern combat plane

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