Gilbert B. North Aerospace Papers

Collection

Identifier: A3148

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The papers contain manuals and publications relating to airplanes and spacecraft along with personal materials about McDonnell Aircraft Corporation test pilot and engineer, Gilbert B. (Bert) North. The papers are arranged alphabetically and date from 1941 to 2007. The bulk of the materials date from 1964 to 1978.

North’s aviator logbook spans a large number of years. It begins in 1957 with flights in McDonnell’s F101 aircraft, providing date, type of aircraft, aircraft serial numbers, and pilot time. The entries skip many years and in 1976 there are notes about flight student T.G. North, likely Bert’s son Thomas G. North. The final entry in the book is 2 June 2007 with a note, “I certify that Gilbert B. North private pilot…satisfactorily completed a flight review,” signed by Dale Herzberg. There are also entries for the logbook listed on four small cards within its pages.

The F-18 flight manuals, Gemini manuals, and the Mercury manual comprise the largest portion of the papers. There is one page of North’s notes concerning the 1965 Gemini manual (B1/f.5), but there are no other notes or annotations in the remaining publications. North wrote several names inside the front cover of his 1974 copy of the U.S. Navy test pilot alumni directory. The most personal items in the papers, along with the aforementioned logbook, include North’s notes on three talks that he gave in the 1950s about being a test pilot, his Acacia Fraternity membership card, his radiotelephone operator permit, and a list of flight experiences dated 1984 (B2/f.4).

Dates

1941-2007
Majority of material found within 1964-1978

Creator

North, Gilbert B. (Gilbert Bishop), 1922-2015 (Compiler, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, quote from, or reproduce material in this collection, please contact the Archives Reference Desk at archives@mohistory.org. Copyright restrictions may apply. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.

Biographical Sketch

Gilbert (Bert) Bishop North, along with his twin brother Warren J. North (1922-2012), was born on 28 April 1922 in Winchester, Illinois, to Clyde (1891-1944) and Lucille North (1896-1985). In the Second World War, North served as an Army combat engineer and a fighter pilot. He flew P-47s in Europe, and after the war he joined the Missouri Air National Guard, 110th Fighter Squadron. North earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue University in 1947. At Purdue, he was a member of Acacia Fraternity and was inducted into several honor societies, including Tau Beta Pi, Pi Tau Sigma, Phi Eta Sigma, and Scabbard and Blade.

In 1947, North joined McDonnell Aircraft Corporation as an engineer and a test pilot. In 1952, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. While employed at McDonnell, North piloted experimental aircraft which included: XF3H, XF-88, F2H, F3H, and F-101. He also managed and flew test programs at Patuxent Naval Air Station, Glenview Naval Air Station, Kirtland Air Force Base, and at Edwards Air Force Base. His engineering assignments included advanced design and aircraft, F-4 and F-15. North also worked on the Mercury and Gemini space projects concerning propulsion, fuel cells, and cryogenics.

In 1953, while piloting a Demon aircraft, North crashed near Washington, Missouri. Hospitalized after the crash, he met a nurse, Martha Rose Jaspering, whom he married in 1955. The couple had two children: Linda A. North (1956-1999) and Thomas G. North (1958-1996). After 38 years, North retired from McDonnell Douglas in 1985. He was a member of Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church, the Air Force Association, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Masons, Scottish Rite, and Shriners. North died on 30 April 2015.

Extent

0.75 Cubic Feet ( (2 boxes) )

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The papers are arranged alphabetically.

Physical and Technical Requirements

There are no physical or technical restrictions.

Donor Information

The collection was donated by Blake and Keith Terry in 2020 (accession number 2020-058).

Related Materials

There are items in the Museums Collections Department that belonged to Gilbert B. North (2020-058-0001 thru 0009).

Gilbert B. North Photograph Collection, Photo and Prints Department.

Airscoop, McDonnell Aircraft Corporation employee magazine, 1949-1969 (MHS Library OZ/StL/O5/M146).

Sources Consulted During Processing

Swenson, Grimwood, and Alexander (1989), This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury, NASA Special Publication-4201 (https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4201/toc.htm).