OV-10 Bronco
North American Rockwell manufactured the OV-10A Bronco, the cataloged aircraft entry, and the type entered production in 1967.
Sources: manufacturer, backgroundBuilt by archive
North American Rockwell Weapon Systems
North American Rockwell was the short-lived 1967-1973 aerospace and defense name created by the merger of North American Aviation and Rockwell Standard. In this catalog it anchors the OV-10 Bronco builder facet and the wider North American/Rockwell space hardware lineage.
1 weapon systemsNorth American Rockwell was formed in 1967 when North American Aviation merged with Rockwell Standard Corporation. The name captured a brief but important transition period in U.S. aerospace manufacturing before the company was renamed Rockwell International in 1973.
The archive keeps North American Rockwell visible because the name appears on cataloged aircraft such as the OV-10 Bronco and on major NASA programs tied to the company’s North American division, including Apollo hardware and the early Space Shuttle effort.
Notable Systems
Apollo Command and Service Module
The company's North American division built Apollo command and service modules during the Apollo era.
Sources: manufacturer, backgroundSpace Shuttle orbiter
North American Rockwell began Space Shuttle development in 1972 and later built five operational orbiters.
Sources: manufacturer, backgroundBuilder History
North American Rockwell is formed
North American Aviation merged with Rockwell Standard Corporation to create North American Rockwell Corporation.
Sources: background, manufacturer
OV-10A production begins
The OV-10A Bronco entered North American Rockwell production in the same period that the company name appeared on the aircraft line.
Sources: manufacturer, background
Space Shuttle work starts
The company began development work for NASA's Space Shuttle program and later built five operational orbiters.
Sources: background, manufacturer
Rockwell International name replaces North American Rockwell
The corporation was renamed Rockwell International in 1973 after the Collins Radio acquisition.
Sources: background, manufacturer
Boeing buys aerospace and defense units
Boeing purchased Rockwell's aerospace and defense divisions, ending the North American Rockwell lineage as a standalone builder identity.
Sources: background
Predecessors
Successors
Website links
North American Rockwell is a short-lived merger-era name that is often collapsed into broader Rockwell International history, so the profile keeps the exact 1967-1973 name and uses successor references only for lineage context. No headquarters map was added because a reliable geocoded headquarters source was not verified.
Builder Sources
- Britannica: Rockwell International CorporationPublisher: Britannica | Note: Supports the North American Aviation merger into North American Rockwell, the 1973 rename to Rockwell International, and the broader aerospace and defense lineage used for catalog context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
- Rockwell International, Collins General Aviation Division PublicationsPublisher: Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives | Note: Supports the 1967 merger of North American Aviation and Rockwell Standard Corporation, the 1973 rename to Rockwell International, and the company-history continuity from North American Rockwell. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
- There's One More Shuttle That Needs a HomePublisher: Smithsonian Magazine | Note: Supports the Downey plant history, North American Rockwell's Apollo command module work, and the later Boeing transfer of the facility. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
- North American Rockwell OV-10A BroncoPublisher: National Museum of the United States Air Force | Note: Supports North American Rockwell as the OV-10A Bronco manufacturer and the aircraft's production and role context, which anchors the builder's catalog connection. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
- Shuttle mockup at North American Rockwell (Downey, California).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and reuse context; the file page identifies the NASA photo as public domain and shows the North American Rockwell Downey facility shuttle mockup. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
Category
Aircraft & UAVs
Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.
.jpg){kind=link}