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Mustang Fighter

Mustang Fighter

Rockwell International

Predecessor companies

Col. Willard F. Rockwell made his fortune with the invention and successful launch of a new bearing system for truck axles in 1919. He merged his Oshkosh, Wisconsin-based operation with the Timken-Detroit Axle Company in 1928, rising to become chairman of its board in 1940.

Timken-Detroit merged in 1953 with the Standard Steel Spring Company, forming the Rockwell Spring and Axle Company. After various mergers with automotive suppliers, it comprised about 10-20 factories in the Upper Midwestern U.S. and southern Ontario, and in 1958 renamed itself Rockwell-Standard Corporation.

Pittsburgh-based Rockwell Standard then acquired and merged with Los Angeles-based North American Aviation to form North American Rockwell in 1967. They then purchased or merged with Miehle-Goss-Dexter, the largest supplier of printing presses, and in 1973 acquired Collins Radio, a major avionics supplier. Finally, in 1973 the company merged with Rockwell Manufacturing, run by Willard Rockwell Jr., to form Rockwell International. In the same year, the company acquired Admiral Radio and TV for $500 million, selling the appliance division to Magic Chef.

Products

The various Rockwell companies list a large number of firsts in their histories, including the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter and the B-25 Mitchell bomber, and the Korean War-era F-86 Sabre, as well as the Apollo spacecraft, the B-1 Lancer bomber, the Space Shuttle, and most of the Navstar Global Positioning System satellites. Rocketdyne, which had been spun off by North American in 1955, was re-merged into Rockwell in 1984, and by that time produced most of the rocket engines used in the United States. Rockwell also took over and manufactured the light business aircraft previously known as Aero Commanders, then introduced their own new design as the Rockwell Commander 112 and 114.

The company developed a desktop calculator based on a MOSFET chip for use by its engineers. In 1967 Rockwell set up their own manufacturing plant to produce them, starting what would become Rockwell Semiconductor. One of their major successes came in the early 1990s when they introduced the first low-cost 14.4 kbit/s modem chip set, which was used in a huge number of modems.

Collins Radios were fitted to 80% of the free world's airliners. They designed and built the radios that communicated the Apollo moon landings and the high frequency radio network that allows worldwide communication with US military aircraft. Rockwell designed and built the third stage of the Minuteman Intercontinental ballistic missile, (ICBM) and the AIRS inertial guidance system (INS) that provided its navigation. They also built inertial navigation systems for the Fleet of Ballistic Missile submarines.

Rockwell built most of the heavy duty truck axles in the US along with power, windows, seats and locks. Rockwell also built yachts, business jets and owned large amounts of real estate.

Apex and break-up

With the death of company founder and first CEO Willard Rockwell in 1978, and the stepping down of his son Willard Rockwell Jr. in 1979 as the second CEO, Bob Anderson became CEO and led the company through the 1980s when it became the largest US defense contractor and largest NASA contractor. Rockwell also acquired the privately held Allen-Bradley Company for $1.6 billion in February 1985 $1 billion of which was cash to the owners of Allen Bradley and became a producer of railroad electronics.

During the 1980s, Anderson, his CFO Bob dePalma and the Rockwell management team built the company to #27 on the Fortune 500 list. It boasted sales of $12 billion and assets of over $8 billion. Its workforce of over 100,000 was organized into nine major divisions: Space, Aircraft, Defense Electronics, Commercial Electronics, Light Duty Automotive Components, Heavy Duty Automotive Components, Printing Presses, Valves and Meters, and Industrial Automation. Rockwell International was a major employer in southern California, Ohio, Georgia, Oklahoma, Michigan, Texas, Iowa, Illinois and western Pennsylvania.

Anderson stepped down as CEO in February 1988, leaving the company to president Donald R. Beall. The completion of the Space Shuttle program and cancellation of the B-1 bomber had led to a decline in revenues, and Beall sought to diversify the company away from government contracts. The end of the Cold War and deteriorating economic conditions, however, prompted accelerated divestitures and sweeping management reforms. From 1988 to 2001 the company moved its headquarters four times: from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to El Segundo, California to Seal Beach, California to Costa Mesa, California to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

At the end of the 1980s, the company sold its valve and meter division, formerly Rockwell Manufacturing, to British Tire and Rubber. It also sold its printing press division to an internal management team. Following the "peace dividend" following the fall of the Soviet bloc, the company sold its defense and aerospace business, including what was once North American Aviation and Rocketdyne, to Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in December 1996. In the 1990s, the company spun off its semiconductor products as Conexant Technologies (CNXT), which is publicly traded and based in Newport Beach, California. Rockwell International also spun off its automotive division as a publicly traded company, Meritor Automotive, based in Troy, Michigan, which then merged with Arvin Industries to form Arvin Meritor.

