<<Having been with Rockwell's Aircraft Division (which started life as North
American Aviation [NAA]) for 30 years (though Boeing did buy us for my last
two - three years), I've had the occasion to read up on the history of a lot
of NAA produced aircraft. One that comes to mind is the AT-6 "Texan" (navy's
SNJ) trainer (NAA produced about 25,000 of them - that's right - 25 with
three zeros).>>

Sorry about the off-topic post - My father worked for NAA during the war as
a mechanic.  He also was a co-pilot for B-25 test flights.  I just found his
old logbook and there are literally hundreds of entries of different
aircraft.  Unfortunately, I have found no currently existing B-25's that he
had flown as he stopped in about January of '43 and I can find no existing
planes older than '43 (the year of manufacture is in the tail (serial)
number.  He said they would take off, climb to altitude, shut off each
engine in turn, test both high and lower blower speed and do a stall and be
back on the ground in less than 10 minutes logged.  Lots of interesting
stories.  Most aircraft were flown only once, but occasionally there are
planes flown several times over a week or more.  He never did get his
private license, but they let him fly right seat in the B-25.  Anyone out
there seen a B-25 with a serial number starting in 41 or 42?  Anyone know
what the serial numbers of Jimmy Doolittle's planes were?  Just wondered if
my dad flew one.  I've got a picture of the former LAX with P-51's parked
along the runways going back as far as you can see.

Gary Casey
ES project