Learning Center Our Enshrinees

James “Dutch” Kindelberger

• Joined the Glenn L. Martin Company as a designer following World War I.
• Worked alongside Glenn Martin (enshrined 1966), Donald Douglas (enshrined 1969), and Lawrence Bell (enshrined 1977) who would all go on to form their own successful organizations.
• Aided in the development of the Martin bombers used by Billy Mitchell during the famed Battleship Bombing Tests.
• Joined the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1925 and became Vice President of Engineering by 1928.
• Turned out 71 separate models for the Air Corps, Navy and civilian use in addition to the legendary DC series. The DC-3 was the most popular, and more than 10,000 were built for civil and military use.
• Joined North American Aviation where he designed and produced the BT-9 and AT-6 trainer, the B-25 medium bomber and the classic P-51 Mustang. Kindelberger became President of the company in 1935.
• After World War II, North American Aviation diversified their product line to include missiles, atomic devices, rocket engines and the Apollo spacecraft destined to reach the moon.