In 2001, what remained of Rockwell International was split into two companies: Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Collins, both publicly traded companies, ending the run of what had once been a massive and diverse conglomerate.

Notes

Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2006)

External links

North American Rockwell history on Boeing.com

Rockwell International history on Boeing.com

Boeing's Australian website page on Rockwell history

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North American Aviation and North American Aviation division of Rockwell International Aircraft

Manufacturer

"Charge Number"

NA-15  NA-16  NA-17 (components)  NA-18  NA-19  NA-20  NA-21  NA-22  NA-23  NA-24 (components)  NA-25  NA-26  NA-27  NA-28  NA-29  NA-30  NA-31  NA-32  NA-33  NA-34  NA-35  NA-36  NA-37  NA-38  NA-39  NA-40  NA-41  NA-42  NA-43  NA-44  NA-45  NA-46  NA-47  NA-48  NA-49  NA-50  NA-51  NA-52  NA-53  NA-54  NA-55  NA-56  NA-57  NA-58  NA-59  NA-60  NA-60  NA-61  NA-62  NA-63  NA-64  NA-65  NA-66  NA-67  NA-68  NA-69  NA-70  NA-71  NA-72  NA-73  NA-73  NA-74  NA-75  NA-76  NA-77  NA-78  NA-79  NA-81  NA-82  NA-83  NA-84  NA-85  NA-87  NA-88  NA-89  NA-90  NA-91  NA-92  NA-93  NA-94  NA-95  NA-96  NA-97  NA-98  NA-99  NA-100

NA-101  NA-102  NA-103  NA-104  NA-105  NA-106  NA-107  NA-108  NA-109  NA-110  NA-111  NA-112  NA-113  NA-114  NA-115  NA-116  NA-117  NA-118  NA-119  NA-120  NA-121  NA-122  NA-123  NA-124  NA-125  NA-126  NA-127  NA-128  NA-129  NA-130  NA-132  NA-134  NA-135  NA-137  NA-138  NA-139  NA-140  NA-141  NA-142  NA-143  NA-144  NA-145  NA-146  NA-147  NA-148  NA-149  NA-150  NA-151  NA-152  NA-153  NA-154  NA-155  NA-156  NA-157  NA-158  NA-159  NA-160  NA-161  NA-162  NA-163  NA-164  NA-165  NA-166  NA-167  NA-168  NA-169  NA-170  NA-171  NA-172  NA-173  NA-174  NA-175  NA-176  NA-177  NA-178  NA-179  NA-180  NA-181  NA-182  NA-183  NA-184  NA-185  NA-186  NA-187  NA-188  NA-189  NA-190  NA-191  NA-192  NA-193  NA-194  NA-195  NA-196  NA-197  NA-198  NA-199  NA-200

NA-201  NA-202  NA-203  NA-204  NA-205  NA-206  NA-207  NA-208  NA-209  NA-210  NA-211  NA-212  NA-213  NA-214  NA-215  NA-216  NA-217  NA-218  NA-219  NA-220  NA-221  NA-222  NA-223  NA-224  NA-225  NA-226  NA-227  NA-228  NA-229  NA-230  NA-231  NA-232  NA-233  NA-234  NA-235  NA-236  NA-237  NA-238  NA-239  NA-240  NA-241  NA-242  NA-243  NA-244  NA-245  NA-246  NA-247  NA-248  NA-249  NA-251  NA-252  NA-253  NA-254  NA-255  NA-256  NA-257  NA-258  NA-259  NA-260  NA-261  NA-262  NA-263  NA-264  NA-265  NA-266  NA-267  NA-268  NA-269  NA-270  NA-271  NA-272  NA-273  NA-274  NA-275  NA-276  NA-277  NA-278  NA-279  NA-280  NA-281  NA-282  NA-283  NA-284  NA-285  NA-286  NA-287  NA-288  NA-289  NA-290  NA-291  NA-292  NA-293  NA-294  NA-295  NA-296  NA-297  NA-298  NA-299  NA-300

NA-301  NA-302  NA-303  NA-304  NA-305  NA-306  NA-307  NA-308  NA-309  NA-310  NA-311  NA-312  NA-313  NA-314  NA-315  NA-316  NA-317  NA-318  NA-319  NA-320  NA-321  NA-322  NA-323  NA-324  NA-325  NA-326  NA-327  NA-328  NA-329  NA-330  NA-331  NA-332  NA-333  NA-334  NA-336  NA-337  NA-338  NA-340  NA-341  NA-342  NA-343  NA-344  NA-345  NA-346  NA-347  NA-348  NA-349  NA-350  NA-351  NA-352  NA-353  NA-354  NA-356  NA-357  NA-358  NA-359  NA-360  NA-361  NA-362  NA-363  NA-364  NA-365  NA-366  NA-367  NA-369  NA-370  NA-371  NA-372  NA-373  NA-374  NA-375  NA-376  NA-377  NA-378  NA-379  NA-380  NA-382  NA-383  NA-384  NA-385  NA-386  NA-387  NA-388  NA-389  NA-390  NA-391  NA-392  NA-393  NA-394  NA-395  NA-396  NA-397  NA-398  NA-399  NA-400

NA-401  NA-402  NA-403  NA-404  NA-405  NA-406  NA-407  NA-420  NA-430  NA-431

By role

Fighters: P-51  P-64  F-82  FJ-1  FJ-2/3  FJ-4  F-86/F-86D  YF-93  F-100  F-107  F-108  XFV-12

Bombers: XB-21  B-25  XB-28  B-45  XB-70

Observation: O-47  OV-10

Attack aircraft: A-27  A-36  AJ  A2J  A3J/A-5

Trainers: BT-9  BC-1  T-6  T-28  T-39  T-2

Experimental: X-15

Business aircraft: Sabreliner

Missiles: MQM-42  AGM-53

Licence production: B-24  C-82

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Lists relating to aviation

General

Timeline of aviation  Aircraft (manufacturers)  Aircraft engines (manufacturers)  Rotorcraft (manufacturers)  Airports  Airlines (defunct)  Civil authorities  Museums

Military

Air forces  Aircraft weapons  Missiles  Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)  Experimental aircraft

Accidents/incidents

General  Military  Commercial (airliners)  Deaths

Records

Airspeed  Distance  Altitude  Endurance  Most-produced aircraft

Categories: Companies based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Defense companies of the United States | Companies disestablished in 2001 | Manufacturing companies of the United States | Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States | Defunct companies based in Wisconsin | Companies based in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaHidden categories: Articles lacking sources from November 2006 | All articles lacking sources

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How much does a World War 2 fighter cost?

I see World War Two fighters at air shows, etc... They are all privately owned. I was wondering, how much does one cost? I know there are less than 10 flyable P-51 Mustangs left. But some planes are much more plentiful. How much would a functioning Messerschmitt 109 sell for? I know there are companies that make full scale replicas. How much would one of those cost? Its been a dream of mine to own one. Either a F4U-1 Corsair or a ME-109. Any info on replicas, originals, or cost would be appreicated!
I found an exact replica of a ME-262 for sale for 2.5 million on www.trade-a-plane.com. But I really want an ME-109.

The Spanish built Me109Gs postwar using an hispano-suiza engine. They look identical to a "wartime" Me unless you look very closely (larger nose, and radiators in the wrong place). You can find those occasionally in Trade-a-plane.
You would have to restore a wartime Me otherwise-this will run into the millions of dollars for a fully flyable version.
Something else to consider is parts/maintenance. You've got find someone who's fully qualified on your engine to do annuals-AND you gotta scrounge to get parts. An acquaintance of mine has a P51N: Annuals run him about $7-8000. He had to zero-time his engine about 15 years ago: once he actually found someone qual'd to work on Merlins with parts: $55000. Fuel's actually not that expensive-he often gets airshow organizers to help out with that.
Finally, as far as Me's go, their flying characteristics are not great. A little known fact about the Luftwaffe was they lost more new fighterguys to accidents in the first 3 years of the war, than to enemy action. That poor downward vis, plus a narrow gear, combined with a relatively high approach speed... Personally I'd rather get either an Me-262, or a repro Fw190D.

P-51 Mustang fighter